Is it possible to directly move a HD from a T30 to a T40

[atx-88]

I just bought a T40 and tried to replace the HD with the one from my old T30 but got an error message after the Windows XP startup screen comes on. The unit then re-boot itself automatically and the same error message comes up in a non-stop cycle. Is there a way to transfer the HD from a T30 to a T40 or is there some unresolvable incompatibility? The HD I am trying to swap into the T40 is a Toshiba MK6026GAX (60 GB about 2 years old or less) with Windows XP preloaded. Thanks for any advice!

[Ken Fox]

I just bought a T40 and tried to replace the HD with the one from my old T30 but got an error message after the Windows XP startup screen comes on. The unit then re-boot itself automatically and the same error message comes up in a non-stop cycle. Is there a way to transfer the HD from a T30 to a T40 or is there some unresolvable incompatibility? The HD I am trying to swap into the T40 is a Toshiba MK6026GAX (60 GB about 2 years old or less) with Windows XP preloaded. Thanks for any advice!

Quick answer: don't know. If the major components in the two machines are fairly similar, then you have a reasonable chance of success however it can be very time consuming and more trouble than it is worth. If certain drivers are incompatible then it can be impossible. The issue is not the hard drive itself but the particular installation of Windows XP.

You could try booting into safe mode and see if this works. If you get into safe mode then you could go into control panel->system->device manager and try to uninstall some of the drivers and hope that when you reboot into normal WinXP mode that the OS will find the drivers you really need. If you get that far you could attach the hard drive that came in your new (upgrade) system via IDE-USB2 adapter and then hopefully would have all the drivers you really need on the 2nd hard drive.

This project is often more trouble than it is worth. If you want to try it I suggest you set a time limit, maybe 2-3 hours, max, and see if you can resolve the driver issues. If you can't, most probably the amount of effort that will be required to pull this off exceeds the value of the enterprise, and I'd throw in the towel. I wasted a whole day and a half trying to get a T42 hard disk to work in a T43 and threw in the towel after it became obvious that the law of diminishing returns was setting in.

I have done this sort of migration successfully a number of times, but every time I've succeeded the process has gone fairly smoothly with only maybe 1-2 drivers needing resolution after half an hour. More than that is a bad sign, and not being able to fix them 2hours later an even worse sign.

[StevenL]

In one word. No. it wont boot without error and/or BSOD.
The X31 & x41 and the T40,41,42 and 43 are ALL close enough that Windows XP will boot and correct the drivers.

I used to support all these and a single GHosted image would work on all.

T30 will not.

[atx-88]

Thanks for all your input. Would my only other option be to use something like Acronis Migrate Easy to transfer the OS and everything else from my T30 to the T40?

[Ken Fox]

In one word. No. it wont boot without error and/or BSOD.
The X31 & x41 and the T40,41,42 and 43 are ALL close enough that Windows XP will boot and correct the drivers.

I used to support all these and a single GHosted image would work on all.

T30 will not.

From my own personal experience I would not agree that a transfer between a T42 and a T43 will necessarily work. It certainly did not work for me and I tried all the tricks that I have used in the past and was still left with a couple of unrecognized devices, error messages every boot, etc. This was after about 18 hours "invested" in the project.

[agarza]

Newer Windows version (starting with the NT 4.0 version, then 2000, then XP, 2003) is not different machine swappable (unlike Windows 98).

My suggestion is to recover the I386 directory on the IBM_SERVICE partition or also in the root of the drive C and then download from the NET the boot sector, utilize Nero to do a Bootable Image File with the boot sector + the I386 folder.
You now should be able to boot from the burned CD and install Windows XP, then download the updated drivers for your new machine.

Good luck

[atx-88]

Newer Windows version (starting with the NT 4.0 version, then 2000, then XP, 2003) is not different machine swappable (unlike Windows 98).

My suggestion is to recover the I386 directory on the IBM_SERVICE partition or also in the root of the drive C and then download from the NET the boot sector, utilize Nero to do a Bootable Image File with the boot sector + the I386 folder.
You now should be able to boot from the burned CD and install Windows XP, then download the updated drivers for your new machine.

Good luck

Thanks benottomex! I was thinking along the lines of something that may be similar - Cloning my T30 HD image to a new HD, installing the new HD into the T40 and then re-installing Win XP using the bootable upgrade disk I have. I am hoping that the new re-install of XP will allow the HD to work in the T40 while keeping all my installed programs. preferences and files. Think this will work?

[JaneL]

Newer Windows version (starting with the NT 4.0 version, then 2000, then XP, 2003) is not different machine swappable (unlike Windows 98).

Not true. I've never tried to move an XP install, but NT4 and W2k were easily moved between different models.

If you have a real install CD handy, you'll need to do a repair install to get it to work.

[lilserenity]

I seem to recall there being a registry edit you could do to circumvent the BSOD issue, which would force Windows to re-install the driver that causes the problem.

I think it's to do with the IDE controller. Essentially wherever the document was now, it basically said in your instance you'd power on the T30, make the registry edit, power down. Swap the drive into the T40 and power on.

Job done. I've tried searching quickly but drawn a blank of this process or if I've even remembered this correctly that you can do it this way. How this would fare with XP's activation software though is unknown to me.

Vicky

[agarza]

. I am hoping that the new re-install of XP will allow the HD to work in the T40 while keeping all my installed programs. preferences and files. Think this will work?

Yes, the I386 is the install folder for Windows XP (the same Windows your T30 came with) since it will install everything from scratch, you'll have a working OS on your new machine