Using xcopy for "cloning" your C; drive???

[surface9]

I read on a previous post (can't find it now) that windows xp has a
command to make a bootable copy of a bootable drive if the bootable
drive is connected as a slave and the bootable copy was formatted by
xp. The command quoted was:

xcopy d:\*.* e:\*.* /s/e/y/o

I tried this but the "bootable" copy would NOT BOOT. I got the
following error message: NTLDR is missing.

The bootable drive I used (mounted as a slave) is still bootable (when
I mount is as the master, 1st bootable device). When I mounted it as
a slave (and marked NOT BOOTABLE in the BIOS), and then ran the xopy /
s/e/y/o command to my e: drive I noticed that the command ended
normally but about half the data from the windows folder did not copy
over.

Is there yet more switches that I am missing?

Is there no way to do what I was trying to do?

Windows 98se has a nifty command that lets you make a bootable copy of
you C: drive that you can then mount as your 1st drive and it will
boot and look exactly like the orignial C: drive from which you made
the copy: it is:

xcopy32 c:\*.* d:\*.* /e/h/r/k/c/d

I have successfully done this many many times so I know for sure that
it works like a charm - and it is easy to do since you can leave your
orignal c: drive intact while you make the backup.

I was hoping I could do something like that with XP, even if I have to
reboot from a different h/d (with xp on it) so that the original c:
drive is seen as a slave data drive that can be copied en toto
(nothing protected).

Where am I going wrong? All I want to do is AVOID having to re-
install windows XP along with all my favorite applications and all my
favorite settings and all my favorite shortcuts, hotkeys, etc. This
all takes way too long to have to redo whenever something goes awry
with my C: drive - it is so easy, when that happens, to just use the
backup which I will keep offline until the original C: drive goes
south.

I am just now advancing from windows 98se (which I have put off for a
long time for this VERY REASON), and so I need help from any guru's
out there that know an easy and surefire way to SNAP your C: drive
just as soon as you got it set up the way you want it so you can take
your clone offline and it WILL WORK when you later need it.

Thanks, littleberry

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I read on a previous post (can't find it now) that windows xp has a
command to make a bootable copy of a bootable drive if the bootable
drive is connected as a slave and the bootable copy was formatted by
xp. The command quoted was:

xcopy d:\*.* e:\*.* /s/e/y/o

I tried this but the "bootable" copy would NOT BOOT. I got the
following error message: NTLDR is missing.

The bootable drive I used (mounted as a slave) is still bootable (when
I mount is as the master, 1st bootable device). When I mounted it as
a slave (and marked NOT BOOTABLE in the BIOS), and then ran the xopy /
s/e/y/o command to my e: drive I noticed that the command ended
normally but about half the data from the windows folder did not copy
over.

Is there yet more switches that I am missing?

Is there no way to do what I was trying to do?

Windows 98se has a nifty command that lets you make a bootable copy of
you C: drive that you can then mount as your 1st drive and it will
boot and look exactly like the orignial C: drive from which you made
the copy: it is:

xcopy32 c:\*.* d:\*.* /e/h/r/k/c/d

I have successfully done this many many times so I know for sure that
it works like a charm - and it is easy to do since you can leave your
orignal c: drive intact while you make the backup.

I was hoping I could do something like that with XP, even if I have to
reboot from a different h/d (with xp on it) so that the original c:
drive is seen as a slave data drive that can be copied en toto
(nothing protected).

Where am I going wrong? All I want to do is AVOID having to re-
install windows XP along with all my favorite applications and all my
favorite settings and all my favorite shortcuts, hotkeys, etc. This
all takes way too long to have to redo whenever something goes awry
with my C: drive - it is so easy, when that happens, to just use the
backup which I will keep offline until the original C: drive goes
south.

I am just now advancing from windows 98se (which I have put off for a
long time for this VERY REASON), and so I need help from any guru's
out there that know an easy and surefire way to SNAP your C: drive
just as soon as you got it set up the way you want it so you can take
your clone offline and it WILL WORK when you later need it.

Thanks, littleberry

Under Win98 you used the /h switch. Why did you omit it from
your command under WinXP?

However, there is a bigger problem. While WinXP is up and
running, a number of files are locked and cannot be copied.
One way around the problem is to boot the machine with a
Bart PE boot CD, then perform the copy action. Another is
to use a cloning/imaging tool such as Acronis DriveImage.

