Anna said:
GoldHawk:
Just to make it clear...
First of all, you're reasonably sure *both* HDDs are non-defective. Think
it might be wise to check them out with the HDD diagnostic utility usually
freely available from the disks' manufacturer(s)?
1. Your 80 GB HDD has been formatted so that there's no data - absolutely
no data - on that disk, right? You're absolutely sure of that, yes?
2. So now you're attempting a fresh-install of the XP OS onto your 20 GB
HDD, right? And you've wisely disconnected the 80 GB HDD from the system
during this attempt, right?
3. So now you have your 20 GB HDD installed as Primary Master. And you've
checked to ensure it's been correctly configured (jumpered).
During the OS setup process you'll be given the opportunity to delete the
existing partition on that drive. Do so, partition & format the drive and
install the OS onto that partition.
Presumably the install process will complete without error messages or
other glitches and the system should boot straightaway with only that 20
GB HDD installed. After which, install the 80 GB HDD and partition/format
that drive through Disk Management which we assume you know how to do.
Anna
GoldHawk said:
Anna
Many thanks for your reply.
Although I haven't (yet) tested with the manufacturers' HDD diagnostic
utility, I'm pretty sure neither disc is faulty. Both are shown as
"healthy" in Computer Management.
1. I formatted the 80GB HDD (D:\) using the option on the right click
menu. Although this seemed clear of files in Explorer (with "show all
hidden and system files" ticked) I suspected there was still some data
left after formatting. Computer Management confirms there is only 99%
free. D:\ Properties shows there is 83MB still in use.
2. Yes, I want to put a fresh install of XP back on the 20GB HDD (C:\) and
copy back My Documents on to a "clean" 80GB HDD (D:\).
To deal with the redundant boot up option solved by sgopus, I've now
re-connected the 80GB HDD, but can easily disconnect, again.
3. Yes, the 20GB HDD (C:\) is installed as the Primary Master. I'm sure
that's right because that's the way I had them fitted (adding the 80GB
HDD) and error message I got when I disconnected the wrong HDD as part of
this exercise! I can see the jumpers on both but I can't remember now the
different ways they are fitted for Primary & Slave.
The 20GB HDD has a jumper on the far left set of (4) double pins. The 80GB
HDD has a jumper on the next to far right set of (5) double pins.
One of the problems I have had is that when trying to re-install XP on the
20GB HDD the install disc doesn't always give me the option to delete /
partition / format (which is what I want to do). The install wizard simply
re-installs over the top of the existing OS. I have noticed that the only
time it gave me the option to delete the partition etc, was when I had a
newer version already installed on my C:\drive than was on my install
disc. However, as SP3 won't install on my system as it is, I'm having to
update with the numerous individual updates (120 at the last count) which
I assume are incorporated into SP3, to get me into a position where I can
repeat and hopefully get the option to delete the partition etc.
I hope that makes some sort of sense. I'm just trying to repeat the
conditions that I remember worked before.
I take your advice about disconnecting the 80GB HDD (D:\) before trying
all of this.
I am aware of but not very familiar with Disk Management. I've looked at
this now and seen the options to partition / format which I feel confident
enough to handle.
If you have any further comments or suggestions, I would be very happy to
receive them, but in any event, I'm most grateful for you interest and
help so far in pointing me in the right direction.
Kind regards.
Mike (UK)
GoldHawk said:
Anna
Since my last post I've tried again to re-install XP from the install
disc, after disconnecting the 80GB HDD (D:\). From the install wizard I
downloaded the latest setup files. After re-boot (during install) I had
the option to delete the C:\ partition. However, after selecting "D", I
had the message:
"Set up is unable to perform the requested operation on the selected
partition. This partition contains temporary set-up files that are
required to complete the installation."
I assume these were the setup files I had just downloaded. I quit the
installation.
I'm going around in circles and getting nowhere, fast !
I realise I may now be in the wrong forum as I doubt this is hardware
related. However, any guidance you can give me (or direct me to a more
appropriate forum) would be much appreciated.
I am wondering if a way around this is to use Disk Management to delete
and re-partition the 20GB HDD (C:\) and then boot from the install disc to
install the OS. However, I don't want to make things worse and would
grateful for any advice before I take this potentially drastic step.
I should add that despite all the updates I have installed (not including
SP3) I didn't get any message during install set up, that my existing
system was newer than the install.
Regards.
Mike (UK)
GoldHawk said:
Further thoughts on this.
I don't suppose I can delete the 20GB HDD (C:\) partition using Disk
Management while that's still holding the OS from which I'm working. I
would have to format the 80GB HDD (D:\) and install XP there to format
C:\; then reinstall XP on C:\; and from there re-format D:\. That would
mean disconnecting power to the HDD I didn't want to use at the time,
connecting the other up as primary and changing the jumpers, as required.
This seems a very long way around.
I thought about using a large capacity memory stick instead of the 80GB
HDD (D:\) to install XP, but my BIOS doesn't give the option to boot from
USB. I do have a floppy (A:\) drive fitted, though.
I have thought about a boot disc, but I confess I don't know much about
that. My components and OS have all changed since I bought the machine so
I don't have a boot disc from the original manufacturer, that would work.
Effectively, I only have the desktop casing (and the 20GB HDD) left from
the original machine.
I'm a bit in unknown and unchartered territory here.........
Again, any thoughts from anyone would be gratefully received.
Regards.
Mike
Mike:
Let's take this from the very beginning and treat this situation in a basic
fundamental way.
First of all, forget about your 80 GB HDD (at least for the moment); forget
about modifying the boot.ini file or any other file; forget about invoking
"exotic" processes to accomplish your objective.
What you want to do is focus solely on your 20 GB HDD, the drive onto which
you want to fresh install the XP OS, right?
We're assuming (as we have from the beginning) that this 20 GB HDD is
non-defective. The fact that the drive was shown as "Healthy" (along with
your 80 GB HDD) in Disk Management is of no consequence. In view of the
problems you've been experiencing you *must* check out (at least) the 20 GB
HDD with the HDD diagnostic utility previously referred to. I believe you
indicated you were intending to do so but I'm uncertain if indeed you have.
Please...check out the 20 GB HDD and do the same for the 80 GB HDD while
you're at it. OK?
Now for the purposes of this discussion we'll assume the 20 GB HDD is
non-defective. (Needless to say "all bets are off" if you're dealing with a
defective disk).
I'm assuming you have a "normal" XP OS installation CD, right? It's not an
OEM "recovery" or "restore" disk, right?
Taking it step-by-step...
1. Setting aside the 80 GB HDD and any other storage devices connected to
your PC; with *only* the 20 GB HDD is installed in your system.
2. That 20 GB HDD will be connected to the Primary IDE channel as Primary
Master. I'm assuming that you've correctly jumpered the HDD as PM. There
should be a diagram/label on the drive indicating jumper positions. In any
event check with the manufacturer's website for info on this should you have
any trouble discerning the proper jumper configuration. Ensure that both
your power & data cables are properly connected. If you have a spare data
cable handy, use that instead of the one that had been connected.
3. You then power-up the machine, insert the XP OS installation CD, and boot
to the latter. I assume you know how to do this.
After pressing Enter at the "Welcome to Setup" screen and accepting the
License Agreement, the next screen will list the existing partition(s) and
any unallocated disk space on the disk.
There should appear an option on that screen to press "D" to delete any
partition selected (highlighted) that's listed.
Now you've indicated that you've run into a problem here involving that
there's no option to delete any existing partition. So I'm going to stop
here until you respond and clarify this situation. Again, I'm assuming that
the XP OS installation CD you're working with is either a "full" retail
version or a non-branded OEM version that you (or someone) previously has
used to install the OS. And that it's not an OEM-branded type of restore or
recovery disk.
Anna
