WInodowsXP doesn't start after being cloned

[WTC]

I used Ghost 2003 and cloned my old HD into a new one. Try to start from
the
new one. Windows goes up to when it asks the password...I have no
password.
When I try to go on Windows log off and if I insist it keep coming back
over and over to the password request. Discouraged.

The problem may be an incorrect system drive letter. With a networked
machine, open the registry and connect to the problematic machine and
navigate to:

[MACHINE_NAME\HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices]

and delete all values that look like this:

\DosDevices\C
\DosDevices\D
\DosDevices\E
and so on

When finished, make sure you disconnect the machine from the registry. There
are other ways to gain access to the registry if you cannot connect to the
problematic machine via networked Registry. Please let me know if you need
information on how to gain access to the Registry if you cannot by a
networked registry.

How to restore the system/boot drive letter in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=223188

--------

If you cannot connect by networking the Registry then use this method which
involves BartPE Bootable CD.

1. Make a BartPE Bootable CD
Bart's Preinstalled Environment (BartPE) bootable live windows CD/DVD
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
Follow the directions on their webpage to create this CD/DVD.

2. Boot the Computer with the BartPE CD/DVD.

3. Open the Run dialog box from the Start Menu and type "regedit.exe"
without the quotes.

4. Highlight the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" hive.

5. From the File menu select "Load Hive".

6. Navigate to the following location on your hard drive.

"C:\WINDOWS\system32\config"

and select the file "SYSTEM". (Has no file extension)

7. Name the Hive "MyPC".

8. Navigate to this location in the registry:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\MyPC\MountedDevices]

9. Delete all values that look like this:

DosDevices\C
DosDevices\D
DosDevices\E
and so on

10. Highlight this registration key

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\MyPC]

11. From the File menu select "Unload Hive"

12. Reboot and remove BartPE CD/DVD.

13. Try logging into Windows.

NOTE: You could also slave the hard drive to another Windows XP/2003 machine
to perform these steps.

 

[Marcio V. Pinheiro]

I used Ghost 2003 and cloned my old HD into a new one. Try to start from
the
new one. Windows goes up to when it asks the password...I have no
password.
When I try to go on Windows log off and if I insist it keep coming back
over and over to the password request. Discouraged.
Marcio

 

[Marcio]

WTC (remove) escreveu:

I used Ghost 2003 and cloned my old HD into a new one. Try to start from
the
new one. Windows goes up to when it asks the password...I have no
password.
When I try to go on Windows log off and if I insist it keep coming back
over and over to the password request. Discouraged.

The problem may be an incorrect system drive letter. With a networked
machine, open the registry and connect to the problematic machine and
navigate to:

[MACHINE_NAME\HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices]

and delete all values that look like this:

\DosDevices\C
\DosDevices\D
\DosDevices\E
and so on

When finished, make sure you disconnect the machine from the registry. There
are other ways to gain access to the registry if you cannot connect to the
problematic machine via networked Registry. Please let me know if you need
information on how to gain access to the Registry if you cannot by a
networked registry.

How to restore the system/boot drive letter in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=223188

--------

If you cannot connect by networking the Registry then use this method which
involves BartPE Bootable CD.

1. Make a BartPE Bootable CD
Bart's Preinstalled Environment (BartPE) bootable live windows CD/DVD
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
Follow the directions on their webpage to create this CD/DVD.

2. Boot the Computer with the BartPE CD/DVD.

3. Open the Run dialog box from the Start Menu and type "regedit.exe"
without the quotes.

4. Highlight the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" hive.

5. From the File menu select "Load Hive".

6. Navigate to the following location on your hard drive.

"C:\WINDOWS\system32\config"

and select the file "SYSTEM". (Has no file extension)

7. Name the Hive "MyPC".

8. Navigate to this location in the registry:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\MyPC\MountedDevices]

9. Delete all values that look like this:

DosDevices\C
DosDevices\D
DosDevices\E
and so on

10. Highlight this registration key

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\MyPC]

11. From the File menu select "Unload Hive"

12. Reboot and remove BartPE CD/DVD.

13. Try logging into Windows.

NOTE: You could also slave the hard drive to another Windows XP/2003 machine
to perform these steps.

Many thanks William. First I am going to use my Administrator Password
when Windows asks for it when booting from the new drive. Do you think
it may work? If it doesn't then I am going to follow youtr suggestions
which I printed. Will let you know.

Thanks again

Marcio

 

[Marcio]

William
I tried two things: first I disconnected the original boot disk (IDA
Maxtor 40GB) and I booted with the cloned new dsk (SATA Seagate 250GB).
Windows
started and as before it goes only to the screen where it asks for the
Username and Password. In my original disk the user name is Marcio and
there is no pass word. I tried this...the windows say it will log off
and then it goes back to asking for the username and password. I can
try many times and...the same thing.

I then booted with the Maxtor (original) with the Seagate as D:.
WIndowsXP Pro starts all right and boots with my user name Marcio and
no password. Following your suggestion I went to D: Seagate, tp the
Registry and I deleted "DosDeviices\C,D,E.F". I then disconnected the
Maxtor and booted only with the Seagate. The same problem: WIndows
starts, ask for the user name and password...and doesn´t boot.

I am thinking about format again the Seagate and start all over again
cloning the Maxtor to it. But I am not sure it will work.

Please advise.

 

[WTC]

William
I tried two things: first I disconnected the original boot disk (IDA
Maxtor 40GB) and I booted with the cloned new dsk (SATA Seagate 250GB).
Windows
started and as before it goes only to the screen where it asks for the
Username and Password. In my original disk the user name is Marcio and
there is no pass word. I tried this...the windows say it will log off
and then it goes back to asking for the username and password. I can
try many times and...the same thing.

