Problems with HDD in specific system

[reckoning]

I'm rebooting Windows to an old Dell computer for a friend. His CD ROM doesn't work so what I did was take out his HDD and put it in an old system of mine and just installed Windows to it that way. When I put the HDD back into his system right on startup it says "Invalid configuration information - please run setup" then under that it says "Performing automatic IDE configuration..." then gives me the options "strike F1 to continue strike F2 for setup"
No matter which I do it proceeds to BSOD and automatically restarts itself and just loops doing the same thing. I've swapped IDE cables, tried diff power connections from power supply and BSOD evertime. When I put the drive in my old system Windows boots perfectly. Any ideas? Somehow do the old Dell motherboards only run off the original Windows setup so you can't reboot your own Windows?

 

[JCB1]

Hi

You installed the OS on system 1 then put the hard-drive in to system 2. System 2 probally doesnt boot because there is no driver for the motherboard / system 1 to boot to. Does the system you want to re-install windows on have a bootable usb port?? if yes you could create a usb bootable windows install CD using nlite

 

[strollin]

Which OS are you using? Look into the sysprep command. I've done what you want to do by using the sysprep command on the drive while it is installed in the 1st machine. Sysprep removes the hardware specific drivers so that when it is installed in the 2nd machine, Windows will load the drivers for that machine. Can't guarantee it will work for you but it let me install Win 7 on a machine where the DVD drive would not boot the Win 7 install disk.

 

[Indigo]

If you try to do this with Windows XP, it's a pretty high failure rate. Vista was a little better, and 7 doesn't seem to care what it's in, as long as the system configurations are similar. Sysprep will only help in cases of near identical hardware, but as strollin said, your mileage may vary.

 

[reckoning]

It is XP.. I'm going to try and swap the cd drive over to his system and boot that way so it's using his motherboard. I was unaware that motherboard drivers could be an issue. Thanks for the help so far guys!