Problem when using Ghost to clone a drive

Dytrog, you say to do a "winnt32" search. Right now I am cloning what is left of the drive to the external hard drive, so I need to wait another hour before I could do that, but, though I have access to the drive from another drive, I can't open the drive on its own, so what would I do with the winnt32 if I found it?
Surferdude2, after I clone this drive, I plan to write zeros on the bad drive, partition it into 4gb FAT32, 10GB Windows ME, and 6GB for programs and files (in case the OS goes down again, I'll be able to just reformat and reinstall that partition). The computer came with ME, and someone else upgraded it to XP. I tried a repair install using my CD, but it said that the drive needed to be formatted. It didn't offer a repair option.
I believe that she plans to get a new computer and just use this one as a backup. It would be nice to hear that there is a quick fix out there, but it looks like I'll need to do a fresh install. Her main problem is that her work documents use Lotus extensions. She has Lotus SmartSuite Release 9.7 on her hard drive but has no CD for it. There is a 211MB file for the program on the drive. Once I install WinME and then copy and paste all her files and programs to the 3rd partition, will this program work? I attempted to open the documents with the drive on my computer, but nothing happened. Is there a way to make sure that this program will be operational?

 

No, it will not work until the program is re-installed to the new system. It will be missing all Registry support entries.

Dytrog was thinking that her install directory (I386) may have been placed on her C: drive and could be used to re-install from by running the winnt32.exe command. If your XP disk didn't offer to repair the existing installation, I doubt any other method will work aside from a clean install. It apparently detects the volume as corrupt or unformatted space.

 

winnt32

winnt32 is a installer package. on my comp. it say's installer package pro. it has install option. i don't know if it will fix your problem or not. you can look and decide. someone else may know more than i do about that option.

 

She can't find her Lotus CD. Is there any way around this problem, or will she have to go out and purchase a new CD?

 

It won't work unless installed. You cannot install it without having the CD.

If you can purchase the CD from a source that will offer it cheaper than buying it new, that would be one method. That or buying it anew are the only legitimate methods. E-bay or a friend willing to sell their copy would be sources.

 

If she had a license copy and registered the copy, IBM could help her out with a CD replacement.

 

Here's a thought, for what it's worth. Image her drive and transfer the image to your HD or onto CD's. Then reinstall xp on her drive (while in her computer of course) using your disk and key.

Then put her HD in your computer as a slave, boot your OS and browse the Ghost image for the Registry directory ( C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\config) and copy/paste it to her drive (same location, copy over). It could possibly make her Lotus program functional again. That is all dependant on the Registry not being corrupt on her old system. It's a gamble but worth a try if you have the time.

She would still need a valid copy of XP within 30 days but perhaps her new computer can be purchased with Lotus on it and use her backups to sail straight ahead.

HTH

 

I assume that this copying and pasting of the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\config would only work if I install WinXP, not WinME. When I look at mine, there is a lot of information that exists. Is there a particular area that has the programs? I'd just hate to change everything and be left with starting over from scratch again. I'd prefer making as few changes as possible. Under templates, I notice that mine has this: lotus WK4 File 3 KB, even though I'm not aware of Lotus being on my computer. Could I just look for anything that says Lotus and then copy and paste that?

 

This has nothing to do with your system. You are only using your system to alter the Registry on her HD. Do not copy/paste anything onto your system. Read carefully what I outlined. Basically what I propose is to put her HD in your computer and run Ghost to image her drive and keep the image file it creates on your drive for the moment. That's IMAGING not cloning, I want to be sure you understand that. DO NOT CLONE HER DRIVE TO YOURS!! IMAGE it and store the image on your drive.
Then put her HD back into HER computer, install XP on it using your CD and key to install a clean copy, if it won't allow you to repair it.

Then take the HD back out of her computer, install it as a slave in your computer. Then you can boot your computer and browse the Ghost image and copy the Registry directory ( C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\config) from it to HER HD and into the proper location, which will be into the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ directory of HER slaved HD. It's just copying the config directory from the image to the new install.

Then you will place the drive back into her computer, boot up and copy the backup files that you made so that the Lotus files will be back on the drive. Then, with any luck, Lotus will open and run them as usual.

You will not be changing your own system files so I don't see where you have anything to lose but your time.

 

I understand what you are saying. I wasn't planning to do anything to my computer. I was just looking at mine now, while I am tying up the other computer making a clone, and noticed that there is a lot of data present in that file. Rather than driving back and forth 20 miles each way, I'd like to use her external hard drive as her primary and her internal hard drive as her slave, to do the same process. I was just questioning if there is a particular part of the configuration file that can be copied and pasted, rather than everything. I would hate to copy and paste everything, only to find out that an area other than the Lotus was bad and might mess up everything.

 

As I said earlier, if the Registry is corrupt on her old system, this method will not work. I wouldn't suggest using one part of the Registry and leaving others behind. It's a big enough crap shoot as it is without adding other variables. Just dump the imaged version it on top of the one existing on her drive. If you do it right, you'll get the ol' standard warning about copying over it.

 

I was thinking that all but the system profile could be copied and pasted, but then I realized that my system profile is 436kb while hers is 479kb. I guess I'll just copy everything and hope for the best. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

I just reread what you said about imaging rather than cloning. I cloned the drive to her external hard drive. Do I need to image it also? Would there be a difference? I am able to open and view the configuration file on the original hard drive and the clone on the external hard drive (and they are both the same). Let me know if I can write the zeros onto the original or still need to image it. Thanks.
Also, would there be a problem with putting the programs and files on the 3rd partition while the OS is on the 2nd partition?

 

No problems there. You can use any copy of her system that you can access from your computer. I just mentioned imaging in case you couldn't or didn't want to hook her external drive to your computer. I thought imaging would make it easier but you can do it either way so long as you can see the files and copy them.

I cautioned against cloning since that wipes all files from the target whereas imaging won't do that.

As for writing zeros to her drive, I don't see the need but it's your call. That's generally not of any use unless you're wanting to hide your formula for cold fusion or the likes. I'd just do as the previous XP install suggested, format the drive and install. Keep it simple.

 

I'll just format the drive and then partition it. I'll let you know the results.

 

Better do that the other way around.

I'll be out of here for a while to get in front of another CRT for my NASCAR fix.

Good luck with the beast.

 

OK, I've tried everything I can think of. I guess I have to come back for help again. Something happened to this drive. I don't know how, but rather than showing up as one drive, it shows up as 2 drives, the first being just 16MB. Partition Magic won't do anything with it, as it just says it is bad. I checked the drive for errors and S.M.A.R.T. and all is fine. I went into device manager and uninstalled the hard drive, then restarted the computer. On restart, there were the two drives again. Any suggestions on how to put them back together? I was thinking I might just install WinXP, if it will let me, but I'd hate to waste the time if it won't work.

 

Actually, the solution was what I was putting off doing. All I needed to do was to put in the XP CD and then delete the partitions. Everything looks good, so far.

 

I guess my fears came true. In copying and pasting the configuration, it also made it clear to Windows that the product key has changed, so it wouldn't let me open Windows. I was thinking of doing it again, but this time not touching the system profile and then only adding those entries that don't exist in the new configuration. It will take me longer than I anticipated. I wasn't allowed to put any operating system on the external hard drive. Though Windows could see the partitions, it said that some devices need other drivers to make them usable to Windows. I had to bring the drive back home and do the config change here. At least I was able to make a CD of her business files and put them onto her older Win98 backup computer, so she has access to those Lotus files. Putting Windows on her Dell computer is definitely unlike any other computer I've worked with. It won't allow repairs, only reinstalls.

 

product key

when you try to install it should give you a # to call leave that window open so you can see the long # explain you had fatal crash and your product # will not work. they will give you a code to enter. or they did for me once. it would not let me use the original because it had been used before. GL