How to make a backup drive bootable
 

I posted a similar message above yesterday, but none of the answers I
received were of any help/use to me. Judging from IQ scores, SAT
scores, degrees, etc, I'm not exactly dumb. So I like to think that
maybe the advice simply wasn't detailed enough. Perhaps I'm the one
who's wrong. I've posted similar messages on Anandtech, Majorgeeks, &
Computer Hope, and none of the responses have been of any help.

My OS is Win XP Pro. I have WD Digital Lifeguard, and can d/l Seagate
Discwizard if need be.

I have two ATA HDs in my system now, and a third in a box waiting to be
installed. I'd like to replace my old slave with the third HD. But
before doing so, I'd like to verify that I can plug in my old slave as
the master and boot the computer with it. Various people have asked if
I've used fdisk. The answer is no. I know very little about DOS. I
went to a DOS help page but didn't find out how to boot to DOS. I also
read the Microsoft article on fdisk. When I asked my computer for a
Command prompt and switched directories to C:/, it would not let me use
the fdisk command. Others have asked about my MBR. I copied the
contents of my master to my slave with WD Digital Lifeguard. When I
did, I assumed it would have copied everything on my master. Perhaps it
didn't. I don't know. I wouldn't know how to check and see if my MBR
was on my slave. Another person said it was simple - just go in and
change the BIOS. I changed my BIOS so my primary boot device was HDD-1
instead of HDD-0 and the computer booted fine. Then on a hunch I
changed the primary boot device to HDD-2, and the computer still booted
normally. So that was no answer.

Can anyone give me a walk-through on what to do??? I've spent the last
two days working on this with no success. I have 25 GB of information,
data, etc. on my HD, so I really don't want to screw up and have to
start from square one again by reinstalling my OS on my master and going
from there.

And to think - I actually thought this would be easy when I decided to
purchase the new HD. Now I'm taking double doses of Fioricet and
drinking and calling depression help lines because I am so depressed and
frustrated over the whole situation. I suppose it doesn't matter if it
takes me a week to get the answer, but being an extreme pessimist, I
wouldn't surprise me if my drive crashed in the next hour. As we
pessimists say, just when things look there bleakest, they can still get
worse.

Thank you to anybody with time and energy to help me. Thank you for
even taking the time to read all of this.

Re: How to make a backup drive bootable
 

On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 23:55:28 GMT, Jeff G wrote:

>I posted a similar message above yesterday, but none of the answers I
>received were of any help/use to me. Judging from IQ scores, SAT

So you start another thread , longer this time an epic to fall asleep
over?

>scores, degrees, etc, I'm not exactly dumb. So I like to think that
>maybe the advice simply wasn't detailed enough. Perhaps I'm the one

One of the posts mentioned Norton Ghost, use that. It was the 1st reply
from Unk.

>who's wrong. I've posted similar messages on Anandtech, Majorgeeks, &
>Computer Hope, and none of the responses have been of any help.

Possibly the length of the post.

>My OS is Win XP Pro. I have WD Digital Lifeguard, and can d/l Seagate
>Discwizard if need be.

Don't those tools depend on having WD or Seagate disks, I suspect if you
have WD drives the Seagate tool won't run.

>I have two ATA HDs in my system now, and a third in a box waiting to be
>installed. I'd like to replace my old slave with the third HD. But
>before doing so, I'd like to verify that I can plug in my old slave as
>the master and boot the computer with it. Various people have asked if
>I've used fdisk. The answer is no. I know very little about DOS. I
>went to a DOS help page but didn't find out how to boot to DOS. I also

www.bootdisk.com , lots of 'DOS' boot disks, download an image file and
follow the instructions.

>read the Microsoft article on fdisk. When I asked my computer for a
>Command prompt and switched directories to C:/, it would not let me use

It's c:\

>the fdisk command. Others have asked about my MBR. I copied the

Did you perhaps launch a command prompt after starting Windows?

If so, let's see. Boot into Windows, running operating systems protects
partition / mbr from editing. What I then do is try and fdisk , hmmmm OS
won't let me.

>contents of my master to my slave with . When I

You were told a copy (of the files ) isn't the same. To be a boot disk
the MBR, Partition data etc. have to be a (exact) duplicate.

>did, I assumed it would have copied everything on my master. Perhaps it
>didn't. I don't know. I wouldn't know how to check and see if my MBR
>was on my slave. Another person said it was simple - just go in and
>change the BIOS. I changed my BIOS so my primary boot device was HDD-1
>instead of HDD-0 and the computer booted fine. Then on a hunch I
>changed the primary boot device to HDD-2, and the computer still booted
>normally. So that was no answer.

The simple way is don't change any BIOS settings, unplug existing disks
from data / power. Take the disk you just copied and make it the master.

