Duplicate Windows Hard Drives

[stpimpernel]

Hey

I am in the process of rebuilding my WinXP Pro box. I have copied my root (c:/) directory to an alternate (h:/) drive using Norton Ghost 12.0. I will be blasting my c:/ to begin a fresh installation of WinXP.

I want to occasionally use the copied windows (h:/) drive to refer to during the rebuild of c:/ (ie configs, email settings etc).

I have noticed that when trying to boot windows from the copied h:/, it fails with svchost.exe errors. My guess is because the copied windows drive cannot reconcile the change in drive letters (expecting c:/ be is installed on h:/).

I want to boot the old OS copy and the new OS rebuild independently without conflict.

I am assuming that I have to somehow change the OS copy to recognise the drive letter on the copied drive? If so, how?

Or is there another way to achieve what I want?

Regards
SP

NB
Windows Version: XP Pro SP2
RAM: 512mb - 1gb
Processor Speed: Intel Pentium 4 3.0Ghz
Video Card: Abit Siluro FX5200
Sound Card: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platium Pro
CD/DVD Burner: LG GSZ-4167B (Firmware DL12)

 

[linney]

Does any boot.ini file point to the H: drive, or only the C: drive?

I can't say for sure whether the H: drive Registry paths will be a problem or not, because from my experience the drive letters may, or may not, both load as a C: drives even when booted from the H: drive (as seen from your new C: drive). I suspect however that there will be problems with paths.

A bit of relevancy (or more to the point what is still confusing just me) may be found near the end of this thread

Possible to setup dual boot with HP XP recovery CDs?
thread779-976124

If both operating systems are using C: drive links, and are on separate hard drive disks, then hiding one drive from the other may be some type of solution, but you would then need to have all the booting files on both separate hard drives.

How can I change the System partition drive letter in Windows XP?

http://www.petri.co.il/change_system_drive_letter_in_windows_xp.htm

A pricey hardware solution.

The IDEX Switch

http://www.industechnologies.com/

Maybe you can do something similar in the Bios (to disable drives) or use a boot manager program? Perhaps you can boot from Floppy Drive?

How to Use System Files to Create a Boot Disk to Guard Against Being Unable to Start Windows XP (Q314079)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q314/0/79.asp

Q305595 - HOW TO: Create a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q305/5/95.asp

100323 - Intel x86-Based System Boot Sequence and Files

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;100323&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[stpimpernel]

I manged to find my solution. This is what I did

I had to copy the drive again with Ghost 12.0 and making the new drive active (for OS boot)

I restarted and swapped the boot order in the bios

Once rebooted, I had change the driver letter using regedit from c to z, h to c, z to h

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223188

Rebooted and then disabled the old drive in the bios

For some reason windows still recognised the old drive when rebooted (even though it was disabled in the bios.

So the old drive was disabled in windows via device (hardware) manager

Windows rebooted with the desired drive appearing

So I can now wipe the old drive with a new image of windows

Thank you for your help.

 

[firewolfrl]

before you wipe the drive see if it will boot without the old drive plugged in

 

[firewolfrl]

Something else is to to make the old drive Active as C: (without any registry change) make sure it boots OK.

This step is very important
Zero the drive you want to clone to.(do not format as you have to low level zero fill the drive...or at least the front of the drive and the back of the drive where the secondary boot record index is kept)
Do not format this drive to assign a drive letter This is not needed as the trick is to copy the C: boot record from the old drive and not have any other drive letter in the NTFS file system
then
clone to the zeroed drive so the Master boot is cloned as C:
disconnect the old drive when done and boot to the new drive. you should not have to do any registry drive letter reassignment as the drive will see itself as C: and will load correct

disabling the drive in the boot manager won't help if the second drive is still referring to the first drive's boot record to boot. formating may disable both drives from being able to boot