WIN XP Boot Files

[Alan]

Folks,

What files are required on the boot drive for Win XP to
start up? I installed an additional hard drive (120GB
Western Digital), used WD tool set to partition it up and
make one sector bootable. This process copied system and
non-system files from my C:\ to the new partition. I then
swapped out the existing C:\ with this one, system starts
up fine with the new primary controller, it's just that
EVERY file is now on the new partition. I know I don't
need 3/4 of them, just wondering which directories are
required. Thanks.

 

[David Candy]

In microsoft gobblygook
Boot partition = Partition windows directory is on.
System Partition = Partition with the boot files. Need 2 but best with 3 - ntldr and ntdetect and XP supposedly can work without a boot.ini but I wouldn't delete mine. This partition must be what would be considered drive C (XP startup doesn't recognoise drive letters - this comes later in startup and XP can call C any letter but tries to stick to older dos/windows conventions).

 

[Alex Nichol]

What files are required on the boot drive for Win XP to
start up? I installed an additional hard drive (120GB
Western Digital), used WD tool set to partition it up and
make one sector bootable. This process copied system and
non-system files from my C:\ to the new partition. I then
swapped out the existing C:\ with this one, system starts
up fine with the new primary controller,

What you *need* are the actual boot files - ntldr; boot.ini and
ntdetect.com plus the Windows folder and the 'Documents and Settings'
one.

There will also probably be a dummy config.sys and autoexec.bat and
possibly a Videorom.bin needed for your video card

The system will also automatically make, if you did not copy them, a
RECYCLED or Recycler for the Recycle bin for the drive; "System Volume
Information" to contain restore point information relevant to it; and a
hiberfil.sys if you use Hibernation. If you have not moved the pagefile
to a different drive it will also create a pagefile.sys file there

But there will be a lot of programs installed and registered that need
files in Program Files, and have that recorded as being on C: too. And
you may have installed other programs to folders outside Program Files,
but which are also registered as being in folders on C: