Cloned XP won't boot properly - stuck before log in/user select screen

Question

I have cloned an installation of Windows XP Professional SP3 from a failing hard disk using Norton Ghost. I set up the correct partition size on the new hard disk (using GParted) and ghosted it on.

I started the computer with just the new hard disk (SATA same as old) and Windows doesn't reach the log in/user selection screen:

It does get past the loading screen:

It shows the mouse pointer (which moves and shows the hourglass periodically) on this screen similar to log in (but not quite there). It doesn't even get to the welcome screen:

It shows Windows XP (and the logo) only on a blue background:

Ctrl-Alt-Del has no effect. Waiting has no effect. Rebooting produces the same problem. Safe mode is exactly the same too.

Booting just the old hard disk (still) works absolutely fine (otherwise I wouldn't have bothered ghosting).

Does the fact that Windows seems to start and then get stuck suggest some operating system file corruption?

Any ideas very welcome.

Answer 1

Are you ghosting disk to disk? Or disk to image to disk? Could be a problem with the image it's creating or the new drive. Make sure the new drive isn't bad and try to do a disk to disk clone (preferably SATA to SATA on the same bus). You could also try running chkdsk /f on the new disk by booting to the XP cd then going into recovery mode.