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How to make a clone primary partition boot in XP

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by FuzMic, 2014/07/26.

  1. 2014/07/26
    FuzMic

    FuzMic Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Dear Friends

    I use Ghost03 in xpwin.sp3 to clone a primary partition to a slave 1st partition that is formatted as primary. Cloning this way avoid re-installing many apps and settings. However when i try to boot from the clone wired as the boot hard disk, as expected the boot sector is missing so i failed to boot.

    I can use the xpwin cd to repair to get it booting but do you guys know of another way as the latter takes half an hour.

    Appreciate views. Thanks.
     
  2. 2014/07/26
    FuzMic

    FuzMic Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Hi guys

    Do you think by making the slave first partition as "Active" using Computer Manage will do the trick.

    It do make the cloned boot in xpwin BUT
    it goes logging OUT when i try to pass the login password stage.

    Up to this point, there must be a quick fix. Come on guys give me to leap from.
     
    Last edited: 2014/07/26

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  4. 2014/07/27
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Moved to XP forum where you may get some response.
     
  5. 2014/07/27
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I'm not sure what you mean by "clone a primary partition to a slave 1st partition that is formatted as primary ". I too use Ghost 2003 but only to create "Partition to Image" booted from a floppy. (I never do anything from within Windows, my fingers are too fat.) I'm not sure that "Partition to Partition" is an option in Ghost 2003, only "Disk to Disk ". That's why I'm confused but after "cloning ", follow my procedure and it should boot.

    I can restore my Image to any harddisk with the same configuration (primary partition) as the original and it boots IF (a big IF) I, after restoring the image, shut down the computer, take out the "original" harddisk and replace it by the "clone ". If I allow the computer to boot on the original harddisk, the boot sector on the cloned harddisk gets messed up. I believe it can be fixed but it involves more work.

    Once the clone has been booted, I can attach the original and reuse it for anything I wish.

    Se my signature for a forum dedicated to Ghost and other methods of backup.
     
  6. 2014/07/27
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I booted my Ghost 2003 floppy and checked. "Partition to Partition" is an option and I guess that's what you've done. Do it again but don't restart or let Ghost restart the computer when finished. Take out the "original" and connect the "clone" in its place. It should boot.
     
  7. 2014/07/27
    FuzMic

    FuzMic Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Thanks mate. if I use disk to disk, booting ok. if what you propose for P2P works, then you are saying the return to window caused the clone to remain a slave. I try
     
  8. 2014/07/28
    FuzMic

    FuzMic Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Christer, still hope to find a way to resurrect the cloned that took a hour.
    As I have experiences hard disk failing to boot; moved from one PC to another of the similar configuration, I will like to exhaust the resurrect route.
     
  9. 2014/07/28
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I understand this as you're not replacing the original in the same computer but installing the clone on different hardware, right? That will probably lead to activation issues with Windows XP and other software.

    My method works if installed on the same hardware.

    One hour may prove to be very short ... :eek: ... !
     
  10. 2014/07/28
    FuzMic

    FuzMic Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Christer P2P in DOS mode 30 minutes down the line, result will be out soon. The activation issue even mother board similar, so you mean processor ID causer it.
     
  11. 2014/07/28
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I'm not sure. You can change a few components without issue but not the motherboard, I think.

    I have had issues with the activation of Norton when cloning to a different harddisk but installed on the same hardware so it may not be Windows only.
     
  12. 2014/07/28
    FuzMic

    FuzMic Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    The jury has to sit again as the clone Sata is defective. Patience as you say
     
  13. 2014/07/28
    FuzMic

    FuzMic Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Having sata knowledge issue, mother bd only see it as slave. Changing it to another sata port, MB shows no disk. As slave it boot but log off when try to log in
    Have to go back to learn more about sata issue then come back
     
    Last edited: 2014/07/28
  14. 2014/07/28
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    In the SATA world, there are no masters and slaves since there's only one drive connected to each SATA port. It's how the motherboard displays them that is the "mystery ".
     
  15. 2014/07/28
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I forgot to mention that the issue with two "identical" boot partitions is that they have the same disc signature. Windows can't have that and alters the disc signature on the partition that it is not booting from. So, if you boot from the original, the clone will get messed up. If you change their positions and boot from the clone, the original will get messed up. If the discs never see eachother (not connected at the same time), both will boot on the original hardware. Well, that's how it has been explained to me.

    Moving to different hardware, in addition to activation issues, you may experience driver issues for peripheral hardware even if the motherboard is the same model.
     
  16. 2014/07/28
    FuzMic

    FuzMic Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Christer

    I have a strange sata world with 2 old sata drive, one maxtor, the other western digital. The Maxtor shows as primary or slave depending on which port i use but does not record any data, my luck; while WD only appear in the slave port. Any suggestion to this strange phenomena.

    As i believe sata has no jumper setting; it all depends on the port used. BUT the funny thing is my old intel MB BIOS only report the drive as IDE while they are actually sata. Why?

    By the way, everything i use including myself is old.

    Cheers!
     
  17. 2014/07/28
    FuzMic

    FuzMic Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Your latest signature pointer, does it may that P2P have this problem while D2D is the4 way to go. I will exhaust your suggestion as i exhaust myself on this quest.

    By the way if MB does not see the sata as master, it does not appear in windows at all. The WD once recognised by MB as slave appears, windows display as so. What a strange manifestation, is it a hardware problem?
     
  18. 2014/07/28
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    On this board, open the "User CP" and "Edit System Specs ". Fill in the details and save.

    To have your system specifications displayed in your profile, you have to click the link "Edit Options ", and under "Thread Display Options" > "System Specifications" select "Yes" from the drop-down menu, scroll down the page and click "Save Changes ".

    This will make it easier to assist.
     
  19. 2014/07/29
    FuzMic

    FuzMic Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Christer

    My final conclusion is P2P (my experimental way) will not work even doing everything in DOS mode, the copy of partition if set as "active" will boot but can never log in as it log off every time.

    I have resolved to using either 1) D2D or 2) saving image of the root drive and using Dos ghost.exe to restore to the target hard drive (your way, i guese). Unfortunately in this way the partitions of the target hard drive will be destroyed.

    So the case rest unless you have some thing to add.
     
  20. 2014/07/29
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I don't have anything more to add, other than confusion, I guess. I have formatted harddisks from within XP with the primary partition and extended partition with logical drives that I want to have. Next, I restored my Image to the primary partition. No problems whatsoever. The difference is that you have created a Partition to Partition rather than taking the detour via an Image. I don't understand what is causing the problem but good luck in resolving it.
     
  21. 2014/07/29
    Gordon

    Gordon Well-Known Member

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