Multiple hd's - win2k on C:\, active partition on F:\?

[LarryBC]

Hello, I just had a second hd installed with a fresh install of win2k. I'm
keeping my old drive and intend to use it for a backup/additional storage
drive.
This old drive, originally the old (C, now (F, had a corrupt win2k OS
which I deleted when I formatted the drive.

I just looked in the management console and saw my drives are named and
formatted like this:

DISK 0
Primary partition, (C (system) this is the new Win2k I boot to.
2nd partition (D logical drive, extended partition, Data drive.

DISK1
Primary partition (F (active) this the original win2k drive (now empty).
Primary partition (G old data drive
Primary partition (H storage
Primary partition (I backup

Am I right in thinking that the active partition on (F is involved in my
current boot configuration and if I Ghost (C to (F or remove DISK1 from
the system there is a possibility the system would not boot?

Thanks,

Larry

 

[Andy]

Hello, I just had a second hd installed with a fresh install of win2k. I'm
keeping my old drive and intend to use it for a backup/additional storage
drive.
This old drive, originally the old (C, now (F, had a corrupt win2k OS
which I deleted when I formatted the drive.

I just looked in the management console and saw my drives are named and
formatted like this:

DISK 0
Primary partition, (C (system) this is the new Win2k I boot to.
2nd partition (D logical drive, extended partition, Data drive.

DISK1
Primary partition (F (active) this the original win2k drive (now empty).
Primary partition (G old data drive
Primary partition (H storage
Primary partition (I backup

Am I right in thinking that the active partition on (F is involved in my
current boot configuration and if I Ghost (C to (F or remove DISK1 from
the system there is a possibility the system would not boot?

No. If it only says active, and not system or boot or page, then it
has no involvement with the operating system that is running.

 

[LarryBC]

Thanks Andy for clearing that up for me.
My backup strategy is to either xcopy or use ghost/drivecopy? to create an
image of the (C win2k drive on the (F active drive. If this sounds
plausible, could I then (in the event of a failure) simply switch the SATA
cables and have the machine boot to the (F drive or do I need to implement
a software solution? Which route is most practical? (or is there a better
strategy?)

thanks again,

Larry

 

[Andy]

Xcopy won't do it. You have to use cloning software such as True
Image, Casper, etc.

 

[LarryBC]

Ok, cloning software. If I do clone it successfully could I then (in the
event of a failure) simply switch the SATA cables and have the machine boot
to the (F drive or do I need to implement a software solution?

Larry

 

[Andy]

If the cloning is done correctly, then you should be able to boot from
the clone. Personally, I would test the operation just to convince
myself that process works. I don't know what you mean "to implement a
software solution."

 

[LarryBC]

All I meant by that was would I need a software startup disk or a boot file
or something like that instead of just switching cables. I run 2 SATA drives
with win 2000.
I had a look at the 2 programs you mentioned and may go that way (casper)
but am still a bit apprehensive. There are some master boot record gotchas
with 2 disks permanently installed as far as I could see, but maybe I'm
being a nervous nellie after recovering the system (reinstalling) last week.
Even though most of my data incl. my Docs wasn't on the old C: drive, it was
still a 3-4 day job reinstalling. Don't wan't to have to go through all that
again.

all the best, Larry