How to clone Windows XP back to your HD?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob
  • Start date Start date
B

Bob

Long, sad story made short.

I have a Samsung Netbook running Windows XP Home, SP3.

I set it up to dual boot with Ubuntu, just so I could play around with
Ubuntu.

Well, Ubuntu started giving me trouble: my internet connection went
south,
I was unable to adjust the brightness of the Netbook screen, etc., and
when
I looked for troubleshooting help on the internet, it was all Greek to
me as
it involved working with Terminal.

I did a search for removing a partition in Windows XP and found "How
to use
Disk Management to configure basic disks in Windows XP" on the
Microsoft and
followed the instructions there.

Now, when I try to boot the Netbook, I get this:
GRUB loading.
error: no such partition
grub rescue>

When I research what this means, the solutions, all on Linux sites are
baffling.

So...

I cloned my Netbook HD about a month ago to an external HD.

How would I go about erasing the HD of the Netbook and cloning back to
the Netbook HD the
operating system from the external HD? Is this possible?

Remember, Netbooks do not come with an optical drive.

Many thanks.
 
How you recover / restore your clone would depend on the program you used to
create that clone.
If you haven't purchased an external cd/dvd then copying an application to
usb stick generally enables you to run that application.
 
This really sounds like a simple enough problem caused by Ubuntu having re-written
the Master Boot Record (MBR). Windows will most likely still exist as it was on it's
own partition.

To try to rectify this, start your PC with the appropriate XP Installation cd-rom in
the drive, and when prompted to do so, press [R] to "Repair using Recovery Console"

When the recovery console starts, choose the Windows installation (usually by typing
"1") and press [ENTER]

It will then ask you for the Administrator password. Unless you have set this
differently yourself, it will not normally be set and you can just press [ENTER] to
proceed.

Once "in" Recovery Console, type the command : FIXMBR then [ENTER]

Then type EXIT then [ENTER] to reboot.

This should fix it.

If there is still a problem, repeat the above procedure to start Recovery Console
again, then type in the command : FIXBOOT C: then press [ENTER]

then again type EXIT then [ENTER] to reboot.

If the XP partition is still intact, then usually just following the first part of
this procedure should recover the MBR so that XP can be booted to again.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
How you recover / restore your clone would depend on the program you usedto
create that clone.
If you haven't purchased an external cd/dvd then copying an application to
usb stick generally enables you to run that application.
Click to expand...

The program I used is Seagate's DiscWizard for Windows which came free
from Seagate. It is an external Seagate HD to which I made the clone.
 
This really sounds like a simple enough problem caused by Ubuntu having re-written
the Master Boot Record (MBR).  Windows will most likely still exist as it was on it's
own partition.

To try to rectify this, start your PC with the appropriate XP Installation cd-rom in
the drive, and when prompted to do so, press [R] to "Repair using Recovery Console"

When the recovery console starts, choose the Windows installation (usually by typing
"1") and press [ENTER]

It will then ask you for the Administrator password.  Unless you have set this
differently yourself, it will not normally be set and you can just press [ENTER] to
proceed.

Once "in" Recovery Console, type the command :  FIXMBR then [ENTER]

Then type EXIT then [ENTER] to reboot.

This should fix it.

If there is still a problem, repeat the above procedure to start RecoveryConsole
again, then type in the command : FIXBOOT C: then press [ENTER]

then again type EXIT then [ENTER] to reboot.

If the XP partition is still intact, then usually just following the first part of
this procedure should recover the MBR so that XP can be booted to again.

==
Click to expand...

Thank you, Tim.

Unfortunately, the Netbooks do not have an optical drive and I do not
have an external disk drive into which I can put the Windows
Installation Disk.

I do have a Mac running Windows XP using VMWare. Is there any way to
boot up in Windows on that Mac and share its optical drive with the
Netbook? Put the Windows CD in the Mac's drive and use it to boot the
Netbook???
 
Bob,

Sorry about my earlier reply. I wasn't thinking!

I assume you have a USB port on the netbook, right? If so, might you be able
to make an emergency boot disk on it, using your Mac, in order to start the
netbook and restore/repair your boot file?

MIlt
 
Bob,

Sorry about my earlier reply. I wasn't thinking!

I assume you have a USB port on the netbook, right? If so, might you be able
to make an emergency boot disk on it, using your Mac, in order to start the
netbook and restore/repair your boot file?

