Partitions -- can't load XP... also, what is my XP ID number for online assist?

[Dan Lega]

(First off, I was trying to email this to a Windows
Support Person, and it wouldn't accept the ID number from
the Windows XP edition I bought. It tells me I have to
get the ID number from the computer, but I can't load up
Windows XP to get the number. Why won't my ID number from
the box I bought it in not work at the site? Now to my
main question...)



I added an extra hard drive to my computer. So I now have
the original 20 Gig hard drive and a new 120 Gig
harddrive. With PartitionMagic I created four partitions
on the new hard drive. Using Microsoft systemworks I
copied my original ME operating system to three of the
partitions on the new hard drive, and also installed an XP
operating system on the 4th partition. I then overwrote
my original ME operating system on my original 20 Gig
hard drive with Windows XP. Most things worked, but not
all. I wanted to start over. So I cloned back a version
of my old ME operating system from the 120 Gig drive to
the original 20 Gig drive. After I finished doing that I
was not able to boot up my computer! And it won't let me
load my Windows XP because it's an upgrade version and the
computer says it cannot find any old Windows OP's on my
computer -- even though I have five of them!

I think I made all the partitions primary, and in essence
hidden. When I overwrote the main primary partition with
an OP from a different non-main primary partition I guess
it screwed up Partition and Boot Magic and that is why I
cannot boot up my computer. If I had a "Full Version" of
a Windows OP then I supposedly could boot up, according to
what I read on my computer. But my computer came with an
OEM version of ME, and they didn't give me a copy of the
ME program on disc! My new XP program, as I said, is an
upgrade version, and it won't let me boot it up, even
though, as I said, I have four ME OP's and one XP
partition on my hard drives -- it's just that they all
seem to be hidden now.

I have a friend who has a Full Version of Windows 98 that
he's not using anymore that I'm thinking of using to boot
my computer. (I can't find anyone with a full version of
Windows ME.)

This friend also has a full version of Windows XP which he
is still using. I'd rather boot with Windows XP than with
Windows 98 (as I've never had Windows 98 on my computer.)
Could I use his Windows XP disc to boot my computer, and
then use my "Upgrade Version of XP" to OVERWRITE his
Windows XP without causing either one of us trouble with
Microsoft?

Thanks for any help you can give me!

Dan Lega

 

[Rod Farmer]

I hate to say this but I think you need help with your human computer never
mind the one with Windows on.

What on earth are you trying to achieve??? I suggest you sit down with a
good English cup of tea and try using your human computer to work out in
simple terms where you want to get to and what OSs you have available to
you. Then if it is not clear to you what needs to be done re-post with
something that is understandable to ordinary humans.

p.s you must be a very clever person!!

 

[Dan Lega]

Believe me, when it comes to computers I'm not clever
at all! I wanted to upgrade to XP, but I also didn't want
to get rid of ME in case some things didn't work on XP.
And in fact, I was not able to get an internet connection
with XP. So I had saved my ME in a few partitions for
safe keeping and wanted to start over with XP. But after
cloning ME back to the original partition I can't boot up
my computer -- unless I have full version of an OS, which
I don't.

Thanks, Dan Lega

 

[Rod Farmer]

Dan - I am going to make a few assumptions from what I understand from your
posts and then suggest some ways forward based on these assumptions:

1) Currently you are unable to get any OS to work.
2) You have no ME installation CD-ROM.
3) You have an valid XP upgrade version.
4) You have, in theory cloned ME OSs available.
5) I assume the ME OSs are primary partitions on the large drive.
6) I assume you would want to end up with the large drive as your C drive
with a working XP OS.
7 I assume you have secured any data, emails etc or don't mind loosing
stuff.
8) You should have created Partition Magic emergency diskettes (2 off - one
boot disk the other PQPM program disk).

Here is what I would try given that you have very little to loose:

Solution 1 - assumes you can get ME to boot:

a) I would physically set the large drive as a Primary master and the small
drive as slave (don't forget to set jumpers correctly).
b) Set one of the ME partitions to Active using partition magic diskettes
ref (8) above - you can only have one active primary partition.
c) Reboot the machine and see if ME will boot - if it does it should be your
C drive - if it fails to boot try the same process on the other ME clone
partitions.
d) Assuming it does boot OK you should be able to apply the XP upgrade to
ME.
e) Before performing the upgrade you need to establish an internet
connection in order to seek out specific XP device drivers for your hardware
configuration and save these to a 'safe' partition or cd-rom.
f) Post the upgrade, apply the specifice XP drivers.

Solution 2 - assumes that ME will not boot:

a) Do 1a, above and using the PQPM emergency disks delete the existing
partitions - you must face up to loosing data - and format the drive to
FAT32 file system.
b) OR if you have WIN98 or ME rescue disks, boot to a command prompt using
these and use fdisk and format DOS commands to set the drive as a FAT32
volume.
c) You will have to beg/borrow either a WIN98/ME CD-ROM and have one of
these available.
d) Proceed with the XP install (Hopefully, the rescue disks will provide CD
ROM support from the command prompt OR set the boot sequence in the BIOS to
CD-ROM drive as first boot device).
e) During the early part of the install prompt you will be asked to put the
Win98/ME CD temporarily in the drive to allow the XP install process to
check for a valid upgradable OS.
f) when prompted to insert the XP CD, the XP OS should install.
g) You will most likely have the original problem of not being able to
connect to the internet - get a friend to search for your XP drivers and put
them on a CD for you to use.

Solution 3:

a) Go out and buy a full version of XP
b) Install and do 2g above.

Hope this helps, but its tricky not being in front of the machine.

Rod