Error loading operating system!

I just got a new Western Digital 120GB hard drive (the one with 2mb cache). I tried to copy my partition from the existing hard drive to the new WD. Everything looked like it went fine. When I rebooted, it came back with the error message "Error loading operating system ", leaving me there to reboot. I tried rebooting but to no avail. I used Powerquest DriveImage, Norton Ghost, and the DataLifeguard partition copier that came with the WD. Then I tried to do a clean install of Win2k, it formatted (NTFS), copied the files, and rebooted then came back with the same message! I went back into the Win2k setup and ran the recovery console to do a fixmbr and a fixboot, still not working. The partition is active, and the hard drive works fine, but I cannot figure this one out! I really appreciate this, and thanks in advance. ~~Pat

 

Sorry but I just want to clarify.

-You bought a new drive, partioned and formated.
-cloned your old drive to new
-didn't work
-tried ghost, etc
-didn't work
-reformat clean install
-still nothing

 

Correct. I also forget to mention that I wrote 0's to the drive for the clean install. I am completley baffled. Western Digital's website said Win2k had some issues with UltraDMA/UltraATA and things like that. Remedy (from WD): Turn all UltraDMA, ATA, and stuff like that off from the BIOS, install Win2k, install SP2, turn on what you turned off. That did not work whatsoever. I really appreciate any help you guys (or gals) can give!

 

Sorry for asking, but
When you say the drive works, how exactly do you know?

Honestly, you did everything that I would have done, and from your experience you probably know more than me.

But, if you have access, maybe try installing a different OS, just to see if that would work.


I just found this
http://www.computing.net/windows2000/wwwboard/forum/30583.html

May be of some help.

 

I ran across this while troubleshooting an ntldr problem...
the part about drive geometry may apply to you.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q255220
Good luck.