If the image / copy is exact then the system boots as normal.


>Can anyone give me a walk-through on what to do??? I've spent the last
>two days working on this with no success. I have 25 GB of information,

As told already Norton Ghost.

>data, etc. on my HD, so I really don't want to screw up and have to
>start from square one again by reinstalling my OS on my master and going
>from there.

Use Norton Ghost and backup to CDR/DVDR.

>And to think - I actually thought this would be easy when I decided to
>purchase the new HD. Now I'm taking double doses of Fioricet and

It is easy.

>drinking and calling depression help lines because I am so depressed and
>frustrated over the whole situation. I suppose it doesn't matter if it
>takes me a week to get the answer, but being an extreme pessimist, I

You included the last bit because?

>wouldn't surprise me if my drive crashed in the next hour. As we
>pessimists say, just when things look there bleakest, they can still get
>worse.

You included the last bit because?

>Thank you to anybody with time and energy to help me. Thank you for
>even taking the time to read all of this.

It did go on a bit, you could have stopped at -
"I would like to make a bootable backup of my existing hardisk "

Me

Re: How to make a backup drive bootable
 

why? wrote:
> On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 23:55:28 GMT, Jeff G wrote:
>
>
>>I posted a similar message above yesterday, but none of the answers I
>>received were of any help/use to me. Judging from IQ scores, SAT
>
>
> So you start another thread , longer this time an epic to fall asleep
> over?
>
>
>>scores, degrees, etc, I'm not exactly dumb. So I like to think that
>>maybe the advice simply wasn't detailed enough. Perhaps I'm the one
>
>
> One of the posts mentioned Norton Ghost, use that. It was the 1st reply
> from Unk.
>
>
>>who's wrong. I've posted similar messages on Anandtech, Majorgeeks, &
>>Computer Hope, and none of the responses have been of any help.
>
>
> Possibly the length of the post.
>
>
>>My OS is Win XP Pro. I have WD Digital Lifeguard, and can d/l Seagate
>>Discwizard if need be.
>
>
> Don't those tools depend on having WD or Seagate disks, I suspect if you
> have WD drives the Seagate tool won't run.
>
>
>>I have two ATA HDs in my system now, and a third in a box waiting to be
>>installed. I'd like to replace my old slave with the third HD. But
>>before doing so, I'd like to verify that I can plug in my old slave as
>>the master and boot the computer with it. Various people have asked if
>>I've used fdisk. The answer is no. I know very little about DOS. I
>>went to a DOS help page but didn't find out how to boot to DOS. I also
>
>
> www.bootdisk.com , lots of 'DOS' boot disks, download an image file and
> follow the instructions.
>
>
>>read the Microsoft article on fdisk. When I asked my computer for a
>>Command prompt and switched directories to C:/, it would not let me use
>
>
> It's c:\
>
>
>>the fdisk command. Others have asked about my MBR. I copied the
>
>
> Did you perhaps launch a command prompt after starting Windows?
>
> If so, let's see. Boot into Windows, running operating systems protects
> partition / mbr from editing. What I then do is try and fdisk , hmmmm OS
> won't let me.
>
>
>>contents of my master to my slave with . When I
>
>
> You were told a copy (of the files ) isn't the same. To be a boot disk
> the MBR, Partition data etc. have to be a (exact) duplicate.
>
>
>>did, I assumed it would have copied everything on my master. Perhaps it
>>didn't. I don't know. I wouldn't know how to check and see if my MBR
>>was on my slave. Another person said it was simple - just go in and
>>change the BIOS. I changed my BIOS so my primary boot device was HDD-1
>>instead of HDD-0 and the computer booted fine. Then on a hunch I
>>changed the primary boot device to HDD-2, and the computer still booted
>>normally. So that was no answer.
>
>
> The simple way is don't change any BIOS settings, unplug existing disks
> from data / power. Take the disk you just copied and make it the master.
>
> If the image / copy is exact then the system boots as normal.
>
>
>
>>Can anyone give me a walk-through on what to do??? I've spent the last
>>two days working on this with no success. I have 25 GB of information,
>
>
> As told already Norton Ghost.
>
>
>>data, etc. on my HD, so I really don't want to screw up and have to
>>start from square one again by reinstalling my OS on my master and going
>
>>from there.
>
> Use Norton Ghost and backup to CDR/DVDR.
>
>
>>And to think - I actually thought this would be easy when I decided to
>>purchase the new HD. Now I'm taking double doses of Fioricet and
>
>
> It is easy.
>
>
>>drinking and calling depression help lines because I am so depressed and
>>frustrated over the whole situation. I suppose it doesn't matter if it
>>takes me a week to get the answer, but being an extreme pessimist, I
>
>
> You included the last bit because?
>
>
>>wouldn't surprise me if my drive crashed in the next hour. As we
>>pessimists say, just when things look there bleakest, they can still get
>>worse.
>
>
> You included the last bit because?
>
>
>>Thank you to anybody with time and energy to help me. Thank you for
>>even taking the time to read all of this.
>
>
> It did go on a bit, you could have stopped at -
> "I would like to make a bootable backup of my existing hardisk "
>
> Me
Thank you ever so much for the helpful response. And I was thinking
someone might get the message and actually tell me what to do (in a
useful manner).

