Boot from D: when C: does not exist

[Guest MariusM]

hi,

I have this problem: 2x HDD, 3 partitions. C and E on the first HDD, D on

the second. I had some problems with windows and reinstalled it on D so now

there are practically 2x WinXP in multi boot. The problem is the first HDD is

faulty and I have to remove it but in this case computer does not have a C

drive to boot from. At the same time the mother board only has 2 S-ATA so I

can only connect 2x HDD at a time or 1 HDD and the DVD-RW which I need. How

can I make windows boot from D when D is the only drive available? It should

be possible I guess.

thank you for your replies

[Guest John John (MVP)]

Re: Boot from D: when C: does not exist

 

MariusM wrote:

> hi,

> I have this problem: 2x HDD, 3 partitions. C and E on the first HDD, D on

> the second. I had some problems with windows and reinstalled it on D so now

> there are practically 2x WinXP in multi boot. The problem is the first HDD is

> faulty and I have to remove it but in this case computer does not have a C

> drive to boot from. At the same time the mother board only has 2 S-ATA so I

> can only connect 2x HDD at a time or 1 HDD and the DVD-RW which I need. How

> can I make windows boot from D when D is the only drive available? It should

> be possible I guess.

> thank you for your replies

 

No need for a "C" drive, these letters are only relevant to the

operating system, when the computer boots and when the Windows boot

process is launched there are no drive letters, drive letters are

assigned after Windows starts to boot.

 

Make "D" a sytem drive, to do so:

 

Copy the files ntldr and NTDETECT.COM from the root of the C: drive to

the root of the D: drive.

 

The Boot.ini file also needs to be alongside the above files in the root

of the D: drive and it needs to have a proper ARC path to the

installation on the D: drive. You can copy the existing file to the D:

drive but after you remove and/or move the disks it may not have the

proper path to the installation, the following file would be able to

boot from the first partition on 3 different disks:

 

boot loader]

timeout=15

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP"

/noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP"

/noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP"

/noexecute=optin /fastdetect

 

As long as the D: drive has an NT boot sector, which it will if it was

formated with Windows XP you will be able to boot the D: drive.

 

John

[Guest MariusM]

Re: Boot from D: when C: does not exist

 

 

 

thank you for the reply

I already tried this a few weeks ago, copyed all system files from c: to d:

and modified the boot.ini file to point to the correct drive...it did not

work when I took out the first HDD. I'm not sure now what was the error but

it's the usual when windows does not find it's system files; something like

this. I also talked to a guy from microsoft support (for another matter but I

asked him this also) and he said that from what he knows this does not work

(boot-ing from D when C is not available). He was only a first level support

or something and couldn't help me with anything anyway ;). Anyway, the error

I got if I remember corectly is the same as the error you get on new

notebooks or PC's whith SATA HDD whithout the AHCI BIOS setting activated.

[Guest John John (MVP)]

Re: Boot from D: when C: does not exist

 

It will work if you do it properly. Three things to check:

 

1- Highly unlikely, but if there is a file named NTBOOTDD.SYS in the

root of the C: drive copy it too to the root of D:.

 

2- Make sure that the BIOS is set to boot to the correct disk.

 

3- Make sure that the drive has the proper required MBR and Boot Sector

to boot Windows XP. Boot with the Recovery Console and issue the

Fixboot and Fixmbr commands against the disk.

 

Does your computer have a floppy diskette?

 

John

 

MariusM wrote:

>

> thank you for the reply

> I already tried this a few weeks ago, copyed all system files from c: to d:

> and modified the boot.ini file to point to the correct drive...it did not

> work when I took out the first HDD. I'm not sure now what was the error but

> it's the usual when windows does not find it's system files; something like

> this. I also talked to a guy from microsoft support (for another matter but I

> asked him this also) and he said that from what he knows this does not work

> (boot-ing from D when C is not available). He was only a first level support

> or something and couldn't help me with anything anyway ;). Anyway, the error

> I got if I remember corectly is the same as the error you get on new

> notebooks or PC's whith SATA HDD whithout the AHCI BIOS setting activated.

[Guest John John (MVP)]

Re: Boot from D: when C: does not exist

 

PS: Did you set your D: drive as a Primary Partition or is there only

an Extended Partition on the disk? The System files ntldr, NTDETECT.COM

& boot.ini need to be on an Primary Active partition, you can locate the

operating system on a logical drive in an extended partition but you

need an Active partition to boot the operating system.

 

John

 

John John (MVP) wrote:

> It will work if you do it properly. Three things to check:

>

> 1- Highly unlikely, but if there is a file named NTBOOTDD.SYS in the

> root of the C: drive copy it too to the root of D:.

>

> 2- Make sure that the BIOS is set to boot to the correct disk.

>

> 3- Make sure that the drive has the proper required MBR and Boot Sector

> to boot Windows XP. Boot with the Recovery Console and issue the

> Fixboot and Fixmbr commands against the disk.

>

> Does your computer have a floppy diskette?

>

> John

>

> MariusM wrote:

>

>>

>> thank you for the reply

>> I already tried this a few weeks ago, copyed all system files from c:

>> to d: and modified the boot.ini file to point to the correct

>> drive...it did not work when I took out the first HDD. I'm not sure

>> now what was the error but it's the usual when windows does not find

>> it's system files; something like this. I also talked to a guy from

>> microsoft support (for another matter but I asked him this also) and

>> he said that from what he knows this does not work (boot-ing from D

>> when C is not available). He was only a first level support or

>> something and couldn't help me with anything anyway ;). Anyway, the

>> error I got if I remember corectly is the same as the error you get on

>> new notebooks or PC's whith SATA HDD whithout the AHCI BIOS setting

>> activated.

>

>

[Guest Yash]

Re: Boot from D: when C: does not exist

 

 

Ya John is absolutely right ,& i have tried it many times. even after

installing new operating systems in new partitions i make edit all mbr & its

truly works for all operating systems, its not ben very big deal.

 

You have to do two things

1) You have to make sure Bios is actually booting that hard disk

2) DO fixmbr & fixboot , if you think that you had altered it.

 

Hope, it will help you out.

 

 

"John John (MVP)" wrote:

> PS: Did you set your D: drive as a Primary Partition or is there only

> an Extended Partition on the disk? The System files ntldr, NTDETECT.COM

> & boot.ini need to be on an Primary Active partition, you can locate the

> operating system on a logical drive in an extended partition but you

> need an Active partition to boot the operating system.

>

> John

>

> John John (MVP) wrote:

>

> > It will work if you do it properly. Three things to check:

> >

> > 1- Highly unlikely, but if there is a file named NTBOOTDD.SYS in the

> > root of the C: drive copy it too to the root of D:.

> >

> > 2- Make sure that the BIOS is set to boot to the correct disk.

> >

> > 3- Make sure that the drive has the proper required MBR and Boot Sector

> > to boot Windows XP. Boot with the Recovery Console and issue the

> > Fixboot and Fixmbr commands against the disk.

> >

> > Does your computer have a floppy diskette?

> >

> > John

> >

> > MariusM wrote:

> >

> >>

> >> thank you for the reply

> >> I already tried this a few weeks ago, copyed all system files from c:

> >> to d: and modified the boot.ini file to point to the correct

> >> drive...it did not work when I took out the first HDD. I'm not sure

> >> now what was the error but it's the usual when windows does not find

> >> it's system files; something like this. I also talked to a guy from

> >> microsoft support (for another matter but I asked him this also) and

> >> he said that from what he knows this does not work (boot-ing from D

> >> when C is not available). He was only a first level support or

> >> something and couldn't help me with anything anyway ;). Anyway, the

> >> error I got if I remember corectly is the same as the error you get on

> >> new notebooks or PC's whith SATA HDD whithout the AHCI BIOS setting

> >> activated.

> >

> >

>

[Guest MariusM]

Re: Boot from D: when C: does not exist

 

Thank you both very very much, I will try :)