Vista - recovering from disk crash...

Last Friday evening by son, who uses my machine sometimes and to whom I
erroneously gave administrator rights, I was removing a game he had
previously installed for the game that manufacturer's uninstall. The game
was an XP game. He should have gone through the control panel facilities to
uninstall the game: for it trashed the partition entirely.

This was a dual-boot machine: XP-pro on the C: drive, VISTA ultimate on the
F: drive. An external USB drive had my backups, made as a cloned copy as my
G: drive and my H: drive.

Microsoft MSDN tech support had me reinstall vista. So my system now boots
with either "an earlier version of Windows" or "vista" -- a clean copy of a
vista.

So I now have the ability to go to either XP or vista, but want to copy my
G: backup drive a top of the F: drive, but I don't see any boot record on
the G: drive, so I'm hesitant to simply do a clone-copy from the G: drive
back to the F: drive.

So all of my programs are stuck on the G: drive. What is the easiest way
for me to get them back?

Thanks!

Ross

"ross m. greenberg" <greenber@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:fGIui.1828$eO1.734@bignews6.bellsouth.net...
> Last Friday evening by son, who uses my machine sometimes and to whom I
> erroneously gave administrator rights, I was removing a game he had
> previously installed for the game that manufacturer's uninstall. The game
> was an XP game. He should have gone through the control panel facilities
> to
> uninstall the game: for it trashed the partition entirely.
>
> This was a dual-boot machine: XP-pro on the C: drive, VISTA ultimate on
> the
> F: drive. An external USB drive had my backups, made as a cloned copy as
> my
> G: drive and my H: drive.
>
> Microsoft MSDN tech support had me reinstall vista. So my system now
> boots
> with either "an earlier version of Windows" or "vista" -- a clean copy of
> a
> vista.
>
> So I now have the ability to go to either XP or vista, but want to copy my
> G: backup drive a top of the F: drive, but I don't see any boot record on
> the G: drive, so I'm hesitant to simply do a clone-copy from the G: drive
> back to the F: drive.
>
> So all of my programs are stuck on the G: drive. What is the easiest way
> for me to get them back?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Ross
>

Ross, when you dual boot XP and Vista, assuming you allowed Vista to create
the dual boot during its setup, the boot files are placed on XP partition.

You probably could bring your clone back to your F drive and it might see
the boot files on your XP partition. If it doesn't, you would boot from the
Vista DVD and run the repair option which should replace the boot files on
the XP Partition and make your formerly cloned Vista, dual boot aware.

I haven't done this quite this way but I did make images of Vista in a dual
boot scenario and had to do the above to restore my dual boot setup.
--
Michael Solomon
Backup is a PC user's best friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

> Ross, when you dual boot XP and Vista, assuming you allowed Vista to create
> the dual boot during its setup, the boot files are placed on XP partition.
>
> You probably could bring your clone back to your F drive and it might see
> the boot files on your XP partition. If it doesn't, you would boot from the
> Vista DVD and run the repair option which should replace the boot files on
> the XP Partition and make your formerly cloned Vista, dual boot aware.
>
> I haven't done this quite this way but I did make images of Vista in a dual
> boot scenario and had to do the above to restore my dual boot setup.


Michael: the system was originally an XP Pro system. I use Partition Magic to split the XP partition into two partitions. Using the MSDN Vista disc, I installed Vista Ultimate. I was merrily
backing off on a regular basis to my external USB drive.

What files are actually required by Vista for booting any way?

I was considering copying every file I could see from my backup USB drive -- with a control A/control C -- the control V'ing on to the bootable drive, including the registry of course. Will this work?

This Dell machine only provides for booting off the hard disk or CDs/DVDs. Booting off the Vista DVD and then going to repair does not see the USB, it only sees the hard disc.

Now what?

Ross

"ross m. greenberg" <greenber@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:108B0033-0D45-4242-85A3-079019BB8668@microsoft.com...
>
>> Ross, when you dual boot XP and Vista, assuming you allowed Vista to
>> create
>> the dual boot during its setup, the boot files are placed on XP
>> partition.
>>
>> You probably could bring your clone back to your F drive and it might see
>> the boot files on your XP partition. If it doesn't, you would boot from
>> the
>> Vista DVD and run the repair option which should replace the boot files
>> on
>> the XP Partition and make your formerly cloned Vista, dual boot aware.
>>
>> I haven't done this quite this way but I did make images of Vista in a
>> dual
>> boot scenario and had to do the above to restore my dual boot setup.
>
> Michael: the system was originally an XP Pro system. I use Partition
> Magic to split the XP partition into two partitions. Using the MSDN Vista
> disc, I installed Vista Ultimate. I was merrily
> backing off on a regular basis to my external USB drive.
>
> What files are actually required by Vista for booting any way?
>
> I was considering copying every file I could see from my backup USB
> drive -- with a control A/control C -- the control V'ing on to the
> bootable drive, including the registry of course. Will this work?
>
> This Dell machine only provides for booting off the hard disk or CDs/DVDs.
> Booting off the Vista DVD and then going to repair does not see the USB,
> it only sees the hard disc.
>
> Now what?
>
> Ross
>
>
First, everything I'm saying assumes you are using Vista's boot manager and
not Partition Magic's Boot Magic.

