What have I created here?

[Flummoxed07]

This is quite complicated...

I had an Acronis disk image file of my C (system) drive stored on my D
drive. This file contained everything needed, including boot sectors and
whatever, to recreate the C drive. I'd used it successfully to do this a
couple of times.

Then the computer 'went completely down the pan' and I couldn't boot, and
the Acronis restore file didn't solve it. I then copied this Acronis restore
file to the C drive, and from there (and for reasons too obscure to explain)
attempted to restore this C drive image onto the D drive! It didn't work!

So somebody who knew what they were doing reinstalled XP properly on my C
drive. Everything is now working.

However, I think it's possible the original XP was not installed on the
drive it should have been (or doesn't it matter which?) because Acronis
always thought that the logical C drive (in XP's opinion) was the D drive.

Now that XP's properly installed however, Acronis agrees with XP about which
is C and D.
But I don't know whether my current C (system) drive was the D drive before.

As I can now see some old windows files on the present D drive, I don't know
whether they're the original system drive files (i.e. this used to be C) or
the restored system files (i.e. it used to be D). LOL

Either way...

Q1. I can't delete some of these old files on D, especially the Windows
ones, so how do I get rid of them?

Q2. Is it likely there's anything intrinsically problematic about this D
drive and it's sectors or anything, after what's been done to it? Would it be
wise to reformat it? I only use it for backup storage and for the page file.
But I'm slightly concerned because Balarc adviser doesn't give any of the
detailed info or mention SMART for this drive, whereas I'm sure it did give
the same info for both disks before all this.

 

[sgopus]

rename the files and then delete them, windows protects system files

 

[peter]

At this stage I an only tell you what I would do.
I would move the page file back to the same HD that holds XP
I would disconnect the D drive and see if it boots
If it boots I would reconnect the D drive and format it.....
Then Use Acronis to create an Acronis Secure Zone on the Drive and Activate
the Startup Recovery manager.
Then create an Image of the C drive to the Secure Zone.
peter

 

[Flummoxed07]

sgopus,

Thanks, some of them wouldn't allow me to rename them, though.

Peter,

OK, I assume that disconnecting D is to make sure it's not the boot drive
(even though c is system)...I'd never thought of that, or that it was
possible. Thanks!

I'll try that.

I don't know if there's any advantage in an Acronis secure zone(?); I
currently have a new C image I made using the Acronis CD itself to boot. It
seemed the easiest and most fool proof way. Which in my case .....

 

[peter]

Acronis Secure Zone does not show up under Admin Tools...or under Explorer
You cannot accidentally delete it or format it.
After it is created you can Activate the Recovery manager and don’t need the
CD to boot from..just an F11 push at start up
I have an External HD that I use for Imaging my system drive to as well as
my other drives/Partitions.
On that HD I don’t have an Acronis Secure Zone but on the HD installed on
the computer I have Acronis Secure Zone.and everything automatically
backs up into that Zone...and Images to that Zone.
peter

 

[Flummoxed07]

Peter,

Thanks for the Acronis info.

Also, as suggested, I disconnected D (actually did both, one at a time, as I
didn't know which was which), and C did boot perfectly well on it's own. So
will format D now. Job done!

cheers.