A Problem With Replacing a Windows XP Computer System's Disk Drives

  • Thread starter Thread starter RRTRACKS
  • Start date Start date
R

RRTRACKS

The problem is transferring everything on my current hard drives (4) onto a
replacement set of hard drives (2). The reason I am doing this is because I
have been getting bad cluster reports. This is a problem I have recently
asked assistance for on this board. Because there was not any assistance
given I thought that describing the problem with a little less discussion
might be more productive. There is just one comment I would like to make
before continuing. The reason I am asking for help is because I know next to
nothing about Windows as should be obvious by some of the just plain nutty
things I have done.

The relevant components of my current computer system consist of the
following:

OS: Windows XP Home
HDs: Four IDE 250GB drives in two Raid 0 Arrays
Raid Controller: Silicon Image Ultra-133 Medley ATA Raid Controller
MB: Asus P4800-E (Uses the Intel 865PE chip set)
Processor: Intel P4 3.2 GHz
Memory: 2GB DDR2 3200

According to Disk Manager the arrays are partitioned (In GBs) as follows:

Set 1: 22 (OS); 9; 5, and 269
Set 2: 467

Set 2 is where I have been getting the bad clusters. So far I have not had
any observable problems with either Windows or any of the programs I have
been running.

The replacement drives I wish to use are two Seagate SATA 500GB drives
utilizing the MB controller.

The most recent attempt to transfer the drives consists of the following
partitions (In GBs):

Drive 1: 49 (OS), and 416
Drive 2: 7; 7, and 450

A summary of the most relevant efforts and the resulting problems follow.

Partitioning and formatting just one drive with either Seagate’s or Windows
software resulted in the following problem. A disk copy of the operating
system to the new partition with Norton’s Ghost including the MBR would not
work.

The progress bar would do its thing, the Windows XP Home Screen would be
displayed and then a blue screen similar to the next normal start up screen
would be displayed. It differed from the normal start up screen in that it
did not briefly display the message, Windows is Starting, and did not contain
the text “Windows Home XPâ€, just the text “ Microsoft Windows†with the same
screen. At this point the boot process would lock up.

Using the software provide by Seagate to copy the boot partition was
successful in getting the computer to boot to the Desktop. However upon
copying the data to the second partition using either the utilities provided
by Norton or Seagate caused the same problem with the boot sequence described
above. The drive letters of the data added to the additional partition were
the same. As the problem I am having is occurring before Windows even starts
up this would not seem to be an issue.

Any thoughts about what might be causing this problem or thoughts about how
to deal with it with even a best guess approach would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,

Rich
 
The problem described here gives me a headache just thinking about the
different ways to approach it. At this point as I do not feel anyone is going
to be lending any advice, some thoughts about what the next steps that I am
going to be taking follow.

Defining what the problem is the first step in arriving at a solution. So far
I have been attempting to transfer the drive images and data using partitions
differing from the drives to be replaced. Replicating those partitions on the
new drives would seem to be a good place to start.

The problem I have doing experimentation with this theory is it is going to
play havoc on Windows authentication process. The question posed earlier on
this board regarding this issue has gone unanswered.

It may also be possible by changing the drive letters between the existing
and replacement drives to switch the partitions where Windows accesses files.
After doing this, a back up and restore from the existing to new drives might
work.

More than likely guessing at a problem with a system as complex as Windows is
not going to work. I can understand where a definite solution can not be
given to a problem such as mine but some best guesses from someone having a
better perspective would be greatly appreciated.

For some reason the posts I place do not generate any significant discussion.
Most people posting here do not have that problem. Any suggestions you might
have regarding what I could do to improve the feedback people would be
willing to provide to my comments would be greatly appreciated.

Rich
 
Sorry Rich, about that link. I saw Procedure for and thought that's
what it was. I don't know if it's feasable to image or
transfer a raid array from one set of drives to another. Frankly I have
never heard it done. I think that's why you get a lack
of response for your post.
 
Rich Barry, thank you for the time you took looking at and understanding the
problem it is I am dealing with. At this point I do not have a clue as to
what it is that is causing the problems with a successful disk transfer
process.

Some additional comments for everyone follow.

The process of transferring a Raid 0 array to single SATA drive format in my
opinion is only a probable problem with the issue I have been dealing with.
Using Seagate’s software to transfer the system partition along with other
formatted and empty partitions I have been able to get the computer to boot
to the desktop. It is only once I try to transfer the existing data from my
additional old partitions to the new ones that the boot process fails.

Although Norton’s Ghost 2006 software has so far failed to make a copy of the
system partition that can boot, it maybe Norton’s Ghost software is actually
doing a better job in recreating the system partition in that it is
transferring something related to this problem that Seagate’s software has
failed to do.

The disk controller on my motherboard does have the option of setting up a
Raid 0 array with the two SATA replacement drives. Using that option to
create a new set of partitions to transfer the files and OS system from my
old drives is just one more thing I could try.

Any suggestions as to the best approach I might take at this point would be
greatly appreciated, even if it is a guess. As I would be willing to pay for
technical support to solve this problem, is that an option MS has available?

Rich Pasma
 
The problem with transferring the operating system and files with a
replacement set of hard disk drives as described in the posts above has
finally been solved. The source of the problem was probably a bone headed
mistake made by myself. Other than that you can draw your own conclusions
from what follows. In a nutshell what I did was transfer the OS and files on
to the replacement drives using the same number of partitions and location
for data as the original drives.

To repeat the partition information I was copying (Drive Letter/GBs):

Set 1 – C(OS)/22 E/9.5 F/5 and G/269
Set 2 – D/467

What I had been doing was copying the partition for the OS and Drive D onto
the first replacement drive. The thought (if you want to give that much
credit) was because the single partition on the second set was assigned as
drive D. Having the copy of that partition follow the boot partition on the
first drive seemed like the right thing to do. Since I had enough disk space
on the first replacement drive I did not see any harm in doing it that way.
Wrong.

It is not felt further details of what was done are important, but since they
are fresh in my mind it does not hurt to document them. It should be noted
that the following steps were taken with both the original and replacement
drives operating together in the same box.

The first step taken was to partition, format and copy the operating system
of the first drive with Seagate’s Disk Wizard (DW) software. The second drive
was formatted and partitioned with DW as well. Using Norton’s Ghost all the
data from the other partitions was then copied on to the respective
replacement partitions. The computer was turned off, the old drives were
taken out, the computer was restarted, the boot information in the bios was
updated and saved, and then Bam! My old OS and files were up and running on
the new set of drives. Almost.

Drives C and D were assigned the correct letters. Drives E, F and G at this
point having a new alias, had to be renamed to the original drive letters
using Disk Manager followed by a lot of OK boxes and another required reboot.

A few tips, having recently had a lot of experience transferring data and OS
systems between drives (Most of which were unsuccessful) follow. Go to Add
and Remove Programs and delete any programs you do not feel you are going to
be using in the future, especially if they have never been used. Go to My
Computer, review and delete any files and/or folders not likely to be used or
referenced again. Run Disk Clean Up and then run a disk error checking
program.

Many of the steps required to transfer drive data can sometimes take hours to
complete. Do not let this stop you from taking them and not getting the job
done. Plan and run as many of them as you can just before you retire for the
day. Almost of these tasks can even be scheduled with the software that comes
with Windows.

Rich Pasma
 
Back
Top