How to make XP bootable disk

[Harry Palms]

I am ready to install a larger drive in a box I built, but want to use it
to replace my current drive. I don't have enough ventilation to safely run
a second drive. I am planning on using Norton Ghost to clone the current
drive to the new one, but how do I make the new one bootable? I have
already done a format on it, using WD Lifeguard tools. How do you add boot
blocks?

 

[Mark Taylor]

I am ready to install a larger drive in a box I built, but want to use it
to replace my current drive. I don't have enough ventilation to safely run
a second drive. I am planning on using Norton Ghost to clone the current
drive to the new one, but how do I make the new one bootable? I have
already done a format on it, using WD Lifeguard tools. How do you add boot
blocks?

Hello Harry

Firstly you did not need to use anything to format the drive as that was a
waste of time.

This is all you need to do:
1. Install the new second disk as a slave drive and set your existing disk
as a master disk.
2. I assume you have a Ghost DOS boot disk. If not make one using Ghost in
XP.
3. Check that your BIOS is set to boot from FLOPPY as the first device.
4. In Ghost simply select copy disk to disk. This is a little cryptic when
you use it but basically if you are happy with one partition then just make
sure you select the CORRECT source and destination dikes and copy.
5. VERY IMPORTANT - DO NOT REBOOT. Exit Ghost back to the DOS prompt. TURN
OFF the computer and remove your old drive. Install your new drive as a
single drive.
6. Check that all of your cables are tightly plugged in. You might want to
set your BIOS back to booting from hard disk instead of floppy.
7. Switch it on and you should have exactly the same Windows XP as you had
before.

Hope that helps.
Cheers
Mark

 

[Harry Palms]

Thanks for the speedy reply! that's pretty cool, go to the store and buy a
DVD writer, and the answer is there when I get back. The version of Ghost
I'm using does not need a floppy, thank goodness, since I didn't put one
in the box when I built it. It's chugging along now, cloning it's heart
out. I was confused because I thought bootable hard drives in Windows had
to be prepared specially. I'm spoiled by my macs where you just copy the
whole system folder and select the boot drive at startup. Although in OS X
you do have to use a clone utility, due to Unix being weird, with symbolic
links and other oddities. anyway, thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

[the gnome]

Thanks for the speedy reply! that's pretty cool, go to the store and buy a
DVD writer, and the answer is there when I get back. The version of Ghost
I'm using does not need a floppy, thank goodness, since I didn't put one
in the box when I built it. It's chugging along now, cloning it's heart
out. I was confused because I thought bootable hard drives in Windows had
to be prepared specially. I'm spoiled by my macs where you just copy the
whole system folder and select the boot drive at startup. Although in OS X
you do have to use a clone utility, due to Unix being weird, with symbolic
links and other oddities. anyway, thanks for clearing that up for me.

I suggest you consider a 3.5 disk either internal or external because there
are times when one is needed, for example, if you have a RAID system and
want to re-install the OS, you need to get the RAID drivers off a floppy
during the installation process.

the_gnome