Hard drive foolishness

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Recently my stupid IBM hard disk began physically failing. So in my panic I
put a new seagate in there and put a clean copy of xp on it. Using the
stable copy of xp on the new drive I was able to move all the important data
from the failing drive, but when I went to remove it, madness ensued.
apparently xp puts all the boot info on the drive lettered C:, and also
doesn't let you modify boot.ini making my headache swell and that vein in my
forehead pop out a little farther.

any advice on how to get this cruddy drive out without having to boot from
the xp cd and put a fresh copy on the new drive with the old one removed. I'd
like to avoid this cuz I'd have to go through the painstaking process of
reinstalling all the software again because none of it would be in the
registry and able to run.
 
stomping madly said:
Recently my stupid IBM hard disk began physically failing. So in my panic I
put a new seagate in there and put a clean copy of xp on it. Using the
stable copy of xp on the new drive I was able to move all the important data
from the failing drive, but when I went to remove it, madness ensued.
apparently xp puts all the boot info on the drive lettered C:, and also
doesn't let you modify boot.ini making my headache swell and that vein in my
forehead pop out a little farther.

any advice on how to get this cruddy drive out without having to boot from
the xp cd and put a fresh copy on the new drive with the old one removed. I'd
like to avoid this cuz I'd have to go through the painstaking process of
reinstalling all the software again because none of it would be in the
registry and able to run.
Click to expand...

There are two ways to "clone" a disk:
a) Using a cloning program such as Ghost, DriveImage, TrueImage
or your disk manufacturer's cloning program.
b) Using xcopy.exe while the disk is installed in some other WinXP PC.
(requires subsequent repair of the boot sector)

It seems you used neither of these methods. Instead you loaded a fresh
copy of WinXP, then you tried to copy files across. I'm afraid this will
not work. The boot problem could be easily fixed but you would have
to re-install all your applications.

Post again if you need more detailed information on a) or b) above.
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
There are two ways to "clone" a disk:
a) Using a cloning program such as Ghost, DriveImage, TrueImage
or your disk manufacturer's cloning program.
b) Using xcopy.exe while the disk is installed in some other WinXP PC.
(requires subsequent repair of the boot sector)

It seems you used neither of these methods. Instead you loaded a fresh
copy of WinXP, then you tried to copy files across. I'm afraid this will
not work. The boot problem could be easily fixed but you would have
to re-install all your applications.

Post again if you need more detailed information on a) or b) above.
Click to expand...
there's no way to just transfer the boot info that windows uses for startup
from one drive to another?
 
stomping madly said:
there's no way to just transfer the boot info that windows uses for startup
from one drive to another?
Click to expand...

As I said, fixing the boot behaviour is easy:
1. Copy the hidden file c:\boot.ini from the old to the new disk.
2. Connect the new disk only.
3. Boot the machine with your WinXP CD.
4. Select "Repair" when prompted.
5. Select "Command Console" when prompted.
6. Execute these commands:
fixmbr
fixboot

You should now be able to boot into WinXP. However, you must
re-install all your applications.
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
As I said, fixing the boot behaviour is easy:
1. Copy the hidden file c:\boot.ini from the old to the new disk.
2. Connect the new disk only.
3. Boot the machine with your WinXP CD.
4. Select "Repair" when prompted.
5. Select "Command Console" when prompted.
6. Execute these commands:
fixmbr
fixboot

You should now be able to boot into WinXP. However, you must
re-install all your applications.
Click to expand...
eh, oh well. lesson learned I guess. Thanks for the prompt replies, really
appreciate it
 
stomping madly said:
eh, oh well. lesson learned I guess. Thanks for the prompt replies,
really
appreciate it
Click to expand...

I think Pegasus is assuming you copied the programs from one drive to
another, but I believe you said you installed them on the new drive. In that
case, you shouldn't need to reinstall them.

However, your hard drive isn't going to be "C." It shouldn't really matter,
but some people are really bothered by that.
 
A bit late in the day this advice, but if you go to the
webiste
http://www.hitachigst.com/warranty/jsp/arma22h.jsp

This although is a hitachi website, they now make
all 'IBM' drives. You will want to download the Drive
fittness test program. This will install on to a floppy
drive or a USB memory device. It is used to test all
IBM/Hitachi drives. You may find that the drives isn't as
dead as you think. If however it is, it will give you an
error code, that you can use for returning your drive for
a replacement if still under warrenty.
 
Back
Top