Update on moving W7/64 hdd to new computer.

Update on moving an old W7/64 HDD to a new computer.
It would have worked except the new MB only allowed UEFI/GPT during the install.
There are no IDE ports. Since my old HDD was MBR it would not boot. Could not DOS edit
the new HDD to MBR because of no MBR machine available to do that with.
So, ended up doing a new install and moving the data to a new HDD.
MS would not allow the old Key via the internet but did allow it via a phone call.
MB's are both Gigabyte.

Paul in Houston TX wrote:
Update on moving an old W7/64 HDD to a new computer.
It would have worked except the new MB only allowed UEFI/GPT during the
install.
There are no IDE ports. Since my old HDD was MBR it would not boot.
Could not DOS edit
the new HDD to MBR because of no MBR machine available to do that with.
So, ended up doing a new install and moving the data to a new HDD.
MS would not allow the old Key via the internet but did allow it via a
phone call.
MB's are both Gigabyte.


Did you check the BIOS on the new motherboard for a "CSM" option ?
That would have fixed it. MBR and all.

I would not buy a motherboard, that did not have CSM support.
Stuff like tablets or "locked down" styles of hardware from
OEMs, may come without CSM, but a retail motherboard, I would
not let them get away with that.

*******

GPT disks still have an MBR, but like on MacOS, it is a "protective"
MBR, partition type 0xEE, intended to prevent old OSes from
damaging it. The Mac had the same idea, where two disk formats were
around, and they set up the new one, so it could output a warning
when mixing new with old (so you'd "know where your files went" :-) ).
When they invented GPT, at least they didn't "run rancid" by
removing the MBR entirely.

Paul

Paul wrote:
Paul in Houston TX wrote:
Update on moving an old W7/64 HDD to a new computer.
It would have worked except the new MB only allowed UEFI/GPT during the install.
There are no IDE ports. Since my old HDD was MBR it would not boot. Could not DOS edit
the new HDD to MBR because of no MBR machine available to do that with.
So, ended up doing a new install and moving the data to a new HDD.
MS would not allow the old Key via the internet but did allow it via a phone call.
MB's are both Gigabyte.


Did you check the BIOS on the new motherboard for a "CSM" option ?
That would have fixed it. MBR and all.

I would not buy a motherboard, that did not have CSM support.
Stuff like tablets or "locked down" styles of hardware from
OEMs, may come without CSM, but a retail motherboard, I would
not let them get away with that.

*******

GPT disks still have an MBR, but like on MacOS, it is a "protective"
MBR, partition type 0xEE, intended to prevent old OSes from
damaging it. The Mac had the same idea, where two disk formats were
around, and they set up the new one, so it could output a warning
when mixing new with old (so you'd "know where your files went" :-) ).
When they invented GPT, at least they didn't "run rancid" by
removing the MBR entirely.

Paul

Gigabyte G7 MB has CSM and I tried every setting to no avail.
There are no MB instructions on settings for "other os" (other than W8/10).
Perhaps it was something else that did not allow it to boot, idk.
After I clone the drives I may try again to format as MBR or convert
the clone to MBR.

My big gripe is that instructions were inadequate for all of the hardware.
Most of the hardware had no instructions, the MB book went into length about
useless settings and the bios pages are b&w photos that are impossible to see.
There was nothing on the web about any of it, and I spent a week looking
and calling mfg to no avail.
This was the most frustrating assembly that I have ever done.