[<<]Message[>>]    [<<]Author[>>]    [<<]Subject[>>]    [<<]Thread[>>]

Number   :  6780
Date     :  2004-01-07
Author   :  des4212001
Subject  :  Re: Boot drive problem
Size(KB) :  5


I read the original question as, "I have a 'system' comprised of 2 
partitions. OS on C: and everything else on D:. And am trying to 
clone All this to another disk." ? 

This is what I do in an effort to keep the OS as small as possible 
for quicker restoration. Now granted, XXclone is not a "Restoration" 
tool! I follow it's development only to keep advised of it's 
capabilities, especially the copying of System\Locked files. As this 
is a major trouble area. Oh, that this feature were to be added to 
xxcopy... Kan? (And BTW, I even agree with your simplicity policy. 
It's just that I figured out how to do all this the hard way before 
there was an XXclone. And now dream of your packaged\simple method 
to include what I do!)

But I digress. My scheme allows a total OS partition re-write from 
either backup in 3 minutes. Or, if you don't know the answer to 
something you can just take a shot. Blew up the OS? No problem, it 
can be "restored" while getting a cup of coffee, without reguard to 
being smart enough to figure out the problem. I keep 1 backup as an 
Image and the other as Bootable which is convient for doing OS 
partition copies in Windows. Although partition copies outside 
Windows via Paragon Drive Backup are preferable. (Don't forget to 
correct volume lables in this case before rebooting as Windows can't 
handle identical volume lables!) And I keep Bootable and Image 
System files for both backups so that a one file copy from outside 
Windows will make any backup whatever. Talk about redundancy!

Perhaps I've made my life too complicated, but it works for me. 
My "system" consists of 6 partitions, with startup items, etc. 
spread over several of them. I don't deal with software multi-boot 
scenarios as 1 drive is the the IDE-0 master and can be disabled or 
enabled at will in the MB BIOS. And the other 2 are masters on a PCI 
controller who's BIOS extention can set the boot drive. My 
uninformed opinion is multi-boot always contains headaches. For 
instance, with a 3 disk boot.ini aren't you going through the IDE-0 
master drive (the one you're trying to backup in case of failure!) 
to boot either of the others? Which must then be physically 
connected the IDE-0 to replace a failed drive? This part I don't 
quite understand. Or, complicated is only what you don't understand.

DES


--- In xxcopy@yahoogroups.com, "burris millstone"  
wrote:
> --- In xxcopy@yahoogroups.com, "des4212001"  wrote:
> > 
> > As I understand it, when xxclone makes a bootable "copy" it only 
> > swaps the OS partition drive letters. (I had a brief discussion
> once 
> > about the concept of a "System Disk" (many partitions) and was
> blown 
> > off as this "being too complicated for the average user"?) 
Anyway, 
> > your F: becomes C: and you C: become F: (on the copy), but it's 
up 
> > to you to swap D: and G: via Disk Management. Or, yes you booted 
F: 
> > OK (as C:) but D: is still back on the original disk. Get it?
> > 
> > You may see all this at HKLM\System\MountedDevices\, the 
DOSDevice 
> > values. Where in XP (NTFS period?) the drive letter assignments 
are 
> > coded to the physical drive. As an example, I currently have 3 
> > disks of 6 partitions each and manually make each bootable after 
an 
> > update via swapping drive letter groups here. It's a semi 
> > complicated scheme of one time Exporting this key and editing it 
> > (retaining only the DOSDevice values to make the each of the 3 
> > physical disks C: thru H: in my case). In RegEdit you may 
File\Load 
> > Hive into HKLM (X:\Windows\System32\config\System) of the non-
> > running OS copy as a false key (I use "Loaded Dat", and this 
false 
> > key will simply be lost should the machine go down). Merge the 
> > edited .Reg file, then select false key and Unload Hive to put 
it 
> > back. Too complicated?
> > 
> > DES
> > 
> 
> I suppose there is a bit of this process that I don't understand. I
> have been working with Kan since the inception of XXClone and don't
> seem to be having the problems I am reading about in this forum.
> 
> Using XPPro along with three discrete HDDs, named C-D-F, I can and 
do
> freely clone for purposes of backing up my main drive.
> 
> My main drive is 60Gb and the other two are 20Gb each.
> 
> XXClone originally created a triple boot that gives me the options
> upon start-up and if no selection is made within 5 seconds, 
defaults
> to the C drive.
> 
> When I clone from C-D, the BOOT.INI copies correctly. Nothing
> changes. 
> When I clone from D-F, two of the files reverse themselves. A 
simple
> copy of the file corrects this. Nothing else changes.
> 
> All of my cloned drives have always maintained bootability and any 
of
> the three are selectable upon start-up...no cable changes or
> switching. If I look with disk management, I see the them marked 
as 
> C=Healthy (system)
> D=Healthy (active)
> F=Healthy (active)
> 
> As far as I can tell, the entire HDD is faithfully copied and fully
> functional. Since I am not a multi-partition person with respect 
to a
> drive, I don't know what goes on in that world. 
> 
> burris



This message if part of XXCOPY's message Archive.
The archive contains all the messages posted at Yahoo!Groups: XXCOPY.