That said, I assume your clone software you used has the ability to place
the cloned copy back on the partition in which you originally installed
Vista and I would assume that software would work from XP and see your USB
drive...Okay, lot's of assumptions; you tell me where I'm wrong!<VBG>

After the clone is back on the partition own which Vista was originally
installed, boot from the Vista DVD, run the repair option which should see
the partition on which XP exists and the one on which Vista exists and
recreate the necessary boot files which are stored on the XP partition.

That said, once you've restored the clone, I'd test boot the system and see
if you get the menu because the old boot files should still be on the XP
drive. If for some reason you don't get the Vista boot menu, then run the
repair as noted and you should be back in business.
--
Michael Solomon
Backup is a PC user's best friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

> First, everything I'm saying assumes you are using Vista's boot manager and
> not Partition Magic's Boot Magic.


I used Partition Magic only to create the partition. I am not using any boot manager Assad from Vista's. I'll include a screenshot from vista's Disk Management to give you a better idea of how my hard disk is currently configured.



> That said, I assume your clone software you used has the ability to place
> the cloned copy back on the partition in which you originally installed
> Vista and I would assume that software would work from XP and see your USB
> drive...Okay, lot's of assumptions; you tell me where I'm wrong!<VBG>


I can currently boot on XP, then can use Norton Ghost 12 and access any partition on the machine. What Disk Management shows as Disk1 is my main IDE hard drive, what shows as Disk2 is my USB hard drive, which can be accessed while booted under XP.

So far, your assumptions have been right on :-)


> After the clone is back on the partition own which Vista was originally
> installed, boot from the Vista DVD, run the repair option which should see
> the partition on which XP exists and the one on which Vista exists and
> recreate the necessary boot files which are stored on the XP partition.
>
> That said, once you've restored the clone, I'd test boot the system and see
> if you get the menu because the old boot files should still be on the XP
> drive. If for some reason you don't get the Vista boot menu, then run the
> repair as noted and you should be back in business.


So, you're saying that I need only copy my backup Vista partition on the USB to what is labeled as the "C" drive and then reboot into repair to repair that partition? Before the crash what is currently labeled as "Vista C:" was "Vista F:". Pre-crash all the installed programs were seeing my Vista as "F:". When I copy the partition back, run the Vista repair boot off the Vista install disk, and then -- assuming I have paid the appropriate tolls to the appropriate deities -- then reboot successfully onto my F: drive, all will be right with the "Greenberg World"?

Gosh, I sure hope so!

Ross




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"ross m. greenberg" <greenber@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:ekYui.1525$eZ5.721@bignews7.bellsouth.net...
>
>
>> First, everything I'm saying assumes you are using Vista's boot manager
>> and
>> not Partition Magic's Boot Magic.
>
> I used Partition Magic only to create the partition. I am not using any
> boot manager Assad from Vista's. I'll include a screenshot from vista's
> Disk Management to give you a better idea of how my hard disk is currently
> configured.
>
>
>> That said, I assume your clone software you used has the ability to place
>> the cloned copy back on the partition in which you originally installed
>> Vista and I would assume that software would work from XP and see your
>> USB
>> drive...Okay, lot's of assumptions; you tell me where I'm wrong!<VBG>
>
> I can currently boot on XP, then can use Norton Ghost 12 and access any
> partition on the machine. What Disk Management shows as Disk1 is my main
> IDE hard drive, what shows as Disk2 is my USB hard drive, which can be
> accessed while booted under XP.
>
> So far, your assumptions have been right on :-)
>
>> After the clone is back on the partition own which Vista was originally
>> installed, boot from the Vista DVD, run the repair option which should
>> see
>> the partition on which XP exists and the one on which Vista exists and
>> recreate the necessary boot files which are stored on the XP partition.
>>
>> That said, once you've restored the clone, I'd test boot the system and
>> see
>> if you get the menu because the old boot files should still be on the XP
>> drive. If for some reason you don't get the Vista boot menu, then run
>> the
>> repair as noted and you should be back in business.
>
> So, you're saying that I need only copy my backup Vista partition on the
> USB to what is labeled as the "C" drive and then reboot into repair to
> repair that partition? Before the crash what is currently labeled as
> "Vista C:" was "Vista F:". Pre-crash all the installed programs were
> seeing my Vista as "F:". When I copy the partition back, run the Vista
> repair boot off the Vista install disk, and then -- assuming I have paid
> the appropriate tolls to the appropriate deities -- then reboot
> successfully onto my F: drive, all will be right with the "Greenberg
> World"?
>
> Gosh, I sure hope so!
>
> Ross
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
Hmm, not sure why there would have been a change from Vista F to Vista C but
heck, if you get your setup going again, you can reinstall the apps if
necessary. If you had to "fix" the XP in order to boot to it, that might be
the reason for the change and the Vista repair might ultimately bring things
back to where they were, meaning Vista F instead of C, but...no promises
about that.:-)

Anyway, yes, restore your clone back to the Vista partition. At the very
worst, it won't boot, in fact I'm pretty sure it won't if you are able to
boot to XP because the Vista dual boot changes the XP boo; files. Once you
restore your clone, boot from the Vista DVD, run the repair and it will
repair the Vista boot files located on XP and recreate your dual boot setup.