 

[Brian A.]

I read on a previous post (can't find it now) that windows xp has a
command to make a bootable copy of a bootable drive if the bootable
drive is connected as a slave and the bootable copy was formatted by
xp. The command quoted was:

xcopy d:\*.* e:\*.* /s/e/y/o

I tried this but the "bootable" copy would NOT BOOT. I got the
following error message: NTLDR is missing.

The bootable drive I used (mounted as a slave) is still bootable (when
I mount is as the master, 1st bootable device). When I mounted it as
a slave (and marked NOT BOOTABLE in the BIOS), and then ran the xopy /
s/e/y/o command to my e: drive I noticed that the command ended
normally but about half the data from the windows folder did not copy
over.

Is there yet more switches that I am missing?

Is there no way to do what I was trying to do?

Windows 98se has a nifty command that lets you make a bootable copy of
you C: drive that you can then mount as your 1st drive and it will
boot and look exactly like the orignial C: drive from which you made
the copy: it is:

xcopy32 c:\*.* d:\*.* /e/h/r/k/c/d

I have successfully done this many many times so I know for sure that
it works like a charm - and it is easy to do since you can leave your
orignal c: drive intact while you make the backup.

I was hoping I could do something like that with XP, even if I have to
reboot from a different h/d (with xp on it) so that the original c:
drive is seen as a slave data drive that can be copied en toto
(nothing protected).

Where am I going wrong? All I want to do is AVOID having to re-
install windows XP along with all my favorite applications and all my
favorite settings and all my favorite shortcuts, hotkeys, etc. This
all takes way too long to have to redo whenever something goes awry
with my C: drive - it is so easy, when that happens, to just use the
backup which I will keep offline until the original C: drive goes
south.

I am just now advancing from windows 98se (which I have put off for a
long time for this VERY REASON), and so I need help from any guru's
out there that know an easy and surefire way to SNAP your C: drive
just as soon as you got it set up the way you want it so you can take
your clone offline and it WILL WORK when you later need it.

Thanks, littleberry

You'd be better off using an imaging application such as:
Norton Ghost.
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/

or

Acronis TrueImage:
http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/choose-trueimage/

However, if your determined to attempt a clone the way your going about it:
Click Start > Run, type in: cmd and press Enter or click Ok.
Type at the prompt: xcopy /? and press Enter. **Note the space between y and /

--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

 

[Ghostrider]

I read on a previous post (can't find it now) that windows xp has a
command to make a bootable copy of a bootable drive if the bootable
drive is connected as a slave and the bootable copy was formatted by
xp. The command quoted was:

xcopy d:\*.* e:\*.* /s/e/y/o

I tried this but the "bootable" copy would NOT BOOT. I got the
following error message: NTLDR is missing.

The bootable drive I used (mounted as a slave) is still bootable (when
I mount is as the master, 1st bootable device). When I mounted it as
a slave (and marked NOT BOOTABLE in the BIOS), and then ran the xopy /
s/e/y/o command to my e: drive I noticed that the command ended
normally but about half the data from the windows folder did not copy
over.

Is there yet more switches that I am missing?

Is there no way to do what I was trying to do?

Windows 98se has a nifty command that lets you make a bootable copy of
you C: drive that you can then mount as your 1st drive and it will
boot and look exactly like the orignial C: drive from which you made
the copy: it is:

xcopy32 c:\*.* d:\*.* /e/h/r/k/c/d

I have successfully done this many many times so I know for sure that
it works like a charm - and it is easy to do since you can leave your
orignal c: drive intact while you make the backup.

I was hoping I could do something like that with XP, even if I have to
reboot from a different h/d (with xp on it) so that the original c:
drive is seen as a slave data drive that can be copied en toto
(nothing protected).

Where am I going wrong? All I want to do is AVOID having to re-
install windows XP along with all my favorite applications and all my
favorite settings and all my favorite shortcuts, hotkeys, etc. This
all takes way too long to have to redo whenever something goes awry
with my C: drive - it is so easy, when that happens, to just use the
backup which I will keep offline until the original C: drive goes
south.

I am just now advancing from windows 98se (which I have put off for a
long time for this VERY REASON), and so I need help from any guru's
out there that know an easy and surefire way to SNAP your C: drive
just as soon as you got it set up the way you want it so you can take
your clone offline and it WILL WORK when you later need it.

