Hey, I have two hard drives both with XP Pro installed. I installed the 2nd Windows with the first drive attached so everything for booting is on the 1st HD as if you remove the 2nd HD it wont boot, but the WinCD/ive tried Recovery Console by fixmbr and fixboot commands. I've copied command.com, boot.ini (basic files to boot) but of no use. The first HD is a 40gig on C: and 250gb is F: when you boot. What I would like to do is wipe the 40gig-1st hd to store photo's etc on and use the 250gb for Win XP, however I do NOT want to format the 250gig, but let me know any possibilities that work. Thanks
If you did a full installation of XP to the second drive, it will add an additional line to the boot.ini file. That file needs to be modified to boot directly from the second drive. BUT!! don't remove that file from the first drive. Your primary boot files are on the first drive.
oh yeah i know that, what i want is to format the first hard drive or remove it from the pc, however the 2nd HD will not boot. I know about boot.ini and have the 40gb first hd on a caddy remove tray so when its removed i cant boot, I tried using GAG to help boot but no luck. any other help?
I would try the demo of "paragon justboot corrector" to bootup the computer and look at the drive letters on your 250gb non-booting hard drive. Your system partition needs to be c:, otherwise it might not bootup. Only programs that I know that can change drive letters are "paragon justboot corrector" and "vcom partition commander pro version 10" both are bootcd's that work on the nonbooting hard drive registry. That's what I would try (at least rule it out), if it's a drive letter problem, that's a quick 5 minute fix with the right utilities. http://www.justboot.us/boot_corrector.htm directions to change drive letters with freeware http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=174958
personally i'd like the smaller HD for a system drive..for many resaons ok heres what i would do: 1: format big drive 2: use ghosting feature that comes with insatll disK (borrow if you have to) ..they may not call it ghosting on disk ...maybe setup or something 3: when it askes you to reboot unplug data cable from the small one and put the large one in it's place now that you have copied disk t disk (be sure to pin large drive at this time as master) (do not plug large one in on first boot) 4: if ghosting was successful shut down and and plug small drive in as slave (be sure to pin as slave) 5: copy and paste to storage drive
correction : 3: when it askes you to reboot unplug data cable from the small one and put the large one in it's place now that you have copied disk to disk (be sure to pin large drive at this time as master) (do not plug "SMALL" one in on first boot)
ok im sorted. edit the boot.ini file however, editing the mounted devices in the Reg was also required to swap C: with another drive letter. Thanks anyways guys and girls (if any)