MIlt
Click to expand...
Hi Milt -

That is exactly what I am trying to do.

I have booted up my MacBook in Windows XP and am researching how to do
that.

I have found instructions on how to use UNetbootin to copy a version
of Ubuntu that will work on a flash drive to a flash drive.

It's a bit more complicated than I thought.

Should anyone else be interested and follow this thread, I'll post my
results here.

Thanks to all for your suggestions and input. Most welcome.
 
Bob,

Sorry about my earlier reply. I wasn't thinking!

I assume you have a USB port on the netbook, right? If so, might you be able
to make an emergency boot disk on it, using your Mac, in order to start the
netbook and restore/repair your boot file?

MIlt
Click to expand...

OK! Serious progress, at last.

I found and successfully followed instructions for making a bootable
flash drive, installed Ubuntu 9.10 on it, and my Netbook is now booted
from that flash drive.

I'd be profoundly grateful for advice on what should be my next step,
as I am in a bit over my head.

Thanks.

BTW, my ultimate objective here is to safely remove from the Netbook
the partition containing the dual bootable Ubuntu partition and to
return it to just running Windows XP.
 
If you go to your local Internet Café you will be able to download a copy of
"Recovery Console" for use with a USB drive...

Most modern laptops / netbooks has an option to boot from a USB source.

This download allows a USB pen-drive to boot the first part of the Windows XP
installation disk - up to the part where it asks you "Press R to repair using
Recovery Console".

Download: "XP_Recovery_Console_on_USB.zip" (6.62 MB )
http://www.4shared.com/file/t3MX2P8z/XP_Recovery_Console_on_USB.html

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)



This really sounds like a simple enough problem caused by Ubuntu having re-written
the Master Boot Record (MBR). Windows will most likely still exist as it was on
it's
own partition.

To try to rectify this, start your PC with the appropriate XP Installation cd-rom
in
the drive, and when prompted to do so, press [R] to "Repair using Recovery Console"

When the recovery console starts, choose the Windows installation (usually by
typing
"1") and press [ENTER]

It will then ask you for the Administrator password. Unless you have set this
differently yourself, it will not normally be set and you can just press [ENTER] to
proceed.

Once "in" Recovery Console, type the command : FIXMBR then [ENTER]

Then type EXIT then [ENTER] to reboot.

This should fix it.

If there is still a problem, repeat the above procedure to start Recovery Console
again, then type in the command : FIXBOOT C: then press [ENTER]

then again type EXIT then [ENTER] to reboot.

If the XP partition is still intact, then usually just following the first part of
this procedure should recover the MBR so that XP can be booted to again.

==
Click to expand...

Thank you, Tim.

Unfortunately, the Netbooks do not have an optical drive and I do not
have an external disk drive into which I can put the Windows
Installation Disk.

I do have a Mac running Windows XP using VMWare. Is there any way to
boot up in Windows on that Mac and share its optical drive with the
Netbook? Put the Windows CD in the Mac's drive and use it to boot the
Netbook???
 
Very sorry I said "...go to the Internet Café" in my last post, was still thinking
in terms of needing a cd-rom!! (which you wouldn't do with this download and a fresh
USB pen-drive)

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
If you go to your local Internet Café you will be able to download a copy of
"Recovery Console" for use with a USB drive...

Most modern laptops / netbooks has an option to boot from a USB source.

This download allows a USB pen-drive to boot the first part of the Windows XP
installation disk - up to the part where it asks you "Press R to repair using
Recovery Console".

Download: "XP_Recovery_Console_on_USB.zip" (6.62 MB )http://www.4shared.com/file/t3MX2P8z/XP_Recovery_Console_on_USB.html
Click to expand...

I downloaded the Download: "XP_Recovery_Console_on_USB.zip" (6.62
MB ) and found the ReadMe therein.

It had these instructions:

******************************************
Installing the Windows XP Recovery Console on a USB Flash Drive

2009
Troy Newton
Canada


The following instructions will create a fast booting Windows XP
Recovery Console on a USB Flash Drive (UFD). It will boot straight
to the RC (no setup screen). Everything needed is included in this
package. The files are Service Pack 3, this is the final version
of the XP RC.

