Lost path to boot drive - Help please

  • Thread starter Thread starter TimB
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T

TimB

I have a Windows Vista Ultimate system with 4 SATA hard drives

configured to look like IDE drives through an ASUS motherboard.



I had the boot drive set as drive C: with a variety of applications

installed on it. Two days ago I 'cloned' that drive to a new larger

drive with the most recent version of Norton Ghost. That drive showed

as drive H:.



I've been trying to get the new drive to show as drive c:, as all my

applications want to read data or write settings to drive C:. I've

used the disk manager in Vista to change the drive letter assignments,

even swapped the SATA cables between the two and probably some other

settings in BIOS, etc. -- The original boot drive now shows as drive

G: and the 'new' drives shows as H:.



The system is now SO screwed up that although I can “boot†into

Windows it will not bring up any of my applications and simply shows a

light blue background with no toolbars or icons. I can use Ctrl-Alt-

Del to get into the task manager and try to start a management program

but it always shows 'Path Not Found' and references drive H:.



Can anyone make a suggestion on how I get one of the 'boot' drives

seen as drive C: again and boot into Vista? Maybe even to the point

where I can use the Vista DVD to repair one of them?



Thanks for helping an idiot!

Tim
 
Hi, Tim.







"TimB" wrote in message

news:43e0bdcd-2c37-41c7-94d1-a98ef11d37d6@o16g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

> I have a Windows Vista Ultimate system with 4 SATA hard drives

> configured to look like IDE drives through an ASUS motherboard.

>

> I had the boot drive set as drive C: with a variety of applications

> installed on it. Two days ago I 'cloned' that drive to a new larger

> drive with the most recent version of Norton Ghost. That drive showed

> as drive H:.

>

> I've been trying to get the new drive to show as drive c:, as all my

> applications want to read data or write settings to drive C:. I've

> used the disk manager in Vista to change the drive letter assignments,

> even swapped the SATA cables between the two and probably some other

> settings in BIOS, etc. -- The original boot drive now shows as drive

> G: and the 'new' drives shows as H:.

>

> The system is now SO screwed up that although I can “boot†into

> Windows it will not bring up any of my applications and simply shows a

> light blue background with no toolbars or icons. I can use Ctrl-Alt-

> Del to get into the task manager and try to start a management program

> but it always shows 'Path Not Found' and references drive H:.

>

> Can anyone make a suggestion on how I get one of the 'boot' drives

> seen as drive C: again and boot into Vista? Maybe even to the point

> where I can use the Vista DVD to repair one of them?

>

> Thanks for helping an idiot!

> Tim
 
Lost path to boot drive - Help please

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately the link doesn't resolve anywhere

when I click on it.



Tim







On Feb 25, 6:48 pm, "R. C. White" wrote:

> Hi, Tim.

>

> "TimB" wrote in message

>

> news:43e0bdcd-2c37-41c7-94d1-a98ef11d37d6@o16g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

>

> > I have a Windows Vista Ultimate system with 4 SATA hard drives

> > configured to look like IDE drives through an ASUS motherboard.

>

> > I had the boot drive set as drive C: with a variety of applications

> > installed on it. Two days ago I 'cloned' that drive to a new larger

> > drive with the most recent version of Norton Ghost. That drive showed

> > as drive H:.

>

> > I've been trying to get the new drive to show as drive c:, as all my

> > applications want to read data or write settings to drive C:. I've

> > used the disk manager in Vista to change the drive letter assignments,

> > even swapped the SATA cables between the two and probably some other

> > settings in BIOS, etc. -- The original boot drive now shows as drive

> > G: and the 'new' drives shows as H:.

>

> > The system is now SO screwed up that although I can boot into

> > Windows it will not bring up any of my applications and simply shows a

> > light blue background with no toolbars or icons. I can use Ctrl-Alt-

> > Del to get into the task manager and try to start a management program

> > but it always shows 'Path Not Found' and references drive H:.

>

> > Can anyone make a suggestion on how I get one of the 'boot' drives

> > seen as drive C: again and boot into Vista? Maybe even to the point

> > where I can use the Vista DVD to repair one of them?

>

> > Thanks for helping an idiot!

> > Tim
 
That usually only happens when you boot with the Cloned drive and

the drive you cloned from still attached.

After a clone you are supposed to shut down, remove the old drive and place the

new drive

in its position then reboot.

did you do that??



peter



--

If you find a posting or message from me offensive,inappropriate

or disruptive,please ignore it.

