HDD with Windows 7 not working with Inspiron 1011

[coolikedat99]

I am trying to put a Western Digital 500 GB HDD into my Dell Inspiron 1011 (which has a 120 GB HDD with Ubuntu 12.04 LTS). I was able to exchange the hard drives, and my laptop was able to recognize the HDD, but there was another problem. After the Dell boot screen, it says: Windows is loading files. Then the screen goes black, and the process begins again. I think if I had a Windows 7 boot disc I could solve this. Is there another way for me to do this successfully?

[Gé48]

Since windows was installed on another pc it probably has a problem recognizing the new hardware. Have you tried starting up in save mode, then windows won't load the drivers.
If that works you can uninstal the drivers for video, audio and so on. Then see what happens when you restart your pc.

[coolikedat99]

How would I start Windows in safe mode? And when I restart the computer, would I have have to enter safe mode again, or would it work like a normal Windows 7 computer?

[caperjack]

hitting f8 on bootup will bring up safe mode options ,It might work but I don't think it will .if it does uninstall the suggested video audito and chipset drivers ect ect ,and reboot and just let it try to go to normal mode,good luck

[mjdodd]

I have had similiar problems with Western Digital, especially if Ubuntu is around. I traced my problem to the fact that the WDD has its own boot mgr and that is not totally compatible with some OS's. It may be worth reformatting the WDD drive but I had to return it to shop as the MBR was not on the disk but in the electronics.

[sunshine.p]

i think os compatibility is not a reasonable couse
it may have bad sektors
did you boot the hard disk drive on an other desktop ?

[BigPaw]

Back-up your data.

Was the Hard Disk with the Windows 7 operating system originally installed in another computer?If this is so then you have only one realistic option, to fit the Hard Disk in the Laptop and reinstall Windows 7. Microsoft, starting back in the days of Windows NT, designed the OS (operating system) to entwine with the hardware it was installed on. Romantic, eh? Really, it was for stability, security, and to "prevent" piracy.

There may be a way around the problem by putting the Windows 7 Hard Disk back into its original computer and uninstall all the chipset drivers, and other key system drivers. When you have uninstalled them, and uninstalled them without rebooting, then shutdown, remove the Hard Disk and fit it into the other computer. Windows 7 may then boot up and begin recognising the new hardware. The success of this really does depend on your being quite thorough.

Or, are you trying to set up a dual boot with Windows 7 and Ubuntu?