1. Insert your USB Flash Drive (UFD).

2. Run "hpusbfw.exe" - HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool 2.0.6.0
(The newer version of the HP Tool, 2.1.8.0, will not work)

- Choose your UFD under "Device"
- For "File system" choose "FAT"
- Enter a name under "Volume label" (Maximum 11 characters)
- Leave un-checked "Quick Format" and "Create a DOS startup disk"
- Click "Start"

3. Run "TinyHexer.exe". From the top menu, click on
'File-->Disk-->Open drive" and select your UFD. Make sure you
select the correct device!

4. From the top menu, click on 'Edit-->Find/Replace'. Tick the boxes
"Find text" and "Ignore case". Enter "NTLDR" then click "Find"
then "Replace". Enter "CMLDR" and tick the box "Is text" then
click "Replace all". Click "Close".

5. From the top menu, click on 'File-->Save as' then browse to your
UFD. Enter "USBLDR" then "Save". Close "Tiny Hexer".

6. Open the folder "UFD" and copy everything in it to your UFD.
Your UFD should look like this:

cmdcons
boot.ini
cmldr
ntdetect.com
ntldr
usbldr

7. Defrag the UFD.

That's it! Now reboot and test it.
(Press F12 at boot time to get a menu to select your UFD)
*****************************************************************
All went well until I arrived at Step 6: Open the folder UFD.

What folder UFD? The instructions do not direct you to create a
FOLDER named UFD.

The UFD stands for USB Flash Drive, according to the instructions.

Can anyone help me out here?

Thanks.
 
The ZIP file contains paths within it.

If you were to open the ZIP file in explorer (with XP's in-built ZIPfile shell
extension) then you would see the folder structure and "UDF" within!

However, your would NOT see the folder structure within if you opened the ZIPfile
with WinZip or a similar program, as the folder structure is not displayed but
internal paths are just listed in their own column (if chosen to be shown).

TO re-create the folder structure contained within a ZIP file when "unpacking"
(WinZip), you will have to checkmark the box called "Use folder names" in the
"Extract to..." dialogue.

Or something similar in other archiver programs.

And with the command-line utility : PKUNZIP.EXE it's the [/r] switch (r=recursive):

pkunzip /r "MyZipFile.zip"


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)

P.S. Here is a folder / directory "tree" of the correctly un-packed archive :

Root:
|
--------UFD
|
--------cmdcons
|
--------system32


If you go to your local Internet Café you will be able to download a copy of
"Recovery Console" for use with a USB drive...

Most modern laptops / netbooks has an option to boot from a USB source.

This download allows a USB pen-drive to boot the first part of the Windows XP
installation disk - up to the part where it asks you "Press R to repair using
Recovery Console".

Download: "XP_Recovery_Console_on_USB.zip" (6.62
MB )http://www.4shared.com/file/t3MX2P8z/XP_Recovery_Console_on_USB.html
Click to expand...

I downloaded the Download: "XP_Recovery_Console_on_USB.zip" (6.62
MB ) and found the ReadMe therein.

It had these instructions:

******************************************
Installing the Windows XP Recovery Console on a USB Flash Drive

2009
Troy Newton
Canada


The following instructions will create a fast booting Windows XP
Recovery Console on a USB Flash Drive (UFD). It will boot straight
to the RC (no setup screen). Everything needed is included in this
package. The files are Service Pack 3, this is the final version
of the XP RC.

1. Insert your USB Flash Drive (UFD).

2. Run "hpusbfw.exe" - HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool 2.0.6.0
(The newer version of the HP Tool, 2.1.8.0, will not work)

- Choose your UFD under "Device"
- For "File system" choose "FAT"
- Enter a name under "Volume label" (Maximum 11 characters)
- Leave un-checked "Quick Format" and "Create a DOS startup disk"
- Click "Start"

3. Run "TinyHexer.exe". From the top menu, click on
'File-->Disk-->Open drive" and select your UFD. Make sure you
select the correct device!

4. From the top menu, click on 'Edit-->Find/Replace'. Tick the boxes
"Find text" and "Ignore case". Enter "NTLDR" then click "Find"
then "Replace". Enter "CMLDR" and tick the box "Is text" then
click "Replace all". Click "Close".

5. From the top menu, click on 'File-->Save as' then browse to your
UFD. Enter "USBLDR" then "Save". Close "Tiny Hexer".

6. Open the folder "UFD" and copy everything in it to your UFD.
Your UFD should look like this:

cmdcons
boot.ini
cmldr
ntdetect.com
ntldr
usbldr

7. Defrag the UFD.

That's it! Now reboot and test it.
(Press F12 at boot time to get a menu to select your UFD)
*****************************************************************
All went well until I arrived at Step 6: Open the folder UFD.