If you dont know how to ignore a posting complain

to me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate :-)



"TimB" wrote in message

news:43e0bdcd-2c37-41c7-94d1-a98ef11d37d6@o16g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

> I have a Windows Vista Ultimate system with 4 SATA hard drives

> configured to look like IDE drives through an ASUS motherboard.

>

> I had the boot drive set as drive C: with a variety of applications

> installed on it. Two days ago I 'cloned' that drive to a new larger

> drive with the most recent version of Norton Ghost. That drive showed

> as drive H:.

>

> I've been trying to get the new drive to show as drive c:, as all my

> applications want to read data or write settings to drive C:. I've

> used the disk manager in Vista to change the drive letter assignments,

> even swapped the SATA cables between the two and probably some other

> settings in BIOS, etc. -- The original boot drive now shows as drive

> G: and the 'new' drives shows as H:.

>

> The system is now SO screwed up that although I can “boot†into

> Windows it will not bring up any of my applications and simply shows a

> light blue background with no toolbars or icons. I can use Ctrl-Alt-

> Del to get into the task manager and try to start a management program

> but it always shows 'Path Not Found' and references drive H:.

>

> Can anyone make a suggestion on how I get one of the 'boot' drives

> seen as drive C: again and boot into Vista? Maybe even to the point

> where I can use the Vista DVD to repair one of them?

>

> Thanks for helping an idiot!

> Tim
 
Lost path to boot drive - Help please

Thanks, Peter.



I did have them both connected, but just disconnected the original "C"

drive and rebooted.



I got a BIT farther when the light blue windows screen appeared. It

now tells me that it couldn't find the path/file, etc to RUNDLL32.EXE.

I assume that means that the OS paths are screwed up as the CLONE

drive is still set at drive H: and I cannot see anyway to change it to

drive C, which I assume the OS wants.



Thoughts?

Tim









On Feb 25, 7:05 pm, "peter" wrote:

> That usually only happens when you boot with the Cloned drive and

> the drive you cloned from still attached.

> After a clone you are supposed to shut down, remove the old drive and place the

> new drive

> in its position then reboot.

> did you do that??

>

> peter

>

> --

> If you find a posting or message from me offensive,inappropriate

> or disruptive,please ignore it.

> If you dont know how to ignore a posting complain

> to me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate :-)

>

> "TimB" wrote in message

>

> news:43e0bdcd-2c37-41c7-94d1-a98ef11d37d6@o16g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

>

> > I have a Windows Vista Ultimate system with 4 SATA hard drives

> > configured to look like IDE drives through an ASUS motherboard.

>

> > I had the boot drive set as drive C: with a variety of applications

> > installed on it. Two days ago I 'cloned' that drive to a new larger

> > drive with the most recent version of Norton Ghost. That drive showed

> > as drive H:.

>

> > I've been trying to get the new drive to show as drive c:, as all my

> > applications want to read data or write settings to drive C:. I've

> > used the disk manager in Vista to change the drive letter assignments,

> > even swapped the SATA cables between the two and probably some other

> > settings in BIOS, etc. -- The original boot drive now shows as drive

> > G: and the 'new' drives shows as H:.

>

> > The system is now SO screwed up that although I can boot into

> > Windows it will not bring up any of my applications and simply shows a

> > light blue background with no toolbars or icons. I can use Ctrl-Alt-

> > Del to get into the task manager and try to start a management program

> > but it always shows 'Path Not Found' and references drive H:.

>

> > Can anyone make a suggestion on how I get one of the 'boot' drives

> > seen as drive C: again and boot into Vista? Maybe even to the point

> > where I can use the Vista DVD to repair one of them?

>

> > Thanks for helping an idiot!

> > Tim
 
Lost path to boot drive - Help please

You must have booted with your origonal c still attached.

Disconnect all drives except the one you want, reboot if it doesnt, use your

win dvd to repair

There is also a vague possibility that your mobo requires the use of a

specific connector for the boot drive.



"TimB" wrote in message

news:cd733d5c-0b38-4cf6-b613-dd67056cb657@g8g2000pri.googlegroups.com...

Thanks, Peter.



I did have them both connected, but just disconnected the original "C"

drive and rebooted.



I got a BIT farther when the light blue windows screen appeared. It

now tells me that it couldn't find the path/file, etc to RUNDLL32.EXE.