Thanks, littleberry

AFAIK, the XCOPY command will not be able to clone the system drive
since certain Windows files are "in use" and cannot be copied. And
there is considerable difference between Windows 9X and Windows NT
or 2000 or XP. Windows 9X is simply a "shell" over MS-DOS whereas
NT/2000/XP are operating systems in themselves.

To clone Drive C, use Symantec Ghost or Acronis TrueImage, resulting
in an image file of the partition (or hard drive). This is a sector-
by-sector duplicating operation and will do a same sector-by-sector
copy to the new partition or drive. The transfer, consequently, will
include the boot tracks.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "surface9" <[email protected]>

| I read on a previous post (can't find it now) that windows xp has a
| command to make a bootable copy of a bootable drive if the bootable
| drive is connected as a slave and the bootable copy was formatted by
| xp. The command quoted was:
|
| xcopy d:\*.* e:\*.* /s/e/y/o
|
| I tried this but the "bootable" copy would NOT BOOT. I got the
| following error message: NTLDR is missing.
|
| The bootable drive I used (mounted as a slave) is still bootable (when
| I mount is as the master, 1st bootable device). When I mounted it as
| a slave (and marked NOT BOOTABLE in the BIOS), and then ran the xopy /
| s/e/y/o command to my e: drive I noticed that the command ended
| normally but about half the data from the windows folder did not copy
| over.
|
| Is there yet more switches that I am missing?
|
| Is there no way to do what I was trying to do?
|
| Windows 98se has a nifty command that lets you make a bootable copy of
| you C: drive that you can then mount as your 1st drive and it will
| boot and look exactly like the orignial C: drive from which you made
| the copy: it is:
|
| xcopy32 c:\*.* d:\*.* /e/h/r/k/c/d
|
| I have successfully done this many many times so I know for sure that
| it works like a charm - and it is easy to do since you can leave your
| orignal c: drive intact while you make the backup.
|
| I was hoping I could do something like that with XP, even if I have to
| reboot from a different h/d (with xp on it) so that the original c:
| drive is seen as a slave data drive that can be copied en toto
| (nothing protected).
|
| Where am I going wrong? All I want to do is AVOID having to re-
| install windows XP along with all my favorite applications and all my
| favorite settings and all my favorite shortcuts, hotkeys, etc. This
| all takes way too long to have to redo whenever something goes awry
| with my C: drive - it is so easy, when that happens, to just use the
| backup which I will keep offline until the original C: drive goes
| south.
|
| I am just now advancing from windows 98se (which I have put off for a
| long time for this VERY REASON), and so I need help from any guru's
| out there that know an easy and surefire way to SNAP your C: drive
| just as soon as you got it set up the way you want it so you can take
| your clone offline and it WILL WORK when you later need it.
|
| Thanks, littleberry

XCopy will "Copy" not "Clone".

You need software that recognizes File and Partition Structure to "clone" a drive.

By definition, you can clone one usable drive to an empty, un-partitioned/un-formatted
drive. You can NOT use XCopy with a bare or un-formatted drive.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I read on a previous post (can't find it now) that windows xp has a
command to make a bootable copy of a bootable drive if the bootable
drive is connected as a slave and the bootable copy was formatted by
xp.

Sorry, but that poster was very likely misinformed. As far as I can tell,
XCOPY just can't do this.

The closest you can come with the included tools is with ntbackup, set to
ASR. Keep in mind that this *requires* a floppy drive, and that ASR
restoration is destructive.

The command quoted was:

xcopy d:\*.* e:\*.* /s/e/y/o

I tried this but the "bootable" copy would NOT BOOT.

No kidding!

That might be because XCOPY doesn't place the boot files in the right
places, if it even notices them.

By the way, you missed the /H swith for hidden and system files. But I've
never seen that switch make this idea work, either.

I got the
following error message: NTLDR is missing.

Not surprising since that's one of the hidden files...

The bootable drive I used (mounted as a slave) is still bootable (when
I mount is as the master, 1st bootable device). When I mounted it as
a slave (and marked NOT BOOTABLE in the BIOS), and then ran the xopy /
s/e/y/o command to my e: drive I noticed that the command ended
normally but about half the data from the windows folder did not copy
over.

Is there yet more switches that I am missing?

None of the XCOPY switches allow you to create a bootable drive. So you
can't get where you're trying to go, with it.

xcopy /? at a command prompt will list the switches, but again, I think
you're digging in the wrong place.

