boot problem

[noop]

Hi I've cloned a windows installation to a new hard drive.
The cloning went allright.
I can mount the partition on another system and read the whole filesystem
(NTFS).
But it doesn't boot: it doesn't even give any error message.

What is strange is that the recovery console sees a Window xp install: I can
log into it. bootcfg /scan confirms that there is a Windows XP, and the
boot.ini file is allright.

I tried fixboot, fixmbr, I've run chkdsk /r on the partition, but nothing
helped.

My partition table seems allright.

What may be wrong?

It's a Packard Bell computer with a hidden (restore) partition before the
active NTFS partition.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

Are you certain the drive has the correct jumper configuration? Should be
set as Master.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi I've cloned a windows installation to a new hard drive.
The cloning went allright.
I can mount the partition on another system and read the whole filesystem
(NTFS).
But it doesn't boot: it doesn't even give any error message.

What is strange is that the recovery console sees a Window xp install: I can
log into it. bootcfg /scan confirms that there is a Windows XP, and the
boot.ini file is allright.

I tried fixboot, fixmbr, I've run chkdsk /r on the partition, but nothing
helped.

My partition table seems allright.

What may be wrong?

It's a Packard Bell computer with a hidden (restore) partition before the
active NTFS partition.

Please state exactly how far the boot process gets.

 

[noop]

Please state exactly how far the boot process gets.

It doesn't start at all: directly after the bios screen all I get is a
blinking cursor.

 

[noop]

I'm coming to think that the bios cannot find the partition. Perhaps because
it's beyond the limitations of the old Bioses (the motherboard is from 2001
I think), and there isn't the option to access the drive in LBA mode.
I'll check that tomorrow.
Thanks.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I'm coming to think that the bios cannot find the partition. Perhaps because
it's beyond the limitations of the old Bioses (the motherboard is from 2001
I think), and there isn't the option to access the drive in LBA mode.
I'll check that tomorrow.
Thanks.

Boot the machine with a Win98 boot disk (www.bootdisk.com),
then run ntfsdos.exe (www.sysinternals.com) do check if your
system partition is there and readable.

Now format floppy disk #2 on some other WinXP/2000
machine and take it to the problem PC while still under
the Win98 boot. Type this command:

type c:\boot.ini > a:\boot.ini.

Now take floppy disk #2 back to your WinXP PC
and copy these two files from the i386 folder of your
WinXP CD to A:\ -
- ntldr
- ntdetect.com

You have just manufactured a WinXP floppy boot disk.
See what happens when you boot the problem PC
with it.

 

[Bill Blanton]

Hi I've cloned a windows installation to a new hard drive.
The cloning went allright.
I can mount the partition on another system and read the whole filesystem
(NTFS).
But it doesn't boot: it doesn't even give any error message.

What is strange is that the recovery console sees a Window xp install: I can
log into it. bootcfg /scan confirms that there is a Windows XP, and the
boot.ini file is allright.

I tried fixboot, fixmbr, I've run chkdsk /r on the partition, but nothing
helped.

My partition table seems allright.

What may be wrong?

It's a Packard Bell computer with a hidden (restore) partition before the
active NTFS partition.

See if this applies-
http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/partsigs.htm

 

[t.cruise]

If it not a question of a BIOS limitation for the drive: Have you tried booting from your
Windows XP CD and doing a Repair Install?

For a step by step walk through of a
Windows XP Repair Install, including screenshots, go to:


http://www.webtree.ca/windowsx­p/repair_xp.htm


When the page opens, scroll down and click on: How To Run A Repair
Install.

 

[Richard Urban]

You are trying to use the cloned disk in another computer? Won't work
without a repair install of the operating system. Then you have to obtain
all of the Windows XP drivers for the other computer. Then you have to
re-download a ton of Windows Updates again on the other computer. Then you
will have to activate the operating system on the other computer.

Microsoft certainly doesn't make it easy to pirate their operating system!
(-:

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[t.cruise]

If you ARE trying to use a cloned drive in another system: If the original was an OEM
install (or an OEM version on a purchased system) then it is tied to the motherboard of
the original system. Ergo that cloned drive will not boot into Windows XP in another
system.
--

T.C.
t__cruise@[NoSpam]hotmail.com
Remove [NoSpam] to reply

 

[noop]

Boot the machine with a Win98 boot disk (www.bootdisk.com),
then run ntfsdos.exe (www.sysinternals.com) do check if your
system partition is there and readable.

Now format floppy disk #2 on some other WinXP/2000
machine and take it to the problem PC while still under
the Win98 boot. Type this command:

type c:\boot.ini > a:\boot.ini.

Now take floppy disk #2 back to your WinXP PC
and copy these two files from the i386 folder of your
WinXP CD to A:\ -
- ntldr
- ntdetect.com

You have just manufactured a WinXP floppy boot disk.
See what happens when you boot the problem PC
with it.

Thanks I'll give it a try.

I brewed my own solution:
I made a new install of XP on the first partition.
In the boot.ini of this new install I added the option to boot the old
version (the one on partition two). The old version boots allright now, I
just had to swap the drive assignment in HLM\System\MountedDevices.

This solution seems a bit odd, but my friends/clients don't have the XP CDs
and I prefer that they work with the XP they paid for.

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

It doesn't start at all: directly after the bios screen all I get is a
blinking cursor.

Is the "special" Packhard Bell partition set as active, or the XP
installation partition you intended to boot?

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