I assume that means that the OS paths are screwed up as the CLONE

drive is still set at drive H: and I cannot see anyway to change it to

drive C, which I assume the OS wants.



Thoughts?

Tim









On Feb 25, 7:05 pm, "peter" wrote:

> That usually only happens when you boot with the Cloned drive and

> the drive you cloned from still attached.

> After a clone you are supposed to shut down, remove the old drive and

> place the

> new drive

> in its position then reboot.

> did you do that??

>

> peter

>

> --

> If you find a posting or message from me offensive,inappropriate

> or disruptive,please ignore it.

> If you dont know how to ignore a posting complain

> to me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate :-)

>

> "TimB" wrote in message

>

> news:43e0bdcd-2c37-41c7-94d1-a98ef11d37d6@o16g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

>

> > I have a Windows Vista Ultimate system with 4 SATA hard drives

> > configured to look like IDE drives through an ASUS motherboard.

>

> > I had the boot drive set as drive C: with a variety of applications

> > installed on it. Two days ago I 'cloned' that drive to a new larger

> > drive with the most recent version of Norton Ghost. That drive showed

> > as drive H:.

>

> > I've been trying to get the new drive to show as drive c:, as all my

> > applications want to read data or write settings to drive C:. I've

> > used the disk manager in Vista to change the drive letter assignments,

> > even swapped the SATA cables between the two and probably some other

> > settings in BIOS, etc. -- The original boot drive now shows as drive

> > G: and the 'new' drives shows as H:.

>

> > The system is now SO screwed up that although I can boot into

> > Windows it will not bring up any of my applications and simply shows a

> > light blue background with no toolbars or icons. I can use Ctrl-Alt-

> > Del to get into the task manager and try to start a management program

> > but it always shows 'Path Not Found' and references drive H:.

>

> > Can anyone make a suggestion on how I get one of the 'boot' drives

> > seen as drive C: again and boot into Vista? Maybe even to the point

> > where I can use the Vista DVD to repair one of them?

>

> > Thanks for helping an idiot!

> > Tim
 
Connect only the clone drive to the motherboard. Then use MBRWizard

command

mbrwizd /disk=0 /signature=0

to zero the disk signature on the clone drive.

Boot from the clone drive.



On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:30:20 -0800 (PST), TimB

wrote:



>I have a Windows Vista Ultimate system with 4 SATA hard drives

>configured to look like IDE drives through an ASUS motherboard.

>

>I had the boot drive set as drive C: with a variety of applications

>installed on it. Two days ago I 'cloned' that drive to a new larger

>drive with the most recent version of Norton Ghost. That drive showed

>as drive H:.

>

>I've been trying to get the new drive to show as drive c:, as all my

>applications want to read data or write settings to drive C:. I've

>used the disk manager in Vista to change the drive letter assignments,

>even swapped the SATA cables between the two and probably some other

>settings in BIOS, etc. -- The original boot drive now shows as drive

>G: and the 'new' drives shows as H:.

>

>The system is now SO screwed up that although I can “boot†into

>Windows it will not bring up any of my applications and simply shows a

>light blue background with no toolbars or icons. I can use Ctrl-Alt-

>Del to get into the task manager and try to start a management program

>but it always shows 'Path Not Found' and references drive H:.

>

>Can anyone make a suggestion on how I get one of the 'boot' drives

>seen as drive C: again and boot into Vista? Maybe even to the point

>where I can use the Vista DVD to repair one of them?

>

>Thanks for helping an idiot!

>Tim
 
Lost path to boot drive - Help please

Hi Peter -- I now have only the clone drive attached and Vista REPAIR

says that nothing it wrong but it still shows as drive H: I'm going to

try Andy's solution now.



Thanks for the link and command, Andy. I'm going to try that now.



I assume that with MBRWizard only going to XP won't be a problem on

Vista as I'm only dealing with the raw disk and command line. Seems

that running it off a USB thumb drive or CD will work. Accessing it

through the TASK MANAGER interface to start up a new TASK should be

OK. Sound right?



Thanks again, guys!

Tim





On Feb 26, 11:09 am, andy wrote:

> Connect only the clone drive to the motherboard. Then use MBRWizard

> command

> mbrwizd /disk=0 /signature=0

> to zero the disk signature on the clone drive.

> Boot from the clone drive.