Is there no way to do what I was trying to do?

There sure is, but it isn't with XCOPY. Use an imaging application, like
Acronis True Image, Ghost, DriveImage, etc.

Windows 98se has a nifty command that lets you make a bootable copy of
you C: drive that you can then mount as your 1st drive and it will
boot and look exactly like the orignial C: drive from which you made
the copy: it is:

xcopy32 c:\*.* d:\*.* /e/h/r/k/c/d

I have successfully done this many many times so I know for sure that
it works like a charm - and it is easy to do since you can leave your
orignal c: drive intact while you make the backup.

However, XP works differently.

I was hoping I could do something like that with XP, even if I have to
reboot from a different h/d (with xp on it) so that the original c:
drive is seen as a slave data drive that can be copied en toto
(nothing protected).

Where am I going wrong?

Where you're going wrong is using XCOPY for a task it can't perform.

All I want to do is AVOID having to re-
install windows XP along with all my favorite applications and all my
favorite settings and all my favorite shortcuts, hotkeys, etc. This
all takes way too long to have to redo whenever something goes awry
with my C: drive - it is so easy, when that happens, to just use the
backup which I will keep offline until the original C: drive goes
south.

Just image it. XCOPY isn't for imaging. Use an imaging program.

I am just now advancing from windows 98se (which I have put off for a
long time for this VERY REASON),

Well, the tools have been available for some years.

and so I need help from any guru's
out there that know an easy and surefire way to SNAP your C: drive
just as soon as you got it set up the way you want it so you can take
your clone offline and it WILL WORK when you later need it.

Thanks, littleberry

It's easy and reliable, and fast, if you use an application that can
actually create images, like Acronis TrueImage, Ghost, DriveImage, etc.
They aren't expensive; there is a 2-week free trial of Acronis TrueImage,
and it costs perhaps US$50 for the Home version.

As to speed, I regularly image 20 - 40 gig in about 20 minutes.

HTH
-pk

 

[Guest]

Basically, the lowdown:

XP is far more difficult to transfer than 9x. Or Linux.

XCOPY will only copy the entire partition if it's run from an OS _other_
than the one you are copying. This could be BartPE, or you could slave the
disks to another XP system. (DOS is unsuitable as it will not copy the long
filenames)

Even if you do a copy this way, you hit a second problem in that there is no
'SYS' command for NT systems, thus it is more difficult to make the new
drive bootable than with 9x. One workaround is to run the XP setup until the
point where it first reboots. This will restore the bootsector. You then need
to remove the setup option from boot.ini, and remove the two unneeded
WIN_NT... setup-folders in the root of C: - and you have a bootable copy.
Alternatively you can use fixboot from the recovery console.

Partition-copying tools are however the best option.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Sorry, but that poster was very likely misinformed. As far as I can tell,
XCOPY just can't do this.

The closest you can come with the included tools is with ntbackup, set to
ASR. Keep in mind that this *requires* a floppy drive, and that ASR
restoration is destructive.


No kidding!

That might be because XCOPY doesn't place the boot files in the right
places, if it even notices them.

By the way, you missed the /H swith for hidden and system files. But
I've never seen that switch make this idea work, either.


Not surprising since that's one of the hidden files...


None of the XCOPY switches allow you to create a bootable drive. So you
can't get where you're trying to go, with it.

xcopy /? at a command prompt will list the switches, but again, I think
you're digging in the wrong place.


There sure is, but it isn't with XCOPY. Use an imaging application,
like Acronis True Image, Ghost, DriveImage, etc.


However, XP works differently.


Where you're going wrong is using XCOPY for a task it can't perform.


Just image it. XCOPY isn't for imaging. Use an imaging program.


Well, the tools have been available for some years.


It's easy and reliable, and fast, if you use an application that can
actually create images, like Acronis TrueImage, Ghost, DriveImage, etc.
They aren't expensive; there is a 2-week free trial of Acronis TrueImage,
and it costs perhaps US$50 for the Home version.

As to speed, I regularly image 20 - 40 gig in about 20 minutes.

HTH
-pk

You can actually do what the OP wants to do if you follow
this recipe:
- Format the target boot partition with WinXP/2000. This
will create the required MBR containing some boot code.
- Mark this partition "active".
- Use xcopy.exe (or similar) to copy all files from the
source to the target partition. Note that the source
partition must NOT be the one with the curently
active Windows installation.

