restore OS ghost to different partition

Hi,

I replaced my hdd with a new one and changed the layout of the partitions.

Before:
part 0 - C:\ - WinXP
part 1 - D:\ - Data
part 2 - F:\ - Win2K

After:
part 0 - C:\ - WinXP
part 1 - F:\ - Win2K
part 2 - D:\ - Data
part 3 - J:\ - Data

I restored the images of the OS', but as you can see Win2K is now on a different one. The drive letter however has remained the same.
I modified the boot.ini to search for Win2K on the correct part.
what happens when I try to boot W2k is that it starts up, but when it starts to load personal settings, it encounters a problem, saves personal settings and loads personal setting ad infinitum.

I see the colors of my profile, so it can find that, but it keeps looping between loading and saving personal settings. This is quite frustrating. It's so close to being right that I feel I can fix this, but I need a little help.

Interesting problem, no?

Thanks,
Alex

 

Hi again,

Strange that there have been no replies to this topic...

Let me ask a few other questions that I came across while trying to solve this issue:

- How can I get to the Win2K setup (on CD) from WinXP?
I've read articles that say that you have to install the older OS first, but I'm sure there is a way to do this.

Once in the Win2K setup, I can choose reinstall and will get prompted to fix the existing installation. Hopefully this will work.

- Can I edit the Win2K registry from WinXP?
Maybe there is a utility out there that will allow this.
I would like to disable everything in 'Run', for I think this might be a cause.

- How can I view the 2K Event log from XP?
If I open the 2K log from XP now, it says that it is corrupt, but I'm sure that it is not.


Alex

 

elixer

I am suprised how you sliped thru also. But this is the first time i have seen this.

I have never done this but have wondered about it.

I have done many dozens of XP and 2K installs and more win98 than I can remember but never needed to do this.

But first some questions?

In your original config why the gap between d and f where is e:?

And how did you arrive at the second config. Your alphabet sure is different from mine! Smile!

Let me hazzad a guess.

In the 1st config you have a single HD and you for some reason left the CD (or some other device, maybe even another HD) on drive E:

Why didn't you move this device to the end so that you have a continues chain of drive letters on the same device.

In the second config you now have a new drive or slaved the HD that was e: to the 1st HD and added another CD or DVD?

Am I correct?

If so or not get me details because I can help here!

Mike

 

It must have happened something like that.
The letters don't really matter, except for C:\ and F:\ which contain the two OS'.
I believe my 2K install originated from when I still had 98 and may not have known how to rename the drive letters.
Now I do...

So, I have two hd's.
One contains the OS partitions. These partitions are primaries.
The boot.ini is on C:\ where XP is as well.

E:\ is on the other hd and contains data.

Why are these things important to resolve this situation?
What else do you need?

 

Lol!

elixer

If you think I figured that all out by ESP thanks but I don't have ESP! Lol!

Why you ask? For the same reason I would not stick my finger in an eletrical socket without knowing for sure that the electricty is off.

I am a professional Sr. Systems Analyst I do this for for my work, and I think you have a mess. If I went somewhere to work on something like this the first thing I would say is "are you kidding me, is this April fool. LoL!

Yes it will work but it is.......... unusual to say the least.

Anyway I will help you add to the mess! But before we begin I must have a say!

The correct way to do this is to back everything up. Format the second HD's to a logical path of c thru f with CD's and other removeables to the end as g and h.

Not to use drive management to move drives letters except for some unusual case.

Using drive mangement to rearrange drives is good I am glad it is there I may need it one day for some unusual reason.

That said lets roll....

First backup! BACKUP!

You have some explicit references to the old 2K! Best way to fix this is simple.

Boot up from the 2K CD it will see and recognize the existing Xp and 2k.

It will offer you choices. You should chose to do an update of the existing 2k on drive f: not a clean install. This should correct the errors you now get.

Do it!

Mike

 

Hi Mike,

I did what you suggested. It did not work. Same result.
There wasn't really an option to upgrade, but to repair. The repair process went ahead and replaced a bunch of files that were not original, but upon startup it keeps running into the loop.
Maybe things are different for 2K Server than for pro. I have 2K server.
I tried to put it back to the third partition on the drive and what do you know, it booted right. But I do not want that configuration.
When you say I have a mess, I must of course take some offense ;-). I mean I started out with a nice alphabetical order, but then Windows decided to switch things around a little.
Other than that, my system is working quite smoothly.

I tried something else as well. I started the XP recovery console, logged on the the 2K install and disabled a whole bunch of services that were set to start automatically.
Apart from slowing things down, this did not do much good either, all though, it seemed to have read some more of my profile.
I have it set for left handed mouse and before it would not set this up when starting, but now it does.

I do have the back up, as I am trying to restore this OS from image.

I hope you have some further suggestions.

Thanks for the ones you gave me though.

Alex

 

Alex

No offence meant from me!

Sometimes I just have to say something!

But since the 2k is the problem why not just reinstall fresh to the drive you want and move the data from the old 2K. I think that would be simpler in the end.

No difference in Pro or Server in this case.

Mike

 

I'm sure this isn't the answer you are looking for but have you considered blowing the whole thing away and then loading 2K followed by XP?

And a couple of thoughts if I am reading correctly that 2K won't start properly but you decide not to start from the get-go "

We didn't get into specifics about your network or some details about the machine in question but do you have different computer names for the 2K and the XP loads? Good idea to do that if you can get to the 2K load.

