[ripslymemc]

Slave drive will never boot unless it has some OS installed on it. In your case, that OS, or maybe even hard drive is corrupted.
How are you trying to boot to the slave drive?
How are you trying to install Windows? On a slave drive? It won't work.
Recovery CD is tied up to all hardware from the computer, the CD was designed for.
The hard drive must reside in original computer for the recovery CD to work.
That drive may be simply dying.
Move it back to the original computer (assuming, you backed up all data to the other drive), and try to use recovery CD, then.
You must boot from that CD.
If it doesn't work...
Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287

thanks, I will try that. if it doesn't work, I'll buy a new drive, too much work has been put in this one. can i wipe it and use it as a slave drive? I can still access my files on it.

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I thought, you backed up those files to the good drive already.
You can format bad drive, and use it as a slave drive, but you must run the test on it, first. You don't want to use it, if the drive is failing.

[Broni]

I thought, you backed up those files to the good drive already.
You can format bad drive, and use it as a slave drive, but you must run the test on it, first. You don't want to use it, if the drive is failing.

[ripslymemc]

I just ordered a new hard drive from Newegg, and I will use that. If the bad drive still won't work i'll trash it. If not-more memory for me. The hard drive i ordered is OEM-that means no software. Can I still use my dell recovery disc on that?

[Broni]

It shouldn't matter.

[ripslymemc]

my hard drive finally came, but it was thinner than my original hard drive, but it has the same sata ports. did I buy a wrong hard drive? -______-

so i started my computer, and it said the hard drive was unbootable. i thought this was normal because it was a blank hdd. so, I put in my windows xp disc, and I pressed f6 to install a driver for it. after some loading and a few screens, I ended up at the install windows xp screen. i press install windows xp, and i am presented with the windows EULA. so, I press f8 to agree, and it hits me with an error screen...

I might use seagate discwizard to clone the contents of this drive, and copy it to my new drive, and then reboot it from there. should I do that?

[Broni]

What does the error say?

[ripslymemc]

remember the pci.sys error I told you before? It was the same sort of screen but It was a setup.sdb or .sys something error (not a dll), I can't remember.

[Broni]

Where is the Windows CD from?

[ripslymemc]

it came with my dell pc. "operating system" reinstallation cd microsoft windows xp professional, it reads.

[Broni]

Try to clean it, and try installation again.

[ripslymemc]

clean it? as in wipe on my shirt? ok, will do.

[Broni]

Use some glass cleaner + soft, no lint cloth. Clean it in radial directions, not in circles.