I then booted with the Maxtor (original) with the Seagate as D:.
WIndowsXP Pro starts all right and boots with my user name Marcio and
no password. Following your suggestion I went to D: Seagate, tp the
Registry and I deleted "DosDeviices\C,D,E.F". I then disconnected the
Maxtor and booted only with the Seagate. The same problem: WIndows
starts, ask for the user name and password...and doesn´t boot.

I am thinking about format again the Seagate and start all over again
cloning the Maxtor to it. But I am not sure it will work.

OK when you had the Maxtor as c: and Seagate as d:, did you type regedit in
the Run Dialog box then go to the Import Hive and select the SYSTEM file
from "d:\WINDOWS\system32\config"? And name the impoted hive "DDrive", then
navigate to [HKLM\DDrive\MountedDevices] and deleted the entries?

 

[WTC]

William
I tried two things: first I disconnected the original boot disk (IDA
Maxtor 40GB) and I booted with the cloned new dsk (SATA Seagate 250GB).
Windows
started and as before it goes only to the screen where it asks for the
Username and Password. In my original disk the user name is Marcio and
there is no pass word. I tried this...the windows say it will log off
and then it goes back to asking for the username and password. I can
try many times and...the same thing.

I then booted with the Maxtor (original) with the Seagate as D:.
WIndowsXP Pro starts all right and boots with my user name Marcio and
no password. Following your suggestion I went to D: Seagate, tp the
Registry and I deleted "DosDeviices\C,D,E.F". I then disconnected the
Maxtor and booted only with the Seagate. The same problem: WIndows
starts, ask for the user name and password...and doesn´t boot.

I am thinking about format again the Seagate and start all over again
cloning the Maxtor to it. But I am not sure it will work.

Please advise.

If you want to try to clone the drive again, get the cloning tools from
Seagate to clone the drive. I am pretty sure they will have this free
software like most hard drive manufactures do.

 

[Marcio]

William
I thank you for your time. I have the computer here in front of me with
the Maxtor as C: (Boot) and the Seagate as D:. If I go directly to RUN
and
Regedit.exe I don´t see "Import Hive". Where is this? I went to the
upper bar, "File/Import" and I then went into
"D:/windows/system32/config". There I found a file "systemprofile". Is
this what you are talking about? I don´t know how "to name the
imported hive DDrive"... Sorry William I am not as good at computers as
I see I am.

Before I used Ghost, I tried the software from Seagate and I could not
make it work...

Many, many thanks

Marcio

 

[WTC]

William
I thank you for your time. I have the computer here in front of me with
the Maxtor as C: (Boot) and the Seagate as D:. If I go directly to RUN
and
Regedit.exe I don´t see "Import Hive". Where is this? I went to the
upper bar, "File/Import" and I then went into
"D:/windows/system32/config". There I found a file "systemprofile". Is
this what you are talking about? I don´t know how "to name the
imported hive DDrive"... Sorry William I am not as good at computers as
I see I am.

Before I used Ghost, I tried the software from Seagate and I could not
make it work...

Many, many thanks

Okay first step is to open the Folder Options in the Control Panel. Click on
the View tab and select "Show Hidden Files and Folders", uncheck "Hide
extensions for known file types" and uncheck "Hide Protected Operating
System Files". Click OK.

Now open the Registry Editor by typing regedit.exe in the Run Dialog box.
Select and Hightlight the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" key, go to the File Menu and
select "Load Hive". Now Browse to "D:/windows/system32/config" and select
the SYSTEM file. The SYSTEM file will have no file extensions. Click Open.
Now enter "DDrive" for the hive name.

Now navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\DDrive\MountedDevices". Delete all the
enteies that resemble this "DosDevices\C", "DosDevices\D", "DosDevices\E",
and so on. When you have finished this select and Highlight the "DDrive" key
and go to the File Menu and select "Unload Hive".

Shut down the computer. Replace the Maxtor drive with the Seagate Drive.
Start the computer and see if you can log in now.

Good Luck.

 

[Marcio]

William
I don´t know how to thank you. You saved me a lot of problems and
time. WindowsXP is now working fine in the new drive (Seagate 250 gb)
and
I am feeling good. I will take the Maxtor 40 GB from the machine and
will hook the old D: Drive, a Sansung 150 GB. I am sure the machine
will them woprk fine with the Seagate as C: and the Sansung as D:.
You was a big help.
Regards
Marcio

 

[WTC]

William
I don´t know how to thank you. You saved me a lot of problems and
time. WindowsXP is now working fine in the new drive (Seagate 250 gb)
and
I am feeling good. I will take the Maxtor 40 GB from the machine and
will hook the old D: Drive, a Sansung 150 GB. I am sure the machine
will them woprk fine with the Seagate as C: and the Sansung as D:.
You was a big help.
Regards
Marcio


You're welcome Marcio.

 

[gringo]

William,

You have the patience of Job!!! Luckily there are people like you on
here! I didn't need the help but was just encouraged reading the
thread and understanding the communication difficulties going on. You
stuck with it when most would have dropped it!

_____________
Bobby Key
MCT, MCP
MCDST, MOS
Security +, DCSE, A+

 

[WTC]

William,

You have the patience of Job!!! Luckily there are people like you on
here! I didn't need the help but was just encouraged reading the
thread and understanding the communication difficulties going on. You
stuck with it when most would have dropped it!

Thanks Bobby, appreciate you kind words. Yes it can be difficult at times
but I enjoy helping others to solve problems.