Switching to a new C: drive (XP also)

[surface9]

This may seem a bit confusing - it shouldn't.

I have my win2k pro (sp4) system installed onto my ATA C: drive which
happens to be mounted within one of those removable h/d mounting
brackets - after shutdwon I can unkey and remove this h/d from the
system completely. If I boot up wih this h/d unplugged, then all that
win2k sees is the the primary DMA channel (master) is not connected.

I have a brand new SATA drive which I have formatted the same as my C:
drive (FAT32). If I boot up wihout my C: drive, the system tries to
find a bootable disk elsewhere, and, if I could makte this SATA drive
bootable, it would work from it.

So, instead of having to go through and *REINSTALL* each and every
little detail (I have my current C: drive just the way I want it -
takes quite a while!), I would like to somehow make my SATA drive look
just like my C: drive (to the system) so that if I boot up with my C;
drive unplugged, it will go ahead and boot from my SATA drive and it
will behave just like my current C: drive does.

Is that possible? It shoud be (my opinion), but, does anyone know a
straightforward way to make my SATA drive JUST LIKE my current C:
dirve?

I know that in windwos 98SE this can be accomplished very easily with
the XCOPY32 command (from C: to D: using the /E/H/R/K/C/D switches.
But this command only works in windows 98SE - is there something like
that for win2k (and also winxp)?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

This may seem a bit confusing - it shouldn't.

I have my win2k pro (sp4) system installed onto my ATA C: drive which
happens to be mounted within one of those removable h/d mounting
brackets - after shutdwon I can unkey and remove this h/d from the
system completely. If I boot up wih this h/d unplugged, then all that
win2k sees is the the primary DMA channel (master) is not connected.

I have a brand new SATA drive which I have formatted the same as my C:
drive (FAT32). If I boot up wihout my C: drive, the system tries to
find a bootable disk elsewhere, and, if I could makte this SATA drive
bootable, it would work from it.

So, instead of having to go through and *REINSTALL* each and every
little detail (I have my current C: drive just the way I want it -
takes quite a while!), I would like to somehow make my SATA drive look
just like my C: drive (to the system) so that if I boot up with my C;
drive unplugged, it will go ahead and boot from my SATA drive and it
will behave just like my current C: drive does.

Is that possible? It shoud be (my opinion), but, does anyone know a
straightforward way to make my SATA drive JUST LIKE my current C:
dirve?

I know that in windwos 98SE this can be accomplished very easily with
the XCOPY32 command (from C: to D: using the /E/H/R/K/C/D switches.
But this command only works in windows 98SE - is there something like
that for win2k (and also winxp)?

If I understand you correctly then you're asking about cloning
your existing IDE disk. This can be achieved in several ways:

- Use the cloning tool that many disk manufacturers make
available on their home site.
- Use an imaging product such as Acronis TrueImage.
- Install both disks as slave disks in some other machine,
then use xcopy.exe with these switches: /s /e /y /o
- Boot the machine with a Bart PE boot CD, then use
xcopy.exe as above.

BTW, your memory is tricking you. Win98 would never
let you clone a disk with xcopy32.exe. Its registry files
were locked and could not be copied while Windows
was up and running.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

This may seem a bit confusing - it shouldn't.

I have my win2k pro (sp4) system installed onto my ATA C: drive which
happens to be mounted within one of those removable h/d mounting
brackets - after shutdwon I can unkey and remove this h/d from the
system completely. If I boot up wih this h/d unplugged, then all that
win2k sees is the the primary DMA channel (master) is not connected.

I have a brand new SATA drive which I have formatted the same as my C:
drive (FAT32). If I boot up wihout my C: drive, the system tries to
find a bootable disk elsewhere, and, if I could makte this SATA drive
bootable, it would work from it.

So, instead of having to go through and *REINSTALL* each and every
little detail (I have my current C: drive just the way I want it -
takes quite a while!), I would like to somehow make my SATA drive look
just like my C: drive (to the system) so that if I boot up with my C;
drive unplugged, it will go ahead and boot from my SATA drive and it
will behave just like my current C: drive does.

