I will try to describe my problem in the least ignorant way. My computer is
semi-old (5yrs or so) but I have added hard drives and ram so I don't really
want to replace it. For quite awile now it has been giving me warnings about
a disk error. I can't think of exactly what it says but something like disk
error with sector 0. I know that that is where the boot info is. I usually
just leave the computer on all the time and if I have to restart for some
reason, I say a prayer first.

I really don't want to format my C drive as I don't want to have to
re-install everything. I have lots of programs that I bought as downloads.

Also I have 2 internal hard drives that have 6 or 7 partitions between them.
What I want to know is if I can make another partition/drive the boot drive?
I'm sorry if this is a dumb question but I really don't know and I haven't
been able to find an answer anywhere.

Thank you for your time,
Amanda

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 10:15:16 -0800, "oneclikker"
<oneclikker@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:


First of all, I would start backing up all the data files you cannot
afford to lose immediately! Partitioning the drive is not the answer,
neither is praying

After that, get a professional to check the hard drive for
consistency!

"oneclikker" <oneclikker@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

Back up everything on that drive that is important (twice).

Then go to the hard drive manufacturer's web site, download their free
diagnostic test utility, and run that to check out the hard drive.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

"oneclikker" <oneclikker@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:279982D7-56B6-4061-B706-2CC7FDA881BF@microsoft.com...

Amanda:
I'm going to respond to your problem, but first let me go "backwards"
concerning your other hard drives. Then we'll get to your problem, OK?

You say you also have two internal HDs. I assume from this that you have a
total of three internal HDs, your booting drive and the other two. And you
further indicate there are six or seven partitions between them. Is there
really any reason you have to multi-partition these drives? I ask this
because, in my opinion, too many users have become unnecessarily enamored
of creating a partition for this, a partition for that, when it's not really
necessary nor desirable. There may be good & sufficient reasons for
multi-partitioning one's HD, but in so many cases these partitions create
problems involving the utilization of individual partition disk space, are
awkward to work with, add little to the efficient organization of a drive
and give the user a false sense of security. More times than not, the simple
expedient of creating folders rather than partitions to contain one's
programs & data is a more useful approach when organizing one's HD. That,
together with creating and maintaining a systematic backup system is, in my
view, the approach that should be taken by most users. I just wanted to
mention this in passing and because it may have some relevance for you in
the future as well as what I'm about to comment on.

As to your specific problem, it's virtually impossible to tell at this time
& distance the precise cause of the problem. On one hand it sounds like a
hardware problem in that the HD involved is defective and possibly about to
fail. On the other hand it could be a problem with your operating system (we
are talking about XP, right?) in that there is system files corruption
involving the operating system of one form or another.

If it's practical for you to do so it would be desirable at this point if
you would first "clone" the contents of the problem drive to one of the
partitions of your other two drives or to a USB/Firewire external HD should
you have this device available to you. To perform this "cloning" operation
you would need, of course a disk imaging program such as Symantec's Norton
Ghost or Acronis True Image. I have a feeling this is probably not a
practical course of action for you at this time but I thought I'd mention
it. Again, it's something you should consider in the future for future
routine backups of your system. By having a "clone" of your present problem
HD, you would at least have a backup copy of your data should anything go
awry as you try to resolve the problem.

If the disk imaging process cannot be undertaken, then copy whatever files
on the problem drive are important to you so that at the least you'll have a
backup of those files.

Assuming you have a retail version of your XP installation CD (not a
so-called "Recovery" CD issued by an OEM), perform a Repair install of the
OS. I assume you don't know how to do this. It's a relatively easy process
to undertake. Do a Google search on "XP repair install" and you'll be
pointed to various web sites that have step-by-step instructions for doing
so. Hopefully, should your problem involve relatively simple system files
corruption, the Repair install should return your drive to a bootable
functional state. Naturally if the problem is a defective HD, either
mechanically or electronically, or some other hardware defect, the Repair
install will not solve your current problem

It would be wise to download a hard drive diagnostic utility from the web
site of the manufacturer of your HD and test out the drive to determine if
it is indeed defective. Virtually every manufacturer of hard drives has such
a diagnostic program available for download.
Anna

Anna,
Thank you for all the info. Yes I wish that I had never done the
partitions like I did but live and learn. Now I know. I do have everything
backed up. I am pretty mental about that. I know that I need to replace the
hard drive but I was just looking for an easier way to fix the problem.
I have a new hard drive on my desk at this very moment that I bought
about 6 months ago so that I could replace my bad drive. Maybe I didn't ask
the right questions. Can I install the new drive, leave the old one in,
install the OS on the new one and have my computer boot from the new drive?

Amanda

"Anna" <myname@myisp.net> wrote in message
news:ugEdXjCOGHA.3272@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

Anna,
Thank you for all the info. Yes I wish that I had never done the
partitions like I did but live and learn. Now I know. I do have everything
backed up. I am pretty mental about that. I know that I need to replace the
hard drive but I was just looking for an easier way to fix the problem.
I have a new hard drive on my desk at this very moment that I bought
about 6 months ago so that I could replace my bad drive. Maybe I didn't ask
the right questions. Can I install the new drive, leave the old one in,
install the OS on the new one and have my computer boot from the new drive?
Amanda


Amanda:
1. Do I understand you to now say that you know (or believe) that your
problem HD is defective from a hardware point of view?
2. If that is so, why would you want to retain it in your system as some
sort of secondary drive?
3. Yes, you could install your new drive, make a fresh install of the XP OS
and boot to it. Obviously you would have to make sure that it's properly
connected/configured, right?
4. If your "problem HD" is mechanically/electronically sound and its only
problem is system files corruption but you simply don't want to bother with
it any more, yes, you could install it as a secondary HD in your system. In
that case it probably would be best if you would uninstall the OS from it or
better yet, format it. But with your new HD won't that give you four
internal HDs in your system? Do you really need this? Might you consider
purchasing a USB external HD enclosure and installing one of your HDs in
that enclosure and using it for systematic backups of your system?
Anna

Hi Anna,
I actually have 2 internal drives and 1 external that I use for backup.
The one that is failing is only 40gb so I am just going to replace it. I have
copied everything that I need off of it and am just going to take it out and
start over. Thanks for all your help.


Amanda

oneclikker wrote:
It's not a dumb question and the good news is: there are intelligent
answers. The drives and BIOS need to be configured correctly, but
it's certainly do-able to make any 1 of those drives the boot drive. The
partitions may or may not be bootable, depending on the order the
operating systems were loaded on them. Basically, they have to be
installed from newest to oldest on the drive--in that order.

You said you have added hard drives (plural), so I'm going to assume you
have 3 or 4 hard drives total, all connected to two IDE controllers via
2 ribbon cables.

The drives are configured accordingly: 1)with jumpers on the drive, set
to either Master or Slave; 2)the drive's position on the ribbon
cable--the connecter on the end of ribbon cable is for a Master drive,
and the connector in the middle of the cable is for a slave drive; 3)in
the BIOS, and 4)the type and order of the partitions.


====================================
Steps to configure the hard drives.
------------------------------------

(I'm assuming these drives are already partitioned, formatted, and at
least one of them has an operating system installed on its primary
partition.)


1) DETERMINE which drives (up to 2) will be bootable (Master) drives.

i.e. Maybe you have a working copy of Win98 on 1 drive and a working
copy of WinXP on another drive. Those will be your Master
drives.

If you have WinXP and Win98 on the same drive in a dual boot
configuration, then that's your Master drive.


2) CONFIGURE a jumper on each Master drive.

a. Locate the correct identifying marker on the drive--M or Master.

b. Remove any extra jumpers from the drive (note their position in
case they are required and need to be put back).

c. Push a jumper on so it connects across the 2 pins next to the M,
or Master identifier on the drive.

NOTE: You might see M or Master; S, Sl, or Slave; or CS for Cable
Select. Make SURE you put the jumper across the 2 pins next
to the Master identifier!!


3) CONFIGURE a jumper on each Slave drive.

a. Locate the correct identifying marker on the drive--M or Master.

b. Remove any extra jumpers from the drive (note their position in
case they are required and need to be put back).

c. Push a jumper on so it connects across the 2 pins next to the S,
SL, or Slave identifier on the drive.


4) CONNECT each Master drive to the correct ribbon cable.

a. Locate the ribbon cable connected to IDE1 (the Primary IDE
Controller), and the ribbon cable connected to IDE2 (Secondary IDE
Controller).

NOTE: The IDE controller connectors should be located on the
motherboard, or, on a plug-in controller card.

b. Push the end connector of IDE1 ribbon cable onto the main Master
boot drive. The connector is slotted to only go on 1 way.

NOTE: The Master drive connected to the ribbon cable going to IDE1
(the Primary IDE controller) will be the default boot disk
on startup.


5) CONNECT each slave drive to the middle connector of each IDE ribbon
cable.


6) CONFIGURE the BIOS.The final step is configuring the Primary and
Secondary IDE Master and slave in the BIOS. Look under the Boot menu
in the BIOS.

NOTE: To get into the BIOS, press DEL, F1, or F2 after the PCs memory
test is finished on PC bootup.

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


Hope that helps!

John