How can I read old HD in new PC? 3

[bullhlms]

I just bought a new PC with WinXPhome (NTFS). I took the HD from my old PC (Win98SE, FAT32) and installed it so that I could access my old files. It shows "Healthy (active)" in computer management, but I can't assign a drive letter and can't access the data on it. Must I create a dual-boot system to access this data, or is there a simpler way? PC runs fine, just no access to old HD.
Thanks for any help.
Bill

 

[bullhlms]

Freestone,
Does GoBack need to be removed (uninstalled?) or is disabling adequate?

 

[Freestone]

I am not familiar with Goback, just its effects. I will leave that question open to others who know the software.

But, as you said, if you boot to 98, you're new drive will be inaccessible due to its NTFS format, regardless of GoBack status.

I think your choices are:

Place the old drive into the old system. Boot to 98 and remove GoBack.

Or, leave drive in new system as slave. Install GoBack. Retrieve files. Uninstall Goback.

 

[bullhlms]

FWIW: installing GoBack is not an option-------it was pre-installed on the old drive (in system) and was provided without any media.

 

[bcastner]

You need to uninstall GoBack to get it to revert the Master Boot Record partition ID byte.

 

[Freestone]

Do you have access to any imaging software, such as Ghost or True Image? If so, I suggest making an image of your older drive onto the new drive just in case any further operations on the old drive go awry and data is lost.

Is there any reason why the old drive cannot be placed back into the old system and booted to Windows 98 and GoBack uninstalled from there?

Both of the links suggests ways to remove GoBack, hence my first paragraph about an image for backup.

Cannot start Windows after installing GoBack

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPOR...sf&view=pfdocs&dtype=&prod=&ver=&osv=&osv_lvl

This one requires access to the GoBack folder or a Norton CD, so don't know how helpful it will be:

How to remove changes that GoBack makes to the boot sector and partition tables of a computer

 

[bullhlms]

Freestone,
I don't have any imaging software.
I could probably re-assemble the old system and get it operational. I replaced it because of an intermittant
MB failure. My new system doesn't have a floppy drive, though I could jury-rig one and copy Gb_prog.e to a floppy in safe mode. I already have a 98 boot disk, so I could follow the link's instructions.
Does anyone know if a program removal (of GoBack) in safe mode will do the trick?
Does anyone know if disabling GoBack will do the trick?
TIA.
Bill

 

[bcastner]

The bad and typical user experience with GoBack in this situation:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=x...ff=1&selm=ubsVNZeoBHA.2324@tkmsftngp07&rnum=1

Better news, and suggested above:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...ups?q=xp+not+recognize+old+goback+drive&hl=en

The only direct choice would be to use a sector editor at a low level and change the ID value in the Master Boot Record. Be completely sober when attempting this:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320283

 

[micker377]

Different problem - same solution:

I'm still using Windows 98SE. I was replacing the hard drive in my old computer with one twice as large. I did a drive to drive copy with Drive Image 2002 using the rescue disks. It was late and I was tired and like a dummy I forgot to disable GoBack on the old drive. After the copy was complete I was shocked to discover that both drives were now useless and it looked like I just lost several years of irreplaceable files. Instead of 4 Fat 32 partitions on the drives, I now had only one partition the full size of the drive, and it was unreadable and the drives were unbootable. I used all of my rescue disks from several programs all to no avail. Some programs identified the file type as other, some just said bad. Finally one rescue disk identified the file as a Hex 45. Using that information I searched the web and found others with the same problem, but no answers. A search at PowerQuest sent me to Symantec where a knowledgebase article explained that GoBack monitors your system using the Hex 45 file system and therefore must always be disabled before making a drive copy or image or even a defrag. Still no information on how to get out of this mess and back to where I started. I e-mailed Symantec support with all of the details and asked for a fix. The Tech replied that I screwed up and there was no fix or workaround. He pointed me to the same knowledgebase article I had already read and suggested I might try one of those (very expensive) data recovery services. I was down, but not out. I was sure that only the MBR had changed and there must be some way of returning it to it's former state. I searched the Symantec knowledge base some more and found an article on removing the changes GoBack makes to your boot record. There is a tool, GB_PROG.EXE that is hidden on the newer versions of Norton System Works. It's included there in case a failed installation leaves your hard drive unbootable. It's easy to use, insert a floppy in drive A. Click on GB_PROG.EXE and the files will be extracted to the floppy. Restart the computer with a startup disk, switch to the floppy and type: GB_PROG.EXE /U, hit enter and GoBack is removed from your boot record and disabled in Windows. Remove the floppy and when you restart everything is back to normal and all of the Fat 32 partitions are still there. I don't have the newer version of Norton System Works, but Symantec has the tool as a download. Get the info and download link here,

http://langa.com/u/5g.htm

---Vic Laude

 

[bcastner]

Star'ed and noted for an alternative to direct sector edits.

Thanks micker377,
Bill

(I have always wonder who is micker376?)

 

[Freestone]

Not to put too fine a point on this, but didn't the link I provided above titled "How to remove changes that GoBack makes to the boot sector and partition tables of a computer" say the same thing?

I ask as I would like to improve the effectiveness of my posts and clearly the referenced post missed it mark somehow.

 

[bcastner]

Freestone,

Just as a personal note, I read your comment and links and thought the System startup and other descriptions by your had missed the mark for the post, and did not follow up your links.

My apologies. My bad.
Bill

 

[bullhlms]

Thank you all for your help and patience.

I rebuilt the original PC with the "GoBack" HD, went online and transferred about 100M of data files to another PC using Messenger. Then I "removed" GoBack in control panel, put it into the new PC and it works perfectly.

End of problem.

Bill

 

[micker377]

For years I had a combination lock *377. That number just stuck in my head and I decided to use it for passwords that wanted text+numbers!

 

[bullhlms]

micker377,
Are you sure this is the right forum?

 

[micker377]

Just answering Bill's question about my "377".