Is that possible? It shoud be (my opinion), but, does anyone know a
straightforward way to make my SATA drive JUST LIKE my current C:
dirve?

I know that in windwos 98SE this can be accomplished very easily with
the XCOPY32 command (from C: to D: using the /E/H/R/K/C/D switches.
But this command only works in windows 98SE - is there something like
that for win2k (and also winxp)?

I forgot to say that the new disk must be partitioned and
formatted under Win2000/XP in order to have the correct
MBR.

 

[surface9]

"surface9" <>
If I understand you correctly then you're asking about cloning
your existing IDE disk. This can be achieved in several ways:

- Use the cloning tool that many disk manufacturers make
available on their home site.
- Use an imaging product such as Acronis TrueImage.
- Install both disks as slave disks in some other machine,
then use xcopy.exe with these switches: /s /e /y /o
- Boot the machine with a Bart PE boot CD, then use
xcopy.exe as above.

BTW, your memory is tricking you. Win98 would never
let you clone a disk with xcopy32.exe. Its registry files
were locked and could not be copied while Windows
was up and running

I didn't know about the "locked" registry. But I do know that xcopy32
does indeed "clone" a C: drrve to D: (or E: or F:, etc.) and make the
clone bootable.
I have done it many many times (as recently as a couple of days ago.
Here is the command:

xcopy32 c:\*.* d:\*.* /e/h/r/k/c/d

You execute this command from a DOS BOX (command prompt) within
windows - NOT "reboot to dos mode". If you have a minimal windows
install (aroun 6 gigs), you can complete it in about 6 mintues. Then
you can swap disks and your CLONE will boot exactly like the
original. I have done this so many times I coined a name for it - I
call it "using 'erkidy' (a mnemonic of the switches).

I will try your suggestion, but, do you have specific website that has
a tool your are talking about? My SATA drive cannot be slaved on any
of my other machines because they are all much older (win98se
jobbies), and I am just now advancing to win2000 (and winxp) and I
reallly miss my ERKIDY. Having to go through the many program
installs (after the initial windwos 2000 (XP) installl is a reall
bumer - I did it already today and I don't want to have to keep doing
that over and over again every time I have a new h/d.

I'll use the "clone" keydword in my new search, but, if you have a
specific webstie, please post.

Thanks, littleberry

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I didn't know about the "locked" registry. But I do know that xcopy32
does indeed "clone" a C: drrve to D: (or E: or F:, etc.) and make the
clone bootable.
I have done it many many times (as recently as a couple of days ago.
Here is the command:

xcopy32 c:\*.* d:\*.* /e/h/r/k/c/d

You execute this command from a DOS BOX (command prompt) within
windows - NOT "reboot to dos mode". If you have a minimal windows
install (aroun 6 gigs), you can complete it in about 6 mintues. Then
you can swap disks and your CLONE will boot exactly like the
original. I have done this so many times I coined a name for it - I
call it "using 'erkidy' (a mnemonic of the switches).

I will try your suggestion, but, do you have specific website that has
a tool your are talking about? My SATA drive cannot be slaved on any
of my other machines because they are all much older (win98se
jobbies), and I am just now advancing to win2000 (and winxp) and I
reallly miss my ERKIDY. Having to go through the many program
installs (after the initial windwos 2000 (XP) installl is a reall
bumer - I did it already today and I don't want to have to keep doing
that over and over again every time I have a new h/d.

I'll use the "clone" keydword in my new search, but, if you have a
specific webstie, please post.

Thanks, littleberry

Look for the cloning tool on the home site of the manufacturer
of YOUR hard disk.

You will find lots of references for a Bart PE boot CD. It's
a very powerful tool but it takes time to make one.

Look for TrueImage on the Acronis home site.

 

[Guest]

clone c: to the sata drive
pull c:
set bios to boot sata after the ata if possible
boot the w2k cd and do a repair install while adding the sata driver [if a
w2k version exist or you won't be able to boot it]
Between the repair which added the sata drive as boot and the bios setting
you should be able to do as you desire.