pc can't boot XP from HD after rebuild

[prenfroe]

A Compaq Presario desktop was affected by neighborhood power surge. Purchased new CPU (AMD Sempron 2800 AM2), motherboard (Winfast), power supply, DVD/CD/R/W; reused old HD, CD-ROm, floppy and wireless card. The old Compaq had Win XP on its HD, and that HD is the one I am using in this rebuild.

Rebuild successfuly operates, and I am able to get to CMOS setup screens.

Then during each boot-up this screen each time, "Windows can't boot due to hardware change or abnormal shutdown. safe mode, safe mode with networking, etc., start Windows XP normally." No matter what choice I make, it comes back to this screen every time.

Using the old Compaq's system restore disk, which this rebuild would not recognize or utilize in any way, I was kicked out of system restore into the command prompt. Using DOS commands, I have ascertained that Win XP still resides on my HD, at least in part.

A system disk did not come with the motherboard, only a disk with drivers.

How can I get Xp to boot up?

[freakitchen]

Windows does still 'reside' on that hard drive, but it's basically useless to you. Versions of XP supplied with brand-name PCs like compaq are tied to the specific Compaq BIOS on the original motherboard.

You have changed motherboards - the change of hardware explains why the current install will not boot, and the non-Compaq bios explains why you cannot perform the system restore.

You have basically built a new PC with the replacements, so you will need a new copy of Windows.

FK