Under DOS, some of the boot files had to be in a fixed
location on the disk. This is no longer case (although there
may be some restrictions when dealing with large disks).

I recommend you give it a try with a Bart PE boot disk.
It's great fun and it can work miracles on disks with
slightly damaged file structures that the popular imaging
tools refuse to touch.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Sorry, but that poster was very likely misinformed. As far as I can tell,
XCOPY just can't do this.

The closest you can come with the included tools is with ntbackup, set to
ASR. Keep in mind that this *requires* a floppy drive, and that ASR
restoration is destructive.


No kidding!

That might be because XCOPY doesn't place the boot files in the right
places, if it even notices them.

By the way, you missed the /H swith for hidden and system files. But
I've never seen that switch make this idea work, either.


Not surprising since that's one of the hidden files...


None of the XCOPY switches allow you to create a bootable drive. So you
can't get where you're trying to go, with it.

xcopy /? at a command prompt will list the switches, but again, I think
you're digging in the wrong place.


There sure is, but it isn't with XCOPY. Use an imaging application,
like Acronis True Image, Ghost, DriveImage, etc.


However, XP works differently.


Where you're going wrong is using XCOPY for a task it can't perform.


Just image it. XCOPY isn't for imaging. Use an imaging program.


Well, the tools have been available for some years.


It's easy and reliable, and fast, if you use an application that can
actually create images, like Acronis TrueImage, Ghost, DriveImage, etc.
They aren't expensive; there is a 2-week free trial of Acronis TrueImage,
and it costs perhaps US$50 for the Home version.

As to speed, I regularly image 20 - 40 gig in about 20 minutes.

HTH
-pk

You can actually do what the OP wants to do if you follow
this recipe:
- Format the target boot partition with WinXP/2000. This
will create the required MBR containing some boot code.
- Mark this partition "active".
- Use xcopy.exe (or similar) to copy all files from the
source to the target partition. Note that the source
partition must NOT be the one with the curently
active Windows installation.

Under DOS, some of the boot files had to be in a fixed
location on the disk. This is no longer case (although there
may be some restrictions when dealing with large disks).

I recommend you give it a try with a Bart PE boot disk.
It's great fun and it can work miracles on disks with
slightly damaged file structures that the popular imaging
tools refuse to touch.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Basically, the lowdown:

XP is far more difficult to transfer than 9x. Or Linux.

XCOPY will only copy the entire partition if it's run from an OS _other_
than the one you are copying. This could be BartPE, or you could slave the
disks to another XP system. (DOS is unsuitable as it will not copy the
long
filenames)

Even if you do a copy this way, you hit a second problem in that there is
no
'SYS' command for NT systems, thus it is more difficult to make the new
drive bootable than with 9x. One workaround is to run the XP setup until
the
point where it first reboots. This will restore the bootsector. You then
need
to remove the setup option from boot.ini, and remove the two unneeded
WIN_NT... setup-folders in the root of C: - and you have a bootable copy.
Alternatively you can use fixboot from the recovery console.

To make the target partition bootable, it is sufficient to format
it under WinXP/2000 prior to starting the copy process.

 

[Plato]

xcopy d:\*.* e:\*.* /s/e/y/o

You really dont want to use xcopy for cloning a hard drive. You might
want try xxclone:

http://www.xxclone.com/

 

[Vanguard]

in message

I read on a previous post (can't find it now) that windows xp has a
command to make a bootable copy of a bootable drive if the bootable
drive is connected as a slave and the bootable copy was formatted by
xp. The command quoted was:

xcopy d:\*.* e:\*.* /s/e/y/o

I tried this but the "bootable" copy would NOT BOOT. I got the
following error message: NTLDR is missing.

xcopy will not copy the boot sector of a partition to another partition.
You will need to run the "fixmbr" command in the Recovery Console mode
or use "fdisk /mbr". You will then need to run "fixboot" to add the
boot code to the boot sector (first one) in the partition where you want
Windows to load. xcopy will skip (and report) files that it cannot
read, like those that are inuse (locked).

