enumeration error and multi-boot

[Matt Awbrey]

I have two hard drives. When I setup XP, I mistakenly created a multi-boot
system. One drive C: containing ME the other D: XP. However, XP loaded it's
operating files onto the C: drive and then loaded everything else into the
D:\windows directory it created. All worked fine for about a month. The C:
drive was not reading correctly for some reason and would hang after the
bio's routine finished and thus no operating system would load. I could
access only the D: drive in DOS via XP boot from CDROM. DOS would report the
C: drive having an enumeration error whenever I attempted to access data on
it using the dir command. I was able to repartition the C: drive and
reformat it. After error checking the disk I then installed XP onto it. I
chose to load XP onto the C: drive so the data on the D: drive would not be
lost while running XP's install on that drive. However, all the programs
that I installed on the D: drive using XP prior to the C: drive crashing
will not run. If I reinstalled XP is there anyway I can get it to recognize
the previous windows XP files that exist on the D: drive so XP loads itself
onto the D: drive. Or, inable to access the existing programs on the D:
drive I need to reinstall them.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Matt,

You would have to reinstall the programs into the installation on C:\ in
order for them to work. The installation routine places needed files in the
system and other folders as well as creating necessary registry entries. If
you want to use D:\ instead, you can either add it as an entry in the
existing C:\boot.ini file, or load the Recovery Console and run fixboot D:.
The first will create a dual boot or you can simply alter it to point to
just the D installation, the latter will redirect the bootloader to point at
D:.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Ron Sommer]

I am assuming XP Home.
Edit your boot.ini and boot to the D XP.
Add this line will give you the option of booting to D:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect

Your boot.ini should look like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect