XP Repair Installation

[Sharon F]

Right. That is the "Back up Drive Image" that PowerQuest (now Symantec)
does. Their "PowerQuest Recovery Environment" "unpacks" the image to
make the original again. And it does. But when I go to "Restart the
computer", I am not in business. The restored drive will boot only
as slave....not as Master. Something is wrong with the way the Master
Boot Record is set up, (boot.ini looks correct), or something,
I know not what.......which is why I'm here asking what or how.....
It boots, past the black+logo Windows screen, to the blue Windows+
logo screen, but *not* to the "loading your personal settings" screen.
Ay, thereby hangs the rub.

Bill, when I test my image software I use the working drive:

C: has XP installed on it. J: is on a second physical drive and holds the
images which are also copied to a few CDs or a single DVD. When I restore,
I run the program from the CD or DVD disk that contains the program and
image. The image on J: is a backup of the CD/DVD image - in effect it is
"Plan B" and available if I run into problems with the CD/DVD restore. I
restore to C: -- the same drive, same partition where the image was made
from. I have had consistent success with this method.

Although it is possible using Image for Windows, I've never tried restoring
an image to a different drive and/or a different partition. I always put it
back to the same one it originated from. My drives never move position on
the cables. I never change boot order in BIOS.

Do I hold my breath when testing restore images? You better believe it!
It's risky because if it fails, I've just hosed what I was trying to
preserve. I periodically do so anyhow as a successful restore is what I
want when and if it's needed. As a cushion, I always have available at
least one tested restore image that has successfully restored the system in
the past.

I think this is where we part ways when working with images? It sounds to
me like you're restoring to a different drive/partition instead of to the
original; possibly changing boot order to test the results. And if I
understand your history correctly, that second copy never boots or runs
correctly when you try to boot with it as the master drive. Since I've
never tried this method (creating a second copy of XP on a second drive), I
have no idea where things go wrong for you.

Your restored image always works correctly when the drive is left in the
same position it was in when the restore process was performed. Perhaps
that means something and is significant to the trouble you've been having.
Perhaps you need to pull that second drive. Place it in master position.
Then run the restore from outside of Windows (you would have to since
you've pulled the first drive for the moment) and on the second drive. It
should then become a true "replacement" for your regular primary drive?

FWIW, you're actually working smarter than I am, using your second drive as
the test bed for restoring images instead of the main drive. If the restore
goes bonkers, you still have your working drive untouched. I risk the drive
but the image program's good reputation and the past successes I've had
with it make the risk reasonable for me.

 

[William B. Lurie]

Bill, when I test my image software I use the working drive:

C: has XP installed on it. J: is on a second physical drive and holds the
images which are also copied to a few CDs or a single DVD. When I restore,
I run the program from the CD or DVD disk that contains the program and
image. The image on J: is a backup of the CD/DVD image - in effect it is
"Plan B" and available if I run into problems with the CD/DVD restore. I
restore to C: -- the same drive, same partition where the image was made
from. I have had consistent success with this method.

Although it is possible using Image for Windows, I've never tried restoring
an image to a different drive and/or a different partition. I always put it
back to the same one it originated from. My drives never move position on
the cables. I never change boot order in BIOS.

Do I hold my breath when testing restore images? You better believe it!
It's risky because if it fails, I've just hosed what I was trying to
preserve. I periodically do so anyhow as a successful restore is what I
want when and if it's needed. As a cushion, I always have available at
least one tested restore image that has successfully restored the system in
the past.

I think this is where we part ways when working with images? It sounds to
me like you're restoring to a different drive/partition instead of to the
original; possibly changing boot order to test the results. And if I
understand your history correctly, that second copy never boots or runs
correctly when you try to boot with it as the master drive. Since I've
never tried this method (creating a second copy of XP on a second drive), I
have no idea where things go wrong for you.

Your restored image always works correctly when the drive is left in the
same position it was in when the restore process was performed. Perhaps
that means something and is significant to the trouble you've been having.
Perhaps you need to pull that second drive. Place it in master position.
Then run the restore from outside of Windows (you would have to since
you've pulled the first drive for the moment) and on the second drive. It
should then become a true "replacement" for your regular primary drive?

FWIW, you're actually working smarter than I am, using your second drive as
the test bed for restoring images instead of the main drive. If the restore
goes bonkers, you still have your working drive untouched. I risk the drive
but the image program's good reputation and the past successes I've had
with it make the risk reasonable for me.

Sharon, you spent a lot of time, being explicit, making sure nobody
would misunderstand. And you raised several good points.

You hit the nail on the head......you always restore to the same drive.
If and when my main drive fails, of course I will be restoring to the
original (i.e., same) drive. But, surprisingly, I haven't yet had to
do that. I have worked months to establish the system, using other
drives to restore to, keeping my original "safe". Maybe I have no
problem, or would have no problem. So I think we've closed the loop,
and I can stop annoying people by being so conservative as to incite
ire.

Now a funny thing happened to me this morning, on the way to the forum:
I followed PoweQuest's instructions, made a Drive Image Copy (not a
copy of the drive), and restored it to an old harddrive....successfully,
and it booted up fine. As I look at it, I was lucky, because it doesn't
always work. But I'm awful tired of trying to make it a foolproof
process. Let's quit while we're ahead.....and thank you so much.

Bill Lurie

 

[Richard]

Bill, when I test my image software I use the working drive:

C: has XP installed on it. J: is on a second physical drive and holds the
images which are also copied to a few CDs or a single DVD. When I restore,
I run the program from the CD or DVD disk that contains the program and
image. The image on J: is a backup of the CD/DVD image - in effect it is
"Plan B" and available if I run into problems with the CD/DVD restore. I
restore to C: -- the same drive, same partition where the image was made
from. I have had consistent success with this method.

Although it is possible using Image for Windows, I've never tried
restoring
an image to a different drive and/or a different partition. I always put
it
back to the same one it originated from. My drives never move position on
the cables. I never change boot order in BIOS.

Do I hold my breath when testing restore images? You better believe it!
It's risky because if it fails, I've just hosed what I was trying to
preserve. I periodically do so anyhow as a successful restore is what I
want when and if it's needed. As a cushion, I always have available at
least one tested restore image that has successfully restored the system
in
the past.

I think this is where we part ways when working with images? It sounds to
me like you're restoring to a different drive/partition instead of to the
original; possibly changing boot order to test the results. And if I
understand your history correctly, that second copy never boots or runs
correctly when you try to boot with it as the master drive. Since I've
never tried this method (creating a second copy of XP on a second drive),
I
have no idea where things go wrong for you.

Your restored image always works correctly when the drive is left in the
same position it was in when the restore process was performed. Perhaps
that means something and is significant to the trouble you've been having.
Perhaps you need to pull that second drive. Place it in master position.
Then run the restore from outside of Windows (you would have to since
you've pulled the first drive for the moment) and on the second drive. It
should then become a true "replacement" for your regular primary drive?

FWIW, you're actually working smarter than I am, using your second drive
as
the test bed for restoring images instead of the main drive. If the
restore
goes bonkers, you still have your working drive untouched. I risk the
drive
but the image program's good reputation and the past successes I've had
with it make the risk reasonable for me.

Sharon,
I took my own testing one stage further and restored the image of my main
(boot) drive to a new drive straight from the computer store. My thinking
was thus: Pretend the main drive has failed. I have a backup image on my
still working slave drive. So I bought a replacement drive, actually an
upgrade to a bigger faster drive which I was going to do anyway, installed
it in the computer and restored the image to the new drive using the
recovery environment. Re-booted and that was it, everything was up and
running again using the new improved drive.

Of course I still had the original drive sitting on the shelf in case of
problems. As the new drive was a success I installed the old one in a USB 2
caddy formatted it and it is now used to store regular backup images of both
my installed HDDs.

The cost of the extra drive and the USB 2 caddy are good value for the peace
of mind that they bring.

Richard.

 

[Sharon F]

Sharon,
I took my own testing one stage further and restored the image of my main
(boot) drive to a new drive straight from the computer store. My thinking
was thus: Pretend the main drive has failed. I have a backup image on my
still working slave drive. So I bought a replacement drive, actually an
upgrade to a bigger faster drive which I was going to do anyway, installed
it in the computer and restored the image to the new drive using the
recovery environment. Re-booted and that was it, everything was up and
running again using the new improved drive.

Of course I still had the original drive sitting on the shelf in case of
problems. As the new drive was a success I installed the old one in a USB 2
caddy formatted it and it is now used to store regular backup images of both
my installed HDDs.

The cost of the extra drive and the USB 2 caddy are good value for the peace
of mind that they bring.

Hi, Richard!
Nice report and a good example of "working smarter" too.

I found myself stuck with a failing drive this summer. I was checking Event
Viewer for a reply to a question and noticed many "imminent hard drive
failure" notices. Had installed a new motherboard about a month earlier and
for whatever reason hadn't set the SMART options, thus no notices at boot
time about the problem. Windows' SMART service sure was loud about it
though and I wasn't going to argue.

I could have used the image restore method but instead used the software
that came with the drive. I had never tried that method and we get
questions about those tools now and then. Decided to take the opportunity
to get a "look-see" and had a current image if the drive software failed.
It worked but took a bit more time-wise than a restore would have.

I didn't have the option of making the replaced drive usable but I like
what you did with yours. Having an external backup drive is a very nice
plus.

 

[Sharon F]

Sharon, you spent a lot of time, being explicit, making sure nobody
would misunderstand. And you raised several good points.

You hit the nail on the head......you always restore to the same drive.
If and when my main drive fails, of course I will be restoring to the
original (i.e., same) drive. But, surprisingly, I haven't yet had to
do that. I have worked months to establish the system, using other
drives to restore to, keeping my original "safe". Maybe I have no
problem, or would have no problem. So I think we've closed the loop,
and I can stop annoying people by being so conservative as to incite
ire.

Now a funny thing happened to me this morning, on the way to the forum:
I followed PoweQuest's instructions, made a Drive Image Copy (not a
copy of the drive), and restored it to an old harddrive....successfully,
and it booted up fine. As I look at it, I was lucky, because it doesn't
always work. But I'm awful tired of trying to make it a foolproof
process. Let's quit while we're ahead.....and thank you so much.

You're welcome, Bill. I think part of the problem when we've discussed this
in the past was the terminology. Michael Solomon wrote a lot about the
differences and tried to pin it down early in the game but that's all water
under the bridge at this point. Bottom line: Drive image and drive copy are
different concepts and different methods. It gets complicated because some
software manuals and some people will use the terms interchangeably. It's
hard enough to keep details straight when working with new software and new
methods. Harder yet when the terminology isn't always exact and fluctuates.

 

[William B. Lurie]

Sharon,
I took my own testing one stage further and restored the image of my main
(boot) drive to a new drive straight from the computer store. My thinking
was thus: Pretend the main drive has failed. I have a backup image on my
still working slave drive. So I bought a replacement drive, actually an
upgrade to a bigger faster drive which I was going to do anyway, installed
it in the computer and restored the image to the new drive using the
recovery environment. Re-booted and that was it, everything was up and
running again using the new improved drive.

Of course I still had the original drive sitting on the shelf in case of
problems. As the new drive was a success I installed the old one in a USB 2
caddy formatted it and it is now used to store regular backup images of both
my installed HDDs.

The cost of the extra drive and the USB 2 caddy are good value for the peace
of mind that they bring.

Richard.

Right you are, Richard. That's security. I operate similarly, except
that I have the two drives in one frame, and there are certain
folders (e-mail and letter mail) that I update from one to
the other periodically. And some of my booting problems (but
not all) seem to be diminishing.

Bill L.

 

[Michael Stevens]

Yes, a genuine XP Installation CD, from which the OS
can be installed, or maybe even was installed.

Well, Compaq and HP, I believe, do not. This has been
"live and learn" for me. My 98, even though made by an
OEM, had a full Installation CD. eMachines was exceptionally
good about mail-in replacements for a hard drive and also
a floppy drive that failed in the first six months, but
no help at all in fixing software glitches. Their answer always is
"The Restore CD will get you back to a new clean system".

A recent HP laptop I purchased for my boss came with both restore and XP
installations CD's
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

 

[ggull]

I assume that, by "a *regular* windows CD," you mean an
installation CD as opposed to a restore CD or a hidden restore
partition.

The answer is many. All Dell machines do, and I believe Gateways
do too. And virtually all of the machines that are custom-built
by local vendors.

This has been a most illuminating discussion 8-(.