If you are copying to other than a partition on the first drive, it may
not boot (unless you use a boot manager). The system BIOS uses the
first physically detected hard drive and boots the bootstrap code in the
first 446 bytes of the MBR (master boor record) of *that* hard drive.
Boot managers that can boot using other drives will usurp this bootstrap
code. The standard bootstrap program then reads the partition table
(also in the MBR) to determine which is marked as the "active" primary
partition, and then it loads the boot sector of the partition for that
active primary partition. Since you used xcopy to copy files, the boot
sector of the new partition (on the other drive) did not get updated to
contain the bootloader for the OS in that partition, and why you have to
run "fixboot". "fixmbr" updates the MBR on the first hard drive, the
one that the BIOS will read. "fixboot" updates the boot sector of the
partition from which you are trying to boot Windows.

Where am I going wrong?

Easier would be to use a drive or partition cloning program. Unclear is
whether you are trying to get Windows on another hard drive or in
another partition on the same hard drive. Go to the drive maker's
websites and see if they give a download for a utility that includes
drive cloning (I think Maxtor, now Seagate, had one). You need to
create a bootable floppy or CD to ensure the source partition is NOT
inuse when you clone it.

 

[surface9]

Well, I don't fully understand it all, but, when I added in the /h and
the /c switches, it worked.

The command I used is:

xcopy e:\*.* f:\*.* /s/e/c/h/o/y

The original drive was e: and the backup copy is f:, but, it requires
a third drive, built minimal just for this operation, c:, from which I
execute the command.

It was also necessary to have formatted the f: drive from within
windows XP, and I think that is when the boot sector got created.

When I tried it without the /c swtich, it balked on the system
information folder, and the operation halted. But, it turns out, that
folder isn't necessary for this operation because f: already has its
own system information folder.

I was able to do all this from the same PC, but it requires being able
to control the 1st boot device so that you can boot from the minimal
system (C when you want to do the xcopy.

My origianl is a SATA drive that has all my apps and settings, my
backup was connected as a USB drive (via an IDE2USB adaptor), and the
minimal drive is an IDE drive connected via one of those brackets that
allow for easy removal - where the drive itself is inside a little
housing and can be switched out.

Anyway, this is an easy way to get a fresh windows xp install backed
up and ready to be restored.

 

[M.I.5¾]

AFAIK, the XCOPY command will not be able to clone the system drive
since certain Windows files are "in use" and cannot be copied. And
there is considerable difference between Windows 9X and Windows NT
or 2000 or XP. Windows 9X is simply a "shell" over MS-DOS whereas
NT/2000/XP are operating systems in themselves.

To clone Drive C, use Symantec Ghost or Acronis TrueImage, resulting
in an image file of the partition (or hard drive). This is a sector-
by-sector duplicating operation and will do a same sector-by-sector
copy to the new partition or drive. The transfer, consequently, will
include the boot tracks.

I can't speak for Ghost, but TrueImage does not image on a sector by sector
basis as you claim (I believe Ghost is similar). Nor does it image the
Master Boot Record (MBR) (I believe Ghost may do so, but I have no
experience of it).

Trueimage merely makes images of all the files (including locked windows
system files) into its backup image. If the image is then copied onto a new
drive, it is necessary to write a new MBR using the Recovery Console on the
XP system disk.

There is one gotcha. It won't image or restore any folders or files to
which the group 'administrators' does not have access. This is true, if you
restore using the bootable CD also.

 

[M.I.5¾]

in message


xcopy will not copy the boot sector of a partition to another partition.
You will need to run the "fixmbr" command in the Recovery Console mode or
use "fdisk /mbr".

'fdisk /mbr' is not available in Windows XP. The only way to write an MBR
to an otherwise non bootable partition is the 'fixboot' command from the
recovery console.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

'fdisk /mbr' is not available in Windows XP. The only way to write an MBR
to an otherwise non bootable partition is the 'fixboot' command from the
recovery console.

No, this is not the only way. The OP booted his machine with a Win9x
boot disk (which he omitted to say), then he ran fdisk /mbr. This created
an MBR that is acceptable to WinXP.

 

[M.I.5¾]

No, this is not the only way. The OP booted his machine with a Win9x
boot disk (which he omitted to say), then he ran fdisk /mbr. This created
an MBR that is acceptable to WinXP.

I wish I had known that 3 months ago. I spent an entire weekend trying to
get an HP machine to boot. The windows recovery disk that the machine
produced turned out to be for a completely different machine and wouldn't
run at all.

