W2K3 Std Server issue

[vanza]

hi all,
I have W2K3 Std server (Intel server board/socket 478 PIV/onboard SATA RAID1 mirror /with AD/group policies/file-print server etc with about 500 objects) that experienced board failure (dead!).
Cloned & moved one HDD to new Intel server board Core i7 but on startup, it doesn't go past 'boot loader' phase (the progress bullet just freezes intermittently) HOWEVER I can boot up in 'safe mode'. M not getting any BSOD; have attempted other F8 startup/troubleshooting options with no luck.
Tried repair/reinstall but unfortunately when the repair process goes for first reboot, it gets stuck in boot loader phase.
Did use UBCD to inject windows std controllers but still the same problem.
Temporarily (luckily) was able to use the HDD on another simple ASUS board/socket 478 PIV processor) with Intel chipset and is going OK but it's not something that I can rely.
Any suggestions/opinions on this would be much appreciated.
thanx.
Eddie
ps. also asked MS - after few days of going thru my attempts, was told to do clean install :P

[hellnoire]

Sadly, I think they're right.

I'm only learning about servers in school now, but I can say that Windows Server, if you should change any portion of it's hardware, will render it unbootable.

It's because the Windows OS looks for the same hardware that it had before, to prevent 'piracy'... even if you've upgraded the motherboard and CPU.

Sorry to break the bad news to you, but that's my 2 cents. Someone else might know a way around it, I don't though.

[vanza]

thanx Hellnoire....
it could be coz of piracy however my client has a legit volume licence (also is a MS Certified Partner). Of course MS did ask first about licence key when I originally logged in this issue and was crosschecked OK.
Funny thing about this issue is that I'm currently running it functional on a inferior hardware.
thanx for your input.
Eddie

[hellnoire]

Hmm... well, I just said was I was thinking. I'm not sure since I've never had do anything like this except with Linux... which was just slap in and boot, and it worked fine... for the most part lol. Drivers were slightly different, but it took about two - three minutes to rework it.