On Sat, 2005-10-08 at 11:00, Kurt Granroth wrote: > On Oct 8, 2005, at 6:45 AM, Vaughn Treude wrote: > > On Fri, 2005-10-07 at 20:09, Kurt Granroth wrote: > >> On Oct 7, 2005, at 6:10 PM, Vaughn Treude wrote: > >>> A while back I posted a question about cloning a Windows XP > >>> drive using > >>> a Linux live CD such as Knoppix. The suggestion to use "dd" was a > >>> good > >>> one. I googled this command and found detailed instructions on > >>> www.nilbus.com for doing this. In short, they said to: > >>> Use fdisk to create partitions on the new drive identical to > >>> those on > >>> the old drive (using the -u option to display sectors rather than > >>> cylinders, which ensure that they'll be the same.) > >>> Use dd to copy the 440 bytes of the boot partition. > >>> Use dd to copy the contents of the other partitions. > >>> > >> [snip] > >> > >> Heh, what a coincidence. I cloned a WinXP partition using dd on > >> Wednesday for the first. It worked like a charm. > >> > >> The one thing I did different was in copying the MBR. Instead of > >> copying parts of the boot partition (is there such a thing with > >> Windows?), I copied the entire 512 bytes of the MBR. > [snip] > > Hmmm, that's interesting. The instructions said to copy only 440 > > bytes > > because the partition table