 

[surface9]

No, this is not the only way. The OP booted his machine with a Win9x
boot disk (which he omitted to say), then he ran fdisk /mbr. This created
an MBR that is acceptable to WinXP.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Actually, Pegasus, ALL my harddisks (most of them IDE 40 gigs) were
originally partitioned using FDISK running MSDOS (diskette boot). I
didn't specify /mbr because I wasn't aware of that switch - I just
type in FDISK, and then it lets you pick which h/d you want to
partition and it only asks you if you want to use all the space (which
I do), and then it goes ahead. After that, I usually reboot, again to
MSDOS, and use the format command and put the system files. I have
about 8 such harddrives lying around here that I can use for various
things.

The only h/d that I didn't do that with is the SATA h/d that I
installed FRESH out of the wrapper in my XP machine. This is the MSI
micro ATX mboard and it doesn't have any drivers for win9x and it
wouldn't allow windows 98se to complete installation - MSI told me to
forget about trying to install win9x and that I had to use win2000 or
winXP. That is the ONLY reason I went ahead with XP, because this new
machine I put togehter would let me install win98se. So my new SATA
drive got partitioned and formatted to NTSF by the orignial win2000
install (which I had to do becuase my copy of XP is an upgrade).

When I read on another post (which I can no longer find - blast!) that
xcopy would work with the switches /s/e/y/o, but only if the backup h/
d had been formatted by XP (the poster said that XP had to format it
in order to get the MBR set up), then I took one of my spare 40gig
IDE's (which had orignially been FDISK'd with MSDOS on another PC),
and I let XP format it and the ONLY choice it gave me was NTFS. So
that is how I prepared my 40 gig IDE drive to be a backup. You know
the rest, it wouldn't work until I added /c/h switches, but, somehow,
this 40 gig IDE got the MBR setup OK because it boots just fine and
looks exactly like my SATA drive to which I had installed XP (on top
of win2000) and it has a lot of additionals applications and
personalized settings and preferences that all got carried forward to
the 40 gid IDE clone.

I am a novice when it comes to XP, and I realize now that I have to
learn about it - and there is a lot to learn, but, at least I have an
MSDOS and Win98SE history so I hope to pick it up soon enough.

littleberry

 

[Vanguard]

...

No, this is not the only way. The OP booted his machine with a Win9x
boot disk (which he omitted to say), then he ran fdisk /mbr. This
created
an MBR that is acceptable to WinXP.

Well, to be accurate, "fdisk /mbr" write the [Microsoft] standard boot
code into the first 446 bytes of the MBR (the boot area). It has
nothing to do with being "acceptable" to WinXP. The BIOS loads the MBR
boot code and passes control to it. Then the MBR boot code reads the
partition table to find which is the "active" primary partition and
loads the boot sector of that partition and passes control to it. The
OS has to position its loader in the partition's boot sector. The MBR
boot code hasn't a clue what the partition boot sector's code does and
doesn't care. The MBR code just loads the partition's boot sector into
memory and starts it to pass control to it.

Although the MBR boot code might've gotten corrupted or usurped and then
replaced with the standard boot program, that won't help until the boot
sector in the partition has the loader for the OS. An xcopy will not
guarantee that the correct file gets positioned in the first sector of
the partition (the boot sector). That's why 'fixboot' is needed to have
the OS (Windows) place its loader program in the boot sector of that
partition.

Partition cloning includes all sectors, including the boot sector, so it
would be easier for the OP to use. I don't know if the *drive* clone
utilities from the hard drive makers' web sites does partition imaging
or only drive imaging. But then I wasn't sure from the OP's post if he
was cloning to a new drive or if he was wanting to image a partition.

 

[Brian A.]

The only h/d that I didn't do that with is the SATA h/d that I
installed FRESH out of the wrapper in my XP machine. This is the MSI
micro ATX mboard and it doesn't have any drivers for win9x and it
wouldn't allow windows 98se to complete installation - MSI told me to
forget about trying to install win9x and that I had to use win2000 or
winXP. That is the ONLY reason I went ahead with XP, because this new
machine I put togehter would let me install win98se. So my new SATA
drive got partitioned and formatted to NTSF by the orignial win2000
install (which I had to do becuase my copy of XP is an upgrade).

You could have still used Win98 if you wanted to by using VPC or VMware (both
free).
VPC 2007
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/virtualpc/default.mspx

VMware
http://www.vmware.com/products/free_virtualization.html


--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375