What folder UFD? The instructions do not direct you to create a
FOLDER named UFD.

The UFD stands for USB Flash Drive, according to the instructions.

Can anyone help me out here?

Thanks.
 
Tim -

Thank you ever so much for those detailed instructions.

I followed them to the letter, inserted the USB flash drive and booted
the Netbook.

I saw the _starting windows recovery console_, and now sit at the
prompt:
1: C:\Windows

Which Windoes installation would you like to log onto
<To cancel, press ENTER>?

Googled what to do next and discovered I should enter the numeral 1,
then my admin password.

I do not understand: it will not accept my admin password. I have
entered it repeatedly, I am sure it is the right one, but no go.

It returns _the password is not valid_.

Any other options open to me???

Again, many thanks.
 
I did say in my initial reply - the Admin password is *usually* NOT set to anything -
therefore: just press [ENTER] when asked for the Administrator password - instead of
trying to enter one.

You are nearly there!

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




Carl said:
Tim -

Thank you ever so much for those detailed instructions.

I followed them to the letter, inserted the USB flash drive and booted
the Netbook.

I saw the _starting windows recovery console_, and now sit at the
prompt:
1: C:\Windows

Which Windoes installation would you like to log onto
<To cancel, press ENTER>?

Googled what to do next and discovered I should enter the numeral 1,
then my admin password.

I do not understand: it will not accept my admin password. I have
entered it repeatedly, I am sure it is the right one, but no go.

It returns _the password is not valid_.

Any other options open to me???

Again, many thanks.



The ZIP file contains paths within it.

If you were to open the ZIP file in explorer (with XP's in-built ZIPfile shell
extension) then you would see the folder structure and "UDF" within!

However, your would NOT see the folder structure within if you opened the ZIPfile
with WinZip or a similar program, as the folder structure is not displayed but
internal paths are just listed in their own column (if chosen to be shown).

TO re-create the folder structure contained within a ZIP file when "unpacking"
(WinZip), you will have to checkmark the box called "Use folder names" in the
"Extract to..." dialogue.

Or something similar in other archiver programs.

And with the command-line utility : PKUNZIP.EXE it's the [/r] switch
(r=recursive):

pkunzip /r "MyZipFile.zip"

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)

P.S. Here is a folder / directory "tree" of the correctly un-packed archive :

Root:
|
--------UFD
|
--------cmdcons
|
--------system32
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I did say in my initial reply - the Admin password is *usually* NOT set to anything -
therefore: just press [ENTER] when asked for the Administrator password -instead of
trying to enter one.

You are nearly there!

==

Cheers,    Tim Meddick,    Peckham, London.    :-)
                                    --------system32
Click to expand...

Thank you once again, Tim.

I booted again, and at the press ENTER>? prompt, I entered 1, and at
the request for an Administrator password, I hit Enter.

I am now looking at the C:\WIDOWS> prompt.

I should have mentioned somewhere in this thread, that my computer
experience has been, until last year when my wife gave me the Netook,
entirely with Macintosh.

I am retired, now working as an independent contractor, and my
colleagues, all seniors, look to me for computer help at work, a
Windows environment.

This led to my wife's getting me the Netbook and my setting out to
learning Widows. This is my first shot at serious troubleshooting in
Windows.

So, I read all your instructions again then entered FIXMBR. It
produced dire warnings, "If you are not having problems accessing your
drive, do not continue."

I continued, got "The new master boot record has been successfully
written.

Shut down, rebooted, and once again got:
GRUB loading.
error: no such partition
grub rescue>

Followed these instructions from you:

If there is still a problem, repeat the above procedure to start
Recovery Console
again, then type in the command : FIXBOOT C: then press [ENTER]
then again type EXIT then [ENTER] to reboot.
If the XP partition is still intact, then usually just following the
first part of
this procedure should recover the MBR so that XP can be booted to
again.

Received this:
The file system on the startup partition is NTFS
FIXBOOT IS writing a new boot sector
New boot sector was successfully written

Exited & restarted holding down the f2 key to return the boot order to
IDE HDD : Samsung at the top.