>

> On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:30:20 -0800 (PST), TimB

> wrote:

>

> >I have a Windows Vista Ultimate system with 4 SATA hard drives

> >configured to look like IDE drives through an ASUS motherboard.

>

> >I had the boot drive set as drive C: with a variety of applications

> >installed on it. Two days ago I 'cloned' that drive to a new larger

> >drive with the most recent version of Norton Ghost. That drive showed

> >as drive H:.

>

> >I've been trying to get the new drive to show as drive c:, as all my

> >applications want to read data or write settings to drive C:. I've

> >used the disk manager in Vista to change the drive letter assignments,

> >even swapped the SATA cables between the two and probably some other

> >settings in BIOS, etc. -- The original boot drive now shows as drive

> >G: and the 'new' drives shows as H:.

>

> >The system is now SO screwed up that although I can “boot†into

> >Windows it will not bring up any of my applications and simply shows a

> >light blue background with no toolbars or icons. I can use Ctrl-Alt-

> >Del to get into the task manager and try to start a management program

> >but it always shows 'Path Not Found' and references drive H:.

>

> >Can anyone make a suggestion on how I get one of the 'boot' drives

> >seen as drive C: again and boot into Vista? Maybe even to the point

> >where I can use the Vista DVD to repair one of them?

>

> >Thanks for helping an idiot!

> >Tim
 
Lost path to boot drive - Help please

THANKS, Andy. I assumed it was just something written into the boot

record or such, but I didn't know how to fix it.



The command didn't work exactly as you mentioned, but close enough

that I got there.



First I tried running the command off a USB drive (seen as C: when I

plugged it in) in COMMAND PROMPT but it failed, likely as the

temporary iexplore desktop wasn't in ADMIN. Then I went back to it,

right-clicked, and selected RUN AS ADMIN. That got me working, but the

command didn't work. I wouldn't except /Signature=0, saying it needed

8 digit HEX number. So I then put in /Signature=00000000 and it

'took'.



It probably hosed something up we didn't plan because I had to boot

off the Vista DVD and do a repair but that went quickly and now

Windows Vista booted with all icons and applications running as

usual!



THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Thanks to YOU too Peter as you took the time to

reply with good suggestions.



Btw, it looks like some applications are a bit hosed because, as Peter

suggested, I had both the original boot drive and the clone drive in

at the same time when I booted after the cloning. I'll just have to

work through them and do re-installs where necessary.



Any last thoughts about how I re-introduce the OLD boot drive back

into the system? As its boot record now knows it as G: can I simply

plug it back in? I'd like to re-format it and use it for backups and

storage.



THANKS so much for the help, guys!

Tim





On Feb 26, 11:33 am, TimB wrote:

> Hi Peter -- I now have only the clone drive attached and Vista REPAIR

> says that nothing it wrong but it still shows as drive H: I'm going to

> try Andy's solution now.

>

> Thanks for the link and command, Andy. I'm going to try that now.

>

> I assume that with MBRWizard only going to XP won't be a problem on

> Vista as I'm only dealing with the raw disk and command line. Seems

> that running it off a USB thumb drive or CD will work. Accessing it

> through the TASK MANAGER interface to start up a new TASK should be

> OK. Sound right?

>

> Thanks again, guys!

> Tim

>

> On Feb 26, 11:09 am, andy wrote:

>

> > Connect only the clone drive to the motherboard. Then use MBRWizard

> > command

> > mbrwizd /disk=0 /signature=0

> > to zero the disk signature on the clone drive.

> > Boot from the clone drive.

>

> > On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:30:20 -0800 (PST), TimB

> > wrote:

>

> > >I have a Windows Vista Ultimate system with 4 SATA hard drives

> > >configured to look like IDE drives through an ASUS motherboard.

>

> > >I had the boot drive set as drive C: with a variety of applications

> > >installed on it. Two days ago I 'cloned' that drive to a new larger

> > >drive with the most recent version of Norton Ghost. That drive showed

> > >as drive H:.

>

> > >I've been trying to get the new drive to show as drive c:, as all my

> > >applications want to read data or write settings to drive C:. I've

> > >used the disk manager in Vista to change the drive letter assignments,

> > >even swapped the SATA cables between the two and probably some other

> > >settings in BIOS, etc. -- The original boot drive now shows as drive

> > >G: and the 'new' drives shows as H:.

