Need Help making C Drive Bootable

[darkangelas]

I need help for booting problem.
I have 2 hard disks, c: and d:. It was working fine with Windows ME installed in C: and I used D: just for a backup storage. Since C: drive was fragmented, I wanted D: drive bootable just for defragmenting C: drive. I installed Windows ME on D: using the Startup disk and expected that I can boot the machine with C: drive if I disconnect D: drive after I defragment C: drive. It was a mistake.
Once I install Windows ME on D:, the machine boots ONLY with D: drive! The problem is that the Windows ME on D drive is bare operating system w/o any of the softwares or periferals installed and it will be a nightmare to install them all over again.
To revive C drive for booting disk, I tried followings but failed: (I did not change the contents in either drives after I installed Windows on D http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

1. Disconnectd D drive to boot with only C drive --- After Windos ME screen flashes, I got following error messages:

"The following file is missing or corrupted: D:\windows\ifshlp.sys

The following file is missing or corrupted D:\windows\system\vmm32.vxd
Type the name of the windows loader (e.g., C:\windows\system\vmm32.vxd)"

When I type "C:\windows\system\vmm32.vxd", the system halts since it does not find ifshlp.sys. So it does not work.

2. I switched C and D drive connections
2. Attempted uninstalling Windows ME using Startup Disk. --- It failed uninstalling since it could not find UNDO file (Since it was a clean install on D drive, it did not even ask for undo option).

3. Used "FDISK /MBR" and "SYS C:" after booting with Startup disk (minimum boot option). --- Nothing happend with FDISK /MBR (or it may did somthing as it is supposed to do) and still did not help. "SYS C:" comaand give the following message:
"Cannot find the system file in the standard location on dirve C:. SYS can only be used on Drive C:, to attempt a repair of an already existing installation of windows. Use Windows Setup to make drive C: bootable."


Fdisk shows C drive primary partition as Active.

Is there any way that I can make C: drive bootable again w/o losing the installed programs? http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/redface.gif

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Dark Angelas

[Rick]

I’m Not sure this applies to Windows ME
But it does in 98

In the c:\ drive root directory
You should find a file “MSDOS.SYS “
The first lines of this file tell the O/S When to boot from

For the C\: drive as the default boot drive and windows install.
It should look like this.
[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C

Use a text editor to make any needed changes or Look for a Backup of this file and restore it using the rename ..

[Gallaeglagh]

Have you tried going into your BIOS and changing the boot order of the drives?

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[darkangelas]

Rick,
Thanks much. It worked. It was my mistake that initially I could not see MSDOS.SYS in the root directory since I did not know the file/directory option in the control panel is set to hide the system files despite I checked "visualize the hidden files" option. After your suggestion, I looked for the missing MSDOS.SYS file again after I turned off "hide system files" option and found the file. Renaming MODOS.BAK to MSDOS.SYS recovered the boot disk back to C: drive! This seems to be potentially a good way to have multiple operating system in a box!
Thanks again.

Originally posted by Rick:
I’m Not sure this applies to Windows ME
But it does in 98

In the c:\ drive root directory
You should find a file “MSDOS.SYS ?The first lines of this file tell the O/S When to boot from

For the C\: drive as the default boot drive and windows install.
It should look like this.
[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C

Use a text editor to make any needed changes or Look for a Backup of this file and restore it using the rename ..

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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Dark Angelas

[darkangelas]

Gallaeglagh,
Thanks for comment. Yes I tried playing with BIOS to change the order of the hard disk booting sequence. Unfortunately it did not help. The problem was that MSDOS.SYS file was referring the Windows root directory to D:. As I mentioned above (reply to Rick), it was my mistake that MSDOS.SYS file was not displayed since the file/folder option in the control panel was set to hide the system files despite I turned on the show hidden files option.
I appreciate your comment.

Originally posted by Gallaeglagh:
Have you tried going into your BIOS and changing the boot order of the drives?



http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

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Dark Angelas

[Rick]

I agree .
By keeping a copy of the d: installed msdos.sys you can