Install bigger Disk, Keep Working System from old Disk

[GrandpaCarl]

I want to install a larger SATA drive on an XP SP3 system, but I do not want to reinstall OS and programs as present system is working just fine.

I just install the new drive as D1, and partition (primary) and format the new drive using Disk Manager.

Now, I use Ghost to create an image of the old SATA C: which contains the operating system and programs I want to save.

Now I restore the image made above to the primary partition made on the new drive. XP assigns a drive letter to the new drive, lets say it makes it D:.

If I remove the old D0 and move the new drive from D1 to D0, I cannot boot because it is still recognized as D:, even though the contents think it is C:. This gives a boot error.

How do I change the drive assignment of my new drive from D: to C:. The information must be stored on the disk (partition table sector maybe?) but where?

Can anyone out there help me? Thanks if you can!

 

[vacunita]

Now I restore the image made above to the primary partition made on the new drive. XP assigns a drive letter to the new drive, lets say it makes it D:.

If I remove the old D0 and move the new drive from D1 to D0, I cannot boot because it is still recognized as D:, even though the contents think it is C:. This gives a boot error.

That should not be possible.

If the restoration of the image was correctly made, once the old drive is removed, and the machine boots up form the new larger drive, it should automatically receive the C: drive assignment.


If the Machine boots form the old drive with the new one still attached, its likely the new drive will get a drive assignment other than C:.

However once you disconnect the old drive, and the machine boots off the new one. the C: assignment should be given to the new drive.



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Phil AKA Vacunita
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Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[GrandpaCarl]

HI PHIL,

Maybe it is not supposed to happen, but it cannot find the necessary system files and does not boot.

I also changed the disk assignment letter to X: before shutting down to remove the old C: and move the new drive into position D0. When it did not boot, I shut down and reinstalled the old C: and the new X: remained. There was no change by trying to reboot. Maybe I need to change something in the registry.

If it was supposed to change automatically to C:, what could have gone wrong?

Thanks for your comment.
Grandpa Carl

 

[vacunita]

but it cannot find the necessary system files and does not boot.

This means the imaging was not 100% correct.

It has nothing to do with Drive letter assignments.

The easiest way to fix this would be to run an XP Repair install on top of your new cloned drive.

This will preserve all your files and programs intact and installed, and will fix any errors you might have in the image.

The only downside is you may loose any Windows Updates you have.

Just boot off the XP Pro CD, but do not choose the first repair option choose "Install" instead.
It will tell you that you have an existing install and ask you if you want to repair it. Choose Yes.








----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
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Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[BadBigBen]

Phil, has given you good advice...

normally, you image the drive from OLD to NEW, then remove OLD, boot up with the NEW drive only... and it should work right from there...

but I do not know Ghost too well, I prefer Paragon Drive Manager or Acronis True Image, both will do what you want, from the git-go...

now if you do not want to go through all that again, then do the REPAIR INSTALL (Inplace Upgrade Installation)... This is what Phil was referring to:

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[edfair]

If the boot stuff still works from the old drive how about installing it as d: and the new drive as c: and ghost between the drives directly. Once d: is out of the way the c: should boot fine.
I generally do a drive ghost, not a partition ghost, in cases like this. Once I know the new drive is OK I put the old one back and clean it out.


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.