Upgrade 20GB hard drive to 40GB hard drive

[Guest]

Hi,
I have just bought a 40GB hard drive and use image ghosting to copy the
image of the 20GB to the 40GB. However, after I have replaced the 40GB new
hard drive into my laptop, the compute could not start but give an error
message saying "NTLDR is missing, press any key to restart". I placed the XP
CD to boot up the computer and go to DOS. I could see all information in the
C:\ drive. However, the computer would not boot up from C:\. I have tried
the Recovery Console but still get the same error.
My laptop was original running WIN ME OEM from compaq. I upgraded to WIN XP
just last year using WIN XP Upgrade version.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

Do a Repair Installation.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[neil]

When you ay you are in DOS then try the command FIXBOOT, see if that helps.

Neil

 

[Guest]

Hi,
I tried the FIXBOOT and also tried the XP Repair Install but the same error
message still comes up. I have checked the Compaq support site but didn't
seem to find any BIOS updates either (as suggested by some expert). My
laptop is a Presario 17XL462.

 

[neil]

Hi,

Another command to try then FIXMBR, does that make any difference.??

Neil

 

[Guest]

Hi,
I tried FIXMBR too but still doesn't work. I have also tried coping the
NTLDR and the NTDETECT to C:\ as suggested by some other site and did not
work.

 

[neil]

Hello again,
Think I'm fast running out of ideas here. Is the drive set as "master" by a
physical link on the drive (if you're not familiar with that)

Neil

 

[neil]

Another thought, is the drives partition set "active" you may need to check
that with a DOS boot floppy.

Neil

 

[Guest]

Hi,
How do you check with the DOS boot floppy that the partition is set
"active"? The new hard drive is the only hard drive that the laptop has
right now. I thought "master" and "secondary" etc are meant for installing 2
or more hard drives. I have only one and it should boot from it.
Thanks!

 

[neil]

I'm not sure if XP will only boot from a drive that is set as master using
the drive link. I would personally be sure it is set to master to ensure
compatibility. I know if you have two disks and install windows to "D" say,
it will still install the boot files to the "C" drive.
What I meant with the boot disk was to use the fdisk utility, make no other
changes apart from checking and setting the partition active if it isn't
already. Or perhaps the hard drive manufacturer has a similar utility.

I hope this is useful I must admit I'm running out of ideas now but let us
know how you get on.

Neil.
UK

 

[Guest]

Hi Neil,
Thanks for the advises. I will give it a try tonight and hope it will work.
Your suggestions are the only things that I haven't tried so far.
Thanks!
Alice