[SeniorSurfer]

After cloning two partitions of a Western Digital, Model 120BB-98DWA 120 GB drive (C:15, D:91.7) to a Seagate 500 GB, Model ST3500630A, (C:424, D:20) using the Seagate Disc Wizard software I am unable to boot to the Seagate drive (it hangs on a black screen after the BIOS check on startup) with it set as Master and the WD set as slave, with both drives set to 'cable select', or with the Seagate drive installed as a single drive. When installed as 'cable select' the Seagate drive is present, both in the BIOS and in windows, and shows as two partitions in windows which contain the correctly copied data but I cannot use the drive as the boot drive. The computer is a Sony Vaio, model PCV-RS430G, with a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 carrying 512 MB of RAM and runing Windows XP, home edition with SP2 installed.
If I can't find a less traumatic solution I'll try disconnecting the WD and running the XP install on the Seagate. I think it has something to do with the drive's C partition not being set as the 'active' one.

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If the source Windows partition from the WD drive was an active one then its 'clone', by definition, will be active also, so I don't think that's your problem. More likely the Disc Wizard has not worked properly and the clone data is probably corrupted or missing some vital system files -- especially if you used the Windows version of Disc Wizard. Cloning of a Windows partition should be carried out in a DOS environment so as not to risk 'locked' system files being omitted.

[pip22]

If the source Windows partition from the WD drive was an active one then its 'clone', by definition, will be active also, so I don't think that's your problem. More likely the Disc Wizard has not worked properly and the clone data is probably corrupted or missing some vital system files -- especially if you used the Windows version of Disc Wizard. Cloning of a Windows partition should be carried out in a DOS environment so as not to risk 'locked' system files being omitted.

[SeniorSurfer]

Thanks, pip22,
I did use the windows version but, as the operations were carried out, the computer rebooted twice and all process's were accomplished in a DOS window. I performed the cloning process twice, thinking that something had happened to some system files the first time but the cloned data was (apparently) the same as the originals both times and, both times, I got the same result.
The situation was brought about by Sony providing the original 120 gig drive partitioned as 15/94 and, with XP, that's not necessary, I think.
The computer is owned by a 73 year old friend who filled up the C drive inadvertently by installing everything in the default install folder and, now, he has a full C drive and an empty D drive. I tried using Partition magic to adjust the partitions but, for some reason that I'm not clever enough to figure out, it crashed at the DOS part and I was afraid I had lost the whole ball of wax.
At that point, I suggested that he buy a large hard drive (BTW, he's a very sincere oldies collector with thousands of old 78's, 45's, lp's and CD's) since his intention is to convert his collection to digital and he would need far more space than the 120 gig he already had.
I know that this is too much info but I wanted you to know the whole situation.
Thanks again.

Edited by SeniorSurfer, 03 December 2007 - 06:17 PM.

[shard92]

Well one thing you could do is check to make sure that his xp is up to date.... I know some older versions of xp had problems handling large partitions and if his original drive was partitioned maybe that is the case. Also you could try booting from the software that came with the drive and see if you can copy it that way... I've had all kinds of issues with the software included with the drives trying to copy an xp partition....

[SeniorSurfer]

Thanks Shard92,
The XP is home edition with SP2 and all current updates. I'm going to run a re-install of Windows from the restore disk that came with the computer to the new HD after I disconnect the original HD and jumper the new drive as master. I'm a little afraid that this will wipe out all the stuff that is installed and that has already been copied to the new HD but at least, if it does, I still have it all on the original HD.
Wish me luck. I'll post my progress.

[shard92]

if it is a restore disk it may wipe everything out.... Read carefully and it may have a non-destructive restore... If you have an actual windows xp home disk you could try running a repair install... that SHOULDN'T make you loose anything but you would have to re-update the system as it may wipe updates....

Good luck

[SeniorSurfer]

It turned out that the "restore" disk was only application restore and NOT operating system and, therefore, was not useful. I will try using another XP disk.
Thanks again for the suggestions.

I've learned that the way to a right answer often leads through a bunch of wrong ones but, as I learn, some of those paths become shorter.

[shard92]

It turned out that the "restore" disk was only application restore and NOT operating system and, therefore, was not useful. I will try using another XP disk.
Thanks again for the suggestions.

I've learned that the way to a right answer often leads through a bunch of wrong ones but, as I learn, some of those paths become shorter.

yep that's called troubleshooting.... the more you do it the more likely the answer will come quicker ( but no guarantee )