XP (and HD2) inaccessible after reinstalling Windows ME to HD1

[Guest]

Installing XP has been the biggest PIA since my DOS days a decade or two ago

Start: HD1 40 GB running Windows ME
Added: HD2 120G
Installed XP: Ran Upgrade CD from Windows ME and installed Windows XP Professional to HD

Long interlude of Partition Magic noodling to further partition HD2

Finally got things working well like this

HD1 C: Fat32 Windows ME (plus another partition
HD2 D: NTFS Windows XP (plus other partitions for DATA, PROGRAMS, etc

Windows ME had been a buggy mess (having run for two years), so since Windows XP was now running, I transferred my important data to a partition on HD2 and reinstalled Windows ME to the C: drive. Apparently this was a BAD IDEA since my HD2, with its Windows XP and my data entirely disappeared. The drive is recognizable from Partition Magic, so it's properly installed and (theoretically) accessible.

Things that haven't worked

1. Boot from Windows XP disk

2. Changed boot order in BIOS to
ATAPI CDRO
FLOPP
H
Still no luc

3. From Windows ME: Start/Run: F:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcon
Message: "You can only install the Recovery Console from Windows XP

4. Tried booting to XP with boot disk. No dice.

5. The final insult: went to Microsoft "Submit a Reuest for Online Help," entered my Passport .NET number, but as I go through the entry screens, I am asked for a Product ID (PID), available from within Windows XP, which I can't start, which is why I was there in the first place. End of rant

Suggestions?

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Gary;
Microsoft would not help for free since this is a 3rd party issue
directly related to dual booting.

See if this helps since you just installed Windows ME (which is what
broke XP in the first place)
http://dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_9x.htm

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/setup.asp
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/

Installing XP has been the biggest PIA since my DOS days a decade or two ago.

Start: HD1 40 GB running Windows ME.
Added: HD2 120GB
Installed XP: Ran Upgrade CD from Windows ME and installed Windows XP Professional to HD 2

Long interlude of Partition Magic noodling to further partition HD2.

Finally got things working well like this:

HD1 C: Fat32 Windows ME (plus another partition)
HD2 D: NTFS Windows XP (plus other partitions for DATA, PROGRAMS, etc)

Windows ME had been a buggy mess (having run for two years), so

since Windows XP was now running, I transferred my important data to a
partition on HD2 and reinstalled Windows ME to the C: drive.
Apparently this was a BAD IDEA since my HD2, with its Windows XP and
my data entirely disappeared. The drive is recognizable from
Partition Magic, so it's properly installed and (theoretically)
accessible.

Things that haven't worked:

1. Boot from Windows XP disk.

2. Changed boot order in BIOS to
ATAPI CDROM
FLOPPY
HD
Still no luck

3. From Windows ME: Start/Run: F:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons
Message: "You can only install the Recovery Console from Windows XP"

4. Tried booting to XP with boot disk. No dice.

5. The final insult: went to Microsoft "Submit a Reuest for Online

Help," entered my Passport .NET number, but as I go through the entry
screens, I am asked for a Product ID (PID), available from within
Windows XP, which I can't start, which is why I was there in the first
place. End of rant.

 

[Guest]

Nope: These instructions specify that XP is loaded on C:, whereas it is actually loaded on the inaccessible D: on a different drive. FYI: When I swap the Master/Slave connections to the hard drives (in hopes of forcing Windows XP the C: drive), I get the dreaded "NTLDR is Missing" error message. I figured I'd try to get the system working before I dealt with that

----- Jupiter Jones [MVP] wrote: ----

Gary
Microsoft would not help for free since this is a 3rd party issu
directly related to dual booting

See if this helps since you just installed Windows ME (which is wha
broke XP in the first place
http://dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_9x.ht

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP
An easier way to read newsgroup messages
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/setup.as
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar

Installing XP has been the biggest PIA since my DOS days a decade o two ago
Added: HD2 120G
Installed XP: Ran Upgrade CD from Windows ME and installed Window XP Professional to HD
HD2 D: NTFS Windows XP (plus other partitions for DATA PROGRAMS, etc

since Windows XP was now running, I transferred my important data to
partition on HD2 and reinstalled Windows ME to the C: drive
Apparently this was a BAD IDEA since my HD2, with its Windows XP an
my data entirely disappeared. The drive is recognizable fro
Partition Magic, so it's properly installed and (theoretically
accessible

ATAPI CDRO
FLOPP
H
Still no luc
Message: "You can only install the Recovery Console fro Windows XP

Help," entered my Passport .NET number, but as I go through the entr
screens, I am asked for a Product ID (PID), available from withi
Windows XP, which I can't start, which is why I was there in the firs
place. End of rant

 

[Star Fleet Admiral Q]

Try booting directly from the WinXP CD to the recovery console. From there
do a FIXBOOT and/or FIXMBR. This should allow you to boot from XP again,
and may fix the XP Boot loader to load BOOTSEC.DOS to load WinME, otherwise
you may have to add BOOTSEC.DOS to boot.ini manually - search google,
hundreds of post on how to do this.
Also note, native DOS/Win9x (includes ME) cannot read NTFS drives, so your
XP drive will be invisible to ME, since you mention it is formatted NTFS.

Nope: These instructions specify that XP is loaded on C:, whereas it is

actually loaded on the inaccessible D: on a different drive. FYI: When I
swap the Master/Slave connections to the hard drives (in hopes of forcing
Windows XP the C: drive), I get the dreaded "NTLDR is Missing" error
message. I figured I'd try to get the system working before I dealt with
that.