Do unto they neighbor as you would have them do unto you.

Re: How to make a backup drive bootable
 

"Jeff G" <JeffG@Nospam.net> wrote in message
news:QR%Bd.609184$wV.545736@attbi_s54...
|I posted a similar message above yesterday, but none of the answers I
| received were of any help/use to me. Judging from IQ scores, SAT
| scores, degrees, etc, I'm not exactly dumb. So I like to think that
| maybe the advice simply wasn't detailed enough. Perhaps I'm the one
| who's wrong. I've posted similar messages on Anandtech, Majorgeeks, &
| Computer Hope, and none of the responses have been of any help.
|
| My OS is Win XP Pro. I have WD Digital Lifeguard, and can d/l Seagate
| Discwizard if need be.
|
| I have two ATA HDs in my system now, and a third in a box waiting to be
| installed. I'd like to replace my old slave with the third HD. But
| before doing so, I'd like to verify that I can plug in my old slave as
| the master and boot the computer with it. Various people have asked if
| I've used fdisk. The answer is no. I know very little about DOS. I
| went to a DOS help page but didn't find out how to boot to DOS. I also
| read the Microsoft article on fdisk. When I asked my computer for a
| Command prompt and switched directories to C:/, it would not let me use
| the fdisk command. Others have asked about my MBR. I copied the
| contents of my master to my slave with WD Digital Lifeguard. When I
| did, I assumed it would have copied everything on my master. Perhaps it
| didn't. I don't know. I wouldn't know how to check and see if my MBR
| was on my slave. Another person said it was simple - just go in and
| change the BIOS. I changed my BIOS so my primary boot device was HDD-1
| instead of HDD-0 and the computer booted fine. Then on a hunch I
| changed the primary boot device to HDD-2, and the computer still booted
| normally. So that was no answer.
|
| Can anyone give me a walk-through on what to do??? I've spent the last
| two days working on this with no success. I have 25 GB of information,
| data, etc. on my HD, so I really don't want to screw up and have to
| start from square one again by reinstalling my OS on my master and going
| from there.

Forget fdisk with XP. You don't need it.

The MBR is the "master boot record", and yes, using the "copy partition"
feature of WD's software does include the MBR.

How do you *know* the copy you made with WD's Data Lifeguard doesn't boot?
Did you physically change the cables and jumpers and such, removing the
original drive? (Just changing the boot drive info in some BIOSs will not
effectively boot from the other drive.)

Re: How to make a backup drive bootable
 

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 03:18:50 GMT, Jeff G wrote:

Something away at the bottom of the post, repeating the 103 lines,
adding only 5 newlines and many blanks, could learn about using <snip>

>why? wrote:
>> On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 23:55:28 GMT, Jeff G wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I posted a similar message above yesterday, but none of the answers I
>>>received were of any help/use to me. Judging from IQ scores, SAT
>>
>>
>> So you start another thread , longer this time an epic to fall asleep
>> over?

<snip>

>> It did go on a bit, you could have stopped at -
>> "I would like to make a bootable backup of my existing hardisk "
>>
>> Me
>Thank you ever so much for the helpful response. And I was thinking
>someone might get the message and actually tell me what to do (in a
>useful manner).

Exact instructions may not help, you appear to not be able to read.

Try this ->>>>
Buy a copy of Norton Ghost as you have been told several times.

<snip>

Me

Re: How to make a backup drive bootable
 

"Jeff G" <JeffG@Nospam.net> wrote in message
news:QR%Bd.609184$wV.545736@attbi_s54...
>I posted a similar message above yesterday, but none of the answers I
>received were of any help/use to me. Judging from IQ scores, SAT scores,
>degrees, etc, I'm not exactly dumb. So I like to think that maybe the
>advice simply wasn't detailed enough. Perhaps I'm the one who's wrong.
>I've posted similar messages on Anandtech, Majorgeeks, & Computer Hope, and
>none of the responses have been of any help.

etc etc

************************************************** ****************************

Your problems seems a little complex,

however I use Ghost all the time.

I make Bootable and non bootable Images of my

partitions and drives all the time.

The trick is that you need to be Norton Ghost LITERATE.

Being that the case, your problem should be easy to solve.

If I have misunderstood your dilemma,I apologize and please disregard my
post.