And found myself once again back at:
GRUB loading.
error: no such partition
grub rescue>

Is there anything else that can be attempted in an effort to resolve
this problem???
 
Carl, I am so sorry to hear of your continued problems.

However, I am truly heartened by your tenacity in getting the USB Recovery Console
fully working for yourself.

One thing - because you logged on to C:\WINDOWS you know your XP partition is still
there, along with all your personal data!

The next thing I would have advised, would be to start-up your PC with a Win98 floppy
boot-disk. I would then have instructed you to type the command FDISK - which would
list any partitions that still exist on the boot device. If the XP partition still
existed you could make it bootable.

But, as we are talking about a Netbook, this won't be possible.

BTW - You are getting "GRUB loading" because the boot-sector (a small hidden section
at the start of each partition) has been taken over by a Linux loading program
written on to it, in place of the Windows boot-sector loading "program" which
searches for NTLDR on C:\

The only thing I can then advise is to again, start up the PC with the bootable USB
drive, then type *both* commands - one after another - without [re]booting
in-between.

FIXMBR C:
FIXBOOT C:

....then reboot. This has worked for me in the past. And, if still no joy, reverse
the order of the commands.

I do feel quite confident that we will get there in the end...

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




I did say in my initial reply - the Admin password is *usually* NOT set to
anything -
therefore: just press [ENTER] when asked for the Administrator password - instead
of
trying to enter one.

You are nearly there!

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
--------system32
Click to expand...

Thank you once again, Tim.

I booted again, and at the press ENTER>? prompt, I entered 1, and at
the request for an Administrator password, I hit Enter.

I am now looking at the C:\WIDOWS> prompt.

I should have mentioned somewhere in this thread, that my computer
experience has been, until last year when my wife gave me the Netook,
entirely with Macintosh.

I am retired, now working as an independent contractor, and my
colleagues, all seniors, look to me for computer help at work, a
Windows environment.

This led to my wife's getting me the Netbook and my setting out to
learning Widows. This is my first shot at serious troubleshooting in
Windows.

So, I read all your instructions again then entered FIXMBR. It
produced dire warnings, "If you are not having problems accessing your
drive, do not continue."

I continued, got "The new master boot record has been successfully
written.

Shut down, rebooted, and once again got:
GRUB loading.
error: no such partition
grub rescue>

Followed these instructions from you:

If there is still a problem, repeat the above procedure to start
Recovery Console
again, then type in the command : FIXBOOT C: then press [ENTER]
then again type EXIT then [ENTER] to reboot.
If the XP partition is still intact, then usually just following the
first part of
this procedure should recover the MBR so that XP can be booted to
again.

Received this:
The file system on the startup partition is NTFS
FIXBOOT IS writing a new boot sector
New boot sector was successfully written

Exited & restarted holding down the f2 key to return the boot order to
IDE HDD : Samsung at the top.

And found myself once again back at:
GRUB loading.
error: no such partition
grub rescue>

Is there anything else that can be attempted in an effort to resolve
this problem???
 
Carl, I am so sorry to hear of your continued problems.

However, I am truly heartened by your tenacity in getting the USB Recovery Console
fully working for yourself.

One thing - because you logged on to C:\WINDOWS you know your XP partition is still
there, along with all your personal data!

The next thing I would have advised, would be to start-up your PC with a Win98 floppy
boot-disk.  I would then have instructed you to type the command FDISK - which would
list any partitions that still exist on the boot device.  If the XP partition still
existed you could make it bootable.

But,  as we are talking about a Netbook, this won't be possible.

BTW - You are getting "GRUB loading" because the boot-sector (a small hidden section
at the start of each partition) has been taken over by a Linux loading program
written on to it, in place of the Windows boot-sector loading "program" which
searches for NTLDR on C:\

The only thing I can then advise is to again, start up the PC with the bootable USB
drive, then type *both* commands - one after another - without [re]booting
in-between.

FIXMBR C:
FIXBOOT C:

...then reboot.  This has worked for me in the past.  And, if still no joy, reverse
the order of the commands.

I do feel quite confident that we will get there in the end...

==

Cheers,    Tim Meddick,    Peckham, London.    :-)
Click to expand...
Tim -

Many thanks for your patience and perservance on this problem.

I am away from my Netbook, visiting family in South Carolina for a few
days, but will follow your instructins when I return home, early next
week.

I'll report on the results.

Carl.
 
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