Re: Can Only Boot with Boot CD in Drive

On 10/3/2006 10:44 PM, Justin Case wrote:
This page may help to explain (or confuse):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/228004/

In particular,this note, from that page:

(Quote)"NOTE: Windows always considers the active partition to be drive C, so the drive letters on the hard disk partitions may have changed from their original orientation. Using the Recovery Console, you need to copy the following files from the root directory of the original system partition to the root directory of the current active partition (which is now drive C): NTLDR
NTDETECT.COM
BOOT.INI If the partition was not formatted using Windows, you may also need to use the Recovery Console's FIXBOOT command to make the active partition bootable.

After you are able to boot into Windows, it is recommended that you use the Windows Disk Management snap-in tool to reset the original system partition as the active partition, and reboot the computer. This will restore the correct system partition as the C: drive."(End quote)

Where do I find this Windows Disk Management snap-in tool?

Sounds like the 160G drive was the active or boot partition, even though Windows is/was installed on the 80G drive.

Seems as if you are correct!

Bet you'll find NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM, and Boot.ini if you go to [on the 160G drive] tools>folder options...>view (tab) and check "show hidden files and folders'and uncheck "hide protected operating system files [Recommended]".Just open Windows Explorer on the 160G and look below the folders after you change the options. You may also have to uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types".

Correct, these files are on the 160GB drive which is not the boot drive.

The page at the address above explains a fix, but your Windows programs now call the 160G "C:", and think "Windows" is on "D:", the 80G. You might just leave well enough alone, if everything is working. [Is there a Windows folder on the 160G drive?]

Yes there is a Windows folder on the 160GB drive. I don't know how it got there.

I would leave everything alone since just about everything works fine except my Photoshop Album software, where it thinks my photo library is on the D: drive, when in actuality my photo albums are now on my C: drive, and there doesn't seem to be an obvious way to switch this in the Photoshop Album program, without backing up every photo to a DVD and then using Photoshop Album to restore the backup to a new location. Not a terrible situation, but I haven't decided if I want to do that or not.

--
Paige Miller
pmiller5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It's nothing until I call it -- Bill Klem, NL Umpire
If you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
I hope you dance -- Lee Ann Womack
.

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