F-Disk Boot Problem

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Guest

I setup an external HD for backups. Problem is that when I boot I get a
message like: Windows 2000 cannot find root. Kinda funny since I'm using XP.
I know that if I leave a floppy in the A drive that it'll try to boot from
it. But my external drive is F Drive. What's happening?
 
So why am I unable to boot when the external drive is turned on but can boot
fine if it is turned off?
 
So how did you set up this external drive?,
and, I assume the sys was booting ok prior to setting the external up?
 
DL,

I just plugged it into a USB port. XP brought it up as the F drive. It was
booting fine before this and boots fine when I turn the drive off.

I should point out that originally this disk was the C drive in my previous
(W2000) computer and when I upgraded I removed it and put it in a hard disk
enclosure and plugged it into a usb port on my new (XP) computer and copied
most of it onto the new C drive into a directory where I could grab whatever
I wanted from the old computer. Then I removed it for several months before
getting it out again and dragging its contents to my recycle bin and setting
up Norton Save and Restore to use it for backups. This history may be the
key to what's happening but I don't understand it. Hope you do.
 
An external usb connected disk is not designed, or at least win, doesn't
expect one to be plugged in all the time.
It should be connected after win has booted and disconnected using the
'disconnect icon' on the task bar prior to shutting down win.
Shutting down without 'safely remove' can in some circumstances lead to
corruption on the usb disk
 
grok said:
I setup an external HD for backups. Problem is that when I boot I get a
message like: Windows 2000 cannot find root. Kinda funny since I'm using XP.
I know that if I leave a floppy in the A drive that it'll try to boot from
it. But my external drive is F Drive. What's happening?
Click to expand...

Check your boot order settings in BIOS.

Steve N.
 
From searching this news group I concluded that boot.ini is where the boot
order is defined. Mine contains:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Since my F-disk is disk1 I can't see that boot order is my problem. Must be
something else. But thanks for trying.
 
As said, before a usb external drive is not designed to be left plugged in
when you boot/shutdown

grok said:
From searching this news group I concluded that boot.ini is where the boot
order is defined. Mine contains:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Since my F-disk is disk1 I can't see that boot order is my problem. Must be
something else. But thanks for trying.

Steve N. said:
Check your boot order settings in BIOS.

Steve N.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
grok said:
From searching this news group I concluded that boot.ini is where the boot
order is defined. Mine contains:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Since my F-disk is disk1 I can't see that boot order is my problem. Must be
something else. But thanks for trying.
Click to expand...

No, I mean the boot order in the motherboard BIOS setup. At bootup watch
the screen for indication of what key to press to enter setup.

Steve N.
 
On Sat, 8 Jul 2006 10:56:02 -0700, grok
I setup an external HD for backups. Problem is that when I boot I get a
message like: Windows 2000 cannot find root. Kinda funny since I'm using XP.
I know that if I leave a floppy in the A drive that it'll try to boot from
it. But my external drive is F Drive. What's happening?
Click to expand...

It's probably down to the order in which BIOS attempts to boot various
devices. The specifics vary between BIOSs, but usually similar to...

1) Order of device types to boot

For example, you can disable or redorder "Floppy", "CD", "hard drive"
and "network" for these sort of effects...

Hard Drive, CD, disabled, disabled (boot other device = No)

Hard Drive, disabled, disabled, disabled (boot other device = No)

....etc. Generally I don't like to boot anything other than the hard
drive, in case an infected disk is left in a drive - unless the system
is ill and I'm troubleshooting it, then I'd let everything boot
*except* the hard drive until I knew hardware and file system were OK

2) Order of devices within each type

Once again, you may be able to re-order the devices in a category,
i.e. physical hard drives, CDRW or DVD-ROM drive first, etc.

3) USB devices

There can be additional detail for these; whether USB sticks are to be
handled as hard drives or "floppies", whether to boot them at all, and
whether USB "fixed disks" should precede hard drives.

4) S-ATA vs. IDE

This can be quite a mare's nest; whether S-ATA hard drive identities
should overlay IDE for legacy compatibility, be handled as extensions
to the IDE identity set, and whether they should precede or follow the
IDE devices when these are enumerated.

HTH


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Click to expand...
Drugs are usually safe. Inject? (Y/n)
 
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