And again, still on the repair effort, have you tried fixboot from the XP recovery console command line thing?

Sorry about the long delay before anyone answered. Mike said he just didn't notice the post and I been freezing my parts while fishing this weekend. Saturday in South Carolina and Sunday in North Carolina and the fish in both states are still perfectly safe.

Weekends are sorta iffy around here at best. Lots of the regulars do this week days but don't look in on weekends. And if we ever can get Mike a hobby, he will be away on weekends too.

 

Hi again,

Sorry Mike. I really didn't take any offense. I just had to say someting back. (-; Smileys can't always make bad jokes right

I am more surprised about the apologies for the late replies to this topic.
I think this BBS is a wonderful source of information and it is free! We should be glad there are these professional responses at all.

Okay.
Main reason for not reinstalling is the Service Pack that was just installed on the OS in the image. It's a lot to get down again. I wanted to avoid it.
Secondly, this is the reason why you make a ghost image or any backup. You can restore it!
Thirdly. It is just too unbelievable that this situation occurs without there being a solution. So it is also about the challenge.
Lastly this is like traveling half way across the world without a problem, but then being stopped at the border of the country you want to get into. That's how close I feel I am.

I ran just about every command from the recovery console that made any sense.

I already did a reinstall of 2k. This messes up my drive letter alphabet even worse. Puts the OS on the same partition, but now assigns it yet another drive letter and it assigns D: to my C:.
These cannot be reassigned as they are boot and system.
Maybe I can get around this by taking out the second drive during the next! reinstall. :-(

I do use the same PC name and workgroup for both OS'. This does not seem to cause a problem. From the rec. console, there is no problem logging on to either system. They are quite separate except that they share the boot part. (no MSDOS.SYS or IO.SYS on 2K partition).

Gosh you guys. I was getting all hopeful again, but now it is slipping again. I mean it's just gotta work. But if it is impossible, then so be it.

Thanks again.
Alex

 

Alex

Ok man!

I think part of your problem is the rearrangement of the drive letters using Disk management.

I am not sure at what point XP or 2K recognize the rearrangement probably not until the full GUI and registry is up. It is installing to a different configuration during install and after a normal boot sees the original layout.

This is the very reason I do not reccomend using Disk management to change the drive layout except for very special and specfic needs.

Not only that but if everything is working the OS has to set up a special data structure in the registry to handle this (disk management). To do extra work to access them. And there is a potential that this structure can become curupted and cause problems.

And I believe it is causing it here! Not the curption mentioned above, but the fact that install mode sees the drive letter configuration differently than the full OS.

I believe that if the drives were correctly aligned without the need of disk management all your problems would be corrected.


Mike

 

All my problems ;-?

Okay Mike, How do I go about turning the diskmanagement drive letter assignment off?

 

Well.............

Problems concerning the current computer configuration anyway.

WILL TAKE A LITTLE WORK!!!!!!!!

Begin by backing up all drives so they can easily and safely be restored. Including your XP C: drive for safty.

I am assuming that the 1st HD is a single partition, is that correct?

Download delpart this will totally blank a drive back to factory.

http://www.russelltexas.com/delpart.htm

Run it only on the second drive. NOT XP DRIVE.

Then unplug cable to the second HD.

Boot up to XP correct the multi boot to only XP. If there are other partitions on the 1st hd besides XP. Remove them now also. You can do this from XP. Name the XP Volume Drv1Prt0. Later when create the other partitions you should name them accordingly like Drv1Prt1 and Drv2Prt2 etc. Easier to keep up with now and later.

Go to Disk managment and confirm that XP is not remembering any former drives (should not).

While here reassign the cd and dvd or what ever you have, to letters past the highest partition you will have on the physical drives. So if you will have drives c d e f make the cd be h.

Reboot to confirm this configuration is in place. Now recreate the partitions on the 1st. drive if any. Name as above.

Reboot to confirm the configuration.

Shut down reconnect the cable to the other drive then reboot. Recreate the partitions on second drive using XP. Name them accordingly as above.

Reboot once again recheck that all drives are in correct order.

If so you are through except for the restore.

Note if you are restoring an image it will overwrite the Volume label so check this in My Computer and correct it after the restore.

Once you restore all the data to each drive you may still have to do the overlay install onto the 2k drive. But now at DOS and XP level the drives are the same. Install will see the same config as XP.

Your move!!

I have never tried Dutch beer, is it good?

Mike

 

elixer71 - re: having the same PC name in both operating systems - I honestly have no idea if this will cause a problem with workgroups or not. Very limited experience with them.

I do know that if you are running in a domain environment, it will completely stop one OS from connecting to the network and usually stop it from even loading all the way.

My suggestion to use different names in your situation was more as a precaution since it is no-cost and very quick to do. So even if there is only a very tiny chance it causes problems to have them named the same, why take the chance.

 

Hi,

Uhm, well, I reinstalled the whole thing. Started win2k from scratch. I needed it to be up and running and couldn't wait for potential solutions.
I tried most of what has been suggested here, but nothing seemed to work.
It's doubtful that it can even be done.
I do appreciate the efforts and I am going to hold on to the image of the unrestorable windows in case somebody cracks this issue.


Thanks,
Alex