>

> > >The system is now SO screwed up that although I can “boot†into

> > >Windows it will not bring up any of my applications and simply shows a

> > >light blue background with no toolbars or icons. I can use Ctrl-Alt-

> > >Del to get into the task manager and try to start a management program

> > >but it always shows 'Path Not Found' and references drive H:.

>

> > >Can anyone make a suggestion on how I get one of the 'boot' drives

> > >seen as drive C: again and boot into Vista? Maybe even to the point

> > >where I can use the Vista DVD to repair one of them?

>

> > >Thanks for helping an idiot!

> > >Tim
 
Lost path to boot drive - Help please

Reconnecting the other drives shouldn't cause any problems.



On Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:29:49 -0800 (PST), TimB

wrote:



>THANKS, Andy. I assumed it was just something written into the boot

>record or such, but I didn't know how to fix it.

>

>The command didn't work exactly as you mentioned, but close enough

>that I got there.

>

>First I tried running the command off a USB drive (seen as C: when I

>plugged it in) in COMMAND PROMPT but it failed, likely as the

>temporary iexplore desktop wasn't in ADMIN. Then I went back to it,

>right-clicked, and selected RUN AS ADMIN. That got me working, but the

>command didn't work. I wouldn't except /Signature=0, saying it needed

>8 digit HEX number. So I then put in /Signature=00000000 and it

>'took'.

>

>It probably hosed something up we didn't plan because I had to boot

>off the Vista DVD and do a repair but that went quickly and now

>Windows Vista booted with all icons and applications running as

>usual!

>

>THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Thanks to YOU too Peter as you took the time to

>reply with good suggestions.

>

>Btw, it looks like some applications are a bit hosed because, as Peter

>suggested, I had both the original boot drive and the clone drive in

>at the same time when I booted after the cloning. I'll just have to

>work through them and do re-installs where necessary.

>

>Any last thoughts about how I re-introduce the OLD boot drive back

>into the system? As its boot record now knows it as G: can I simply

>plug it back in? I'd like to re-format it and use it for backups and

>storage.

>

>THANKS so much for the help, guys!

>Tim

>

>

>On Feb 26, 11:33 am, TimB wrote:

>> Hi Peter -- I now have only the clone drive attached and Vista REPAIR

>> says that nothing it wrong but it still shows as drive H: I'm going to

>> try Andy's solution now.

>>

>> Thanks for the link and command, Andy. I'm going to try that now.

>>

>> I assume that with MBRWizard only going to XP won't be a problem on

>> Vista as I'm only dealing with the raw disk and command line. Seems

>> that running it off a USB thumb drive or CD will work. Accessing it

>> through the TASK MANAGER interface to start up a new TASK should be

>> OK. Sound right?

>>

>> Thanks again, guys!

>> Tim

>>

>> On Feb 26, 11:09 am, andy wrote:

>>

>> > Connect only the clone drive to the motherboard. Then use MBRWizard

>> > command

>> > mbrwizd /disk=0 /signature=0

>> > to zero the disk signature on the clone drive.

>> > Boot from the clone drive.

>>

>> > On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:30:20 -0800 (PST), TimB

>> > wrote:

>>

>> > >I have a Windows Vista Ultimate system with 4 SATA hard drives

>> > >configured to look like IDE drives through an ASUS motherboard.

>>

>> > >I had the boot drive set as drive C: with a variety of applications

>> > >installed on it. Two days ago I 'cloned' that drive to a new larger

>> > >drive with the most recent version of Norton Ghost. That drive showed

>> > >as drive H:.

>>

>> > >I've been trying to get the new drive to show as drive c:, as all my

>> > >applications want to read data or write settings to drive C:. I've

>> > >used the disk manager in Vista to change the drive letter assignments,

>> > >even swapped the SATA cables between the two and probably some other

>> > >settings in BIOS, etc. -- The original boot drive now shows as drive

>> > >G: and the 'new' drives shows as H:.

>>

>> > >The system is now SO screwed up that although I can “boot†into

>> > >Windows it will not bring up any of my applications and simply shows a

>> > >light blue background with no toolbars or icons. I can use Ctrl-Alt-

>> > >Del to get into the task manager and try to start a management program

>> > >but it always shows 'Path Not Found' and references drive H:.

>>

>> > >Can anyone make a suggestion on how I get one of the 'boot' drives

>> > >seen as drive C: again and boot into Vista? Maybe even to the point

>> > >where I can use the Vista DVD to repair one of them?

>>

>> > >Thanks for helping an idiot!

>> > >Tim
 
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