FWIW, I just checked my couple-of-weeks-old Gateway 503GR, and what I
*thought* was a "regular windows CD" is just a shrinkwrapped
official-looking (green, MS and Windows logos, etc) 10-page pamphlet and a
piece of stiff cardboard which made it seem like there was a CD inside; the
"certificate of authenticity" sticker had been peeled off and put on the
back of the computer by the manufacturer. There is a Gateway restore DVD.

So the question is, how badly have I been f***ed?
What will I be unable to do that I could do with a "regular" CD?

There are certainly some national brands that don't, but those
can be (and should be, as far as I'm concerned) avoided.

Unfortunately, this isn't part of the specs, and even the moderately
sophisticated single-user is unlikely to think to dig deeper. To someone
who buys a new computer every few years for personal use (as opposed buying
or working on dozens per year), this is something the need for which, or the
possibility of not being included, has probably not been made apparent
before.

But with computers, even full packages, running as low as $3-500, how many
people are going to pay an extra $200 (or even $100) to get a 'regular' OS
CD?


I doubt the physical CD cost is the issue. (Wouldn't that have to come from
Microsoft anyway? The little package I thought was the CD seems to have.)
Probably, they get a cheaper licence from Microsoft to do it this way,
though I'm not sure what the advantage to MS is that they'd authorize and
give a deep discount for not providing a 'regular CD'. If it really is a $1
or $5 difference, then shame on the manufacturer. If it's something
substantial (say $50 instead of $100 per machine), then shame on Microsoft.

 

[ggull]

I have a stupid question. Is the product key written on the CD itself, or
are all the CDs the same and the key is just a unique alphanumeric string
used for activation/control/etc?

As I noted on another post to this thread, my Gateway came without a
'regular windows CD', but did have the MS certificate of authenticity with
product key.

 

[Sharon F]

This has been a most illuminating discussion 8-(.

FWIW, I just checked my couple-of-weeks-old Gateway 503GR, and what I
*thought* was a "regular windows CD" is just a shrinkwrapped
official-looking (green, MS and Windows logos, etc) 10-page pamphlet and a
piece of stiff cardboard which made it seem like there was a CD inside; the
"certificate of authenticity" sticker had been peeled off and put on the
back of the computer by the manufacturer. There is a Gateway restore DVD.

So the question is, how badly have I been f***ed?
What will I be unable to do that I could do with a "regular" CD?

This is pretty normal for OEM machines.

Downside: You probably won't be able to use troubleshooting methods that
require access to a standard copy of an XP CD.

Possible upside: The OEM may have provided alternative repair options.
Check any and all documentation you can find that covers "restore" and
"repair" methods. You might find this info:
- in the hard copy manual that came with the system
- in help documents or system manuals that Gateway may have placed on the
hard drive
- in help documents on the restore CD (or in your case, DVD)
- at the Gateway site in their technical support pages

 

[Ken Blake]

In

I have a stupid question. Is the product key written on the CD
itself, or are all the CDs the same and the key is just a
unique
alphanumeric string used for activation/control/etc?

The product key is not on the CD. If they were, each CD would
have to be made individually, and the cost would be *much*
higher.

All CDs are not quite the same, but all Retail Full versions are
the same, all Upgrade versions the same, and all generic OEM
versions the same.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP\)]

Both Sharon and Ken have answered your specific questions and I apologize
for not getting back to you sooner but I've been offline.

I'll just add a few specifics. First, most recovery routines, be they based
on files kept in a separate often hidden hard drive partition or supplied on
a disk rarely include either the ability for a repair install or use of the
recovery console. The repair install option I believe is crucial,
especially in light of the fact most people don't back up and the only form
of recovery most OEMs provide is a full image restore that puts the system
in the condition it was on the day you brought it home.

Second, your point about purchasing an inexpensive PC is well taken but one
of the reasons they are able to sell the PC at such a low price is because
of the ability to provide this type of OEM configuration. In fairness,
there's not a lot of profit in PCs. If there were manufacturers would be
fighting to compete in this business as opposed to selling off operations
and merging with others. In other words, the number of players would be
increasing, not decreasing.

That said, the business model is really of no concern to you nor does it
help based on your original question. The best I can suggest is, when you
buy, push the manufacturer or retailer for a retail CD or an OEM CD that is
essentially the same as and provides all of the options that exist on the
actual retail CD. Often, you can get a break on the price of an actual XP
CD through these manufacturers. Tell them its a deal breaker if you don't
get such a disk. If they tell you its the same, tell them you know the
difference and some such disks don't offer the same tools and options as an
actual XP CD.