Samantha

Re: How to make a backup drive bootable
 

Jeff G wrote:

> I know very little about DOS.
> I went to a DOS help page but didn't find out how to boot to DOS.

1. Boot from a boot floppy

2. Whatever key (F8?) at POST that gives you the boot menu on your
computer

3. Start
Run
MSCONFIG
General tab
Advanced
Tick "Enable start up menu"

The #3 method is for Win98, no idea if XP has something similar.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.05...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Re: How to make a backup drive bootable
 

Jeff G wrote:
> I posted a similar message above yesterday, but none of the answers I
> received were of any help/use to me. Judging from IQ scores, SAT
> scores, degrees, etc, I'm not exactly dumb. So I like to think that
> maybe the advice simply wasn't detailed enough. Perhaps I'm the one
> who's wrong. I've posted similar messages on Anandtech, Majorgeeks, &
> Computer Hope, and none of the responses have been of any help.

Well, so much for IQ, SAT scores and degrees...

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.05...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Re: How to make a backup drive bootable
 

Jeff G wrote:

> Others have asked about my MBR. I
> copied the contents of my master to my slave with WD Digital
> Lifeguard. When I did, I assumed it would have copied everything on
> my master. Perhaps it didn't. I don't know. I wouldn't know how to
> check and see if my MBR was on my slave.

If it was it would boot. If you had the drive physically installed
correctly.
________________

Perhaps it would help you to know what the "MBR" is...

Have you ever wondered *how* a computer starts? Well it does so because
there is a "bootstrap loader" in non-volatile memory....built into the
BIOS. That loader looks at each bootup device (floppy, hard drives, CD
drive) you have enabled in the order you have enabled them for some code
on the floppy/HD/CD drive in a particular location on that device's
media.

If the necessary code isn't found on the first enabled device the second
is checked. If not there, then the next enabled device is checked.

When and if found, the code is loaded into RAM, looks up the partition
table on the media to determine which partition is to be used and then
loads more code from the boot sector of that partion which then loads
the operating system. On a Windows hard drive, that initial bit of code
is called the "MBR" (master boot record).

That means no MBR = no boot. It also means that a disc *with* a MBR but
*without* an OS can't boot either.

The MBR is copied to a disk partition during fdisk/format. It makes
that partition "bootable" or "active" The partion must be a primary
partition (as opposed to "extended").

The same thing is done if you use something other than fdisk/format to
set up a drive - a partitioning/drive setup program from the drive
manufacturer or another 3rd party app, for example.

I really don't know if your problem lies with how you set up the drive
or if you are not physically installing the drive on the correct IDE
cable or jumpering it properly; regardless, if it were me I'd start
over. Can't hurt. You could either use the drive manufacturer's
utility (after reading the help thoroughly) or fdisk/format. If the
latter, this should do you...

Shut down computer

1. Open your case

2. Unhook IDE and power cables to C:

3. Hook same cables back up to new drive jumpered as master

4. Insert a boot floppy

5. Turn on computer

6. At the A> prompt, type fdisk and follow the instructions. Remember
that you want to make a bootable, primary partion. Since the drive has
already been partioned, you will want to wipe the existing one(s).
Re-reading this first wouldn't hurt.
http://support.microsoft.com/default...n-us;q255867#1

7. At the A> prompt, type format and follow any instructions. You may
have to reboot between #6 & #7, don't recall.

You now have a bootable drive boot but it won't boot because there is no
OS. Patience...

8. Shut down computer, remove new drive, replace old drive exactly as it
was.

9. Rejumper new drive as necessary. That depends on whether you intend
to hook it to the primary IDE channel as slave (pro tem) or on the
secondary IDE channel as master (also pro tem).

10. Hook up new drive properly to IDE and power cables.

11. Remove floppy and boot to old C:

12. Both drives should show in Explorer. Copy C: to new drive.

13. If you repeat #2 & #3 the new drive will boot.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.05...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Re: How to make a backup drive bootable
 

On Mon, 3 Jan 2005 09:35:48 -0500, "dadiOH" <dadiOH@x-mail.net> wrote:

>Jeff G wrote:
>> I posted a similar message above yesterday, but none of the answers I
>> received were of any help/use to me. Judging from IQ scores, SAT
>> scores, degrees, etc, I'm not exactly dumb. So I like to think that
>> maybe the advice simply wasn't detailed enough. Perhaps I'm the one
>> who's wrong. I've posted similar messages on Anandtech, Majorgeeks, &
>> Computer Hope, and none of the responses have been of any help.
>
>Well, so much for IQ, SAT scores and degrees...

In his defense...I read most of the other posts and they ALL seem
confusing even to me. I can see why he's a little confused.


Have a nice one...

Trent

Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!