--
Michael Solomon
Backup is a PC user's best friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

> Hmm, not sure why there would have been a change from Vista F to Vista C but
> heck, if you get your setup going again, you can reinstall the apps if
> necessary. If you had to "fix" the XP in order to boot to it, that might be
> the reason for the change and the Vista repair might ultimately bring things
> back to where they were, meaning Vista F instead of C, but...no promises
> about that.:-)
>
> Anyway, yes, restore your clone back to the Vista partition. At the very
> worst, it won't boot, in fact I'm pretty sure it won't if you are able to
> boot to XP because the Vista dual boot changes the XP boo; files. Once you
> restore your clone, boot from the Vista DVD, run the repair and it will
> repair the Vista boot files located on XP and recreate your dual boot setup.


I was under the understanding that Vista likes to be the C: drive; the C: drive was my XP drive when I split the partition in two, and Vista on the second partition, the F: drive. I am under the understanding that the reinstallation Vista was almost automatically to the C: drive.

Unfortunately, more than a few of the apps I normally use that were on the F. drive are no longer available (manufacturer of business, etc.) -- so it is vital that he backed up files become entirely functional again.

So then you are indicating that I should copy my backup partition, which currently is not Vista bootable over my current Vista partition, and reboot onto the Vista DVD and go in to repair mode. This you are saying recover my dual-boot both to XP (on my C: drive) and onto Vista (as my F: drive)?

Sorry to be pedantic about this, but I only have one chance and don't want to screw up!

Ross

(And I do know note that my messages/postings may not be entirely clear: my apologies... I am reduced to using a new installation of Dragon Naturally Speaking, as my more fully trained version is stuck online "missing" vista drive...)

"ross m. greenberg" <greenber@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:bR5vi.541$uh7.339@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
>
>> Hmm, not sure why there would have been a change from Vista F to Vista C
>> but
>> heck, if you get your setup going again, you can reinstall the apps if
>> necessary. If you had to "fix" the XP in order to boot to it, that might
>> be
>> the reason for the change and the Vista repair might ultimately bring
>> things
>> back to where they were, meaning Vista F instead of C, but...no promises
>> about that.:-)
>>
>> Anyway, yes, restore your clone back to the Vista partition. At the very
>> worst, it won't boot, in fact I'm pretty sure it won't if you are able to
>> boot to XP because the Vista dual boot changes the XP boo; files. Once
>> you
>> restore your clone, boot from the Vista DVD, run the repair and it will
>> repair the Vista boot files located on XP and recreate your dual boot
>> setup.
>
> I was under the understanding that Vista likes to be the C: drive; the C:
> drive was my XP drive when I split the partition in two, and Vista on the
> second partition, the F: drive. I am under the understanding that the
> reinstallation Vista was almost automatically to the C: drive.
>
> Unfortunately, more than a few of the apps I normally use that were on the
> F. drive are no longer available (manufacturer of business, etc.) -- so it
> is vital that he backed up files become entirely functional again.
>
> So then you are indicating that I should copy my backup partition, which
> currently is not Vista bootable over my current Vista partition, and
> reboot onto the Vista DVD and go in to repair mode. This you are saying
> recover my dual-boot both to XP (on my C: drive) and onto Vista (as my F:
> drive)?
>
> Sorry to be pedantic about this, but I only have one chance and don't want
> to screw up!
>
> Ross
>
>
It's been awhile since I dual booted XP and Vista so I don't fully recall
about the drives. My, "Hmm" had more to do with why it changed or did I
misunderstand?
If it does change to something not recognized by your installed apps, you
might be able to use Disk Management to change the drive to what you want or
need.

I'm not sure if Vista will let you copy a partition over it but Ghost will
allow you to restore the Ghost image. If that is want you meant by copy,
then, yes. If not, you used Ghost to clone the drive to the USB drive or
I'm assuming that is the case? If you did use Ghost for that purpose, then
use Ghost go bring it back to your current Vista partition.

--
Michael Solomon
Backup is a PC user's best friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"ross m. greenberg" <greenber@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:J%5vi.544$uh7.197@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
> (And I do know note that my messages/postings may not be entirely clear:
> my apologies... I am reduced to using a new installation of Dragon
> Naturally Speaking, as my more fully trained version is stuck online
> "missing" vista drive...)

No problem, I'm with ya!

--
Michael Solomon
Backup is a PC user's best friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/