Understand what I am saying. It's one thing to post such a question and
complaint in a public newsgroup but if you really want change, then you and
other consumers must be proactive on the subject.

Also, you might look into local shops who build PCs to order. You can often
get more bang for the buck and while they usually supply an OEM version of
XP, this one is not crippled in that it usually has all the same options and
tools as the retail version with the one exception that it cannot be moved
to a new system when you decide to buy such a system.

 

[ggull]

The product key is not on the CD. If they were, each CD would
have to be made individually, and the cost would be *much*
higher.

Thanks for confirming what I suspected, based on that very consideration.
(I assume the key is somehow encrypted/hashed/whatever so that just any
random string won't work >

To get back to the post from Michael Solomon I responded to, where he says
"William, you cannot borrow someone else's CD for this purpose as the repair
install requires the input of the CD key. Doing so would either result in a
rejection or causing problems for the original owner if and when he tries to
activate his setup again if necessary."

then it seems that perhaps one *could* borrow another CD, but use one's own
legitimate product key to activate the install. Or is the algorithm smart
enough to know I have (say) an OEM key that should not work with a Retail
Full CD (the case this thread has been considering)? At least if the key
does not reside in the installed software, it seems I wouldn't cause
problems for the original owner if I only use my own key.

 

[ggull]

FWIW, I just checked my couple-of-weeks-old Gateway 503GR<snip>
There is [only] a Gateway restore DVD [and no OS CD]
What will I be unable to do that I could do with a "regular" CD?

This is pretty normal for OEM machines.

Downside: You probably won't be able to use troubleshooting methods that
require access to a standard copy of an XP CD.

Possible upside: The OEM may have provided alternative repair options.
Check any and all documentation you can find that covers "restore" and
"repair" methods. You might find this info:
- in the hard copy manual that came with the system
- in help documents or system manuals that Gateway may have placed on the
hard drive
- in help documents on the restore CD (or in your case, DVD)
- at the Gateway site in their technical support pages

Thanks very much for the suggestions. There is something called a
"non-destructive restore", but that may only leave 'data' undestroyed, not
installed software.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

Thanks for confirming what I suspected, based on that very
consideration. (I assume the key is somehow
encrypted/hashed/whatever
so that just any random string won't work >

You're welcome. There's clearly some sort of algorithm applied to
the string, and only keys that work with that algorithm will be
accepted.

To get back to the post from Michael Solomon I responded to,
where he
says "William, you cannot borrow someone else's CD for this
purpose
as the repair install requires the input of the CD key. Doing
so
would either result in a rejection or causing problems for the
original owner if and when he tries to activate his setup again
if
necessary."

then it seems that perhaps one *could* borrow another CD, but
use
one's own legitimate product key to activate the install.

As long as it's the same type (Retail vs OEM and Full vs
Upgrade), yes you could. I made this point in an earlier message
a day or two ago, but I don't recall whether it was in this
thread or not. The point is that you have to use your own product
key; the CD itself doesn't matter. To put it another way, it's
really the Product Key you buy; the CD itself is worth only
pennies.

Or is the
algorithm smart enough to know I have (say) an OEM key that
should
not work with a Retail Full CD

Yes it is. As I said, the type of CD (Retail vs OEM and Full vs
Upgrade) has to match the key you use.

(the case this thread has been
considering)? At least if the key does not reside in the
installed
software, it seems I wouldn't cause problems for the original
owner
if I only use my own key.

Correct.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[ggull]

You make a lot of good points and suggestions here. I'll definitely try to
score, free or for modest charge, a retail or equivalent CD from Gateway.
Further question -- if that doesn't pan out, and since the need for the
'repair install' option is hopefully low probability, what would be the
downside to getting a full retail CD only if/when needed? (Other, of
course, than waiting for it to arrive.)

It's certainly a good point that the place to put pressure is through the
retailer/manufacturer, and not whining on a newsgroup. But I think that
for 95 or 99% of consumers this issue is not apparent until, possibly years
later or possibly never, it comes around to bite them in the middle of
disaster. It just never occurs that they have been provided a bowdlerized
operating system, without these nifty features they may have read of (and
that are proudly touted)

As to the shake-out in computer manufacturers .. it may or may not be good
in the long run, but makes this an excellent time to shop for a low or
middle-end system.

To pick a couple of nits:

I am aware of the shops that build PCs to order. That was one of the first
options I investigated, and at least in the current market they can't come
close to competing with commodity-level PCs. I did go that route about 8-10
years ago (when GB hard drives were newish), and was able to go high end for
the time on storage while economizing in other respects, but that was a
pretty specific configuration for specific purpose, and I think even that
wouldn't apply today.

As to caring about the 'business model' that results in this situation, it
may be 'none of our business', but even apart from simply liking to know the
mysterious forces which govern our lives it seems relevant in that knowing
the motivation for a behavior is often the first step in persuading someone
to change that behavior. Do the manufacturers omit the system disc simply
to save the reproduction costs? or because they figure the mass of users
may get in more trouble with it than their restore disc options? or are
they forbidden by their licencing agreement with Microsoft? and if the
latter, of what benefit is that to MS? The answer may affect how I talk to
the manufacturer.

 

[William B. Lurie]

Sharon,
I took my own testing one stage further and restored the image of my main
(boot) drive to a new drive straight from the computer store. My thinking
was thus: Pretend the main drive has failed. I have a backup image on my
still working slave drive. So I bought a replacement drive, actually an
upgrade to a bigger faster drive which I was going to do anyway, installed
it in the computer and restored the image to the new drive using the
recovery environment. Re-booted and that was it, everything was up and
running again using the new improved drive.

Of course I still had the original drive sitting on the shelf in case of
problems. As the new drive was a success I installed the old one in a USB 2
caddy formatted it and it is now used to store regular backup images of both
my installed HDDs.

The cost of the extra drive and the USB 2 caddy are good value for the peace
of mind that they bring.

Richard.

Richard echos exactly what I have been trying to do for a
year now, with very spotty success. But it's encouraging to
know that Richard and Sharon think as I do and do as I'd
like to do. Maybe I'm not as queer as some people think.

 

[Sharon F]

Richard echos exactly what I have been trying to do for a
year now, with very spotty success. But it's encouraging to
know that Richard and Sharon think as I do and do as I'd
like to do. Maybe I'm not as queer as some people think.

You're fine, Bill. Learning new software can be tricky business. Especially
something more advanced like imaging software. Do they still have user
groups for Ghost or Drive Image? One of the reasons I chose Image for
Windows is the good support offered by the company (Terabyte Unlimited). If
I get into trouble, I know that they can walk me through the rough spots.

 

[William B. Lurie]

You're fine, Bill. Learning new software can be tricky business. Especially
something more advanced like imaging software. Do they still have user
groups for Ghost or Drive Image? One of the reasons I chose Image for
Windows is the good support offered by the company (Terabyte Unlimited). If
I get into trouble, I know that they can walk me through the rough spots.

Hmmmm... User Group for Drive Image? Never saw one, but if any
kind reader has a link to one, I'd 'preciate it. I had bad luck with
Terabyte a few years ago (Boot Magic I think, had my usual poblem).
It took over all my boot-ups and I had trouble rassling control
back.

 

[William B. Lurie]

Related to this same area of operation, Sharon, I still have
a few questions for which you might have answers. The 'HELP'
info supplied in RC for fixmbr and fixboot is really minimal.
Might there be some KB articles or text, telling what they
really do, and how to use them? Note that FIXMBR says it is
usable only on an X86 based system. I guess that anybody who
might use FIXMBR would know whether or not the system is X86....

And FIXBOOT says it writes a new boot sector. That's all it says.
So in one of my Drive Copy and Restore operations, I get to a
system where it boots all the way, past blue logo "Loading your
personal settings" when I boot to this OS as set as HDD-1 on my
BIOS. But when placed as Master on the cable, BIOS set for HDD-0,
it hangs at the blue logo screen that only says Windows. So I
guess, not quite correctly, that FIXBOOT should fix the boot so
that it will boot all the way. It does not, when alone on the
cable, jumpered and set as Master, I'd like it to boot all the
way, as it did before I moved the hard drive over.

This is all in line with the goals we discussed, in the name of
having a guaranteed operable substitute to plug in, in the
case that happened to me two days ago, when power went out
while disk transfer operations were in place, and I haven't
got that drive fixed yet. I'm as close as you see in the
preceding paragraph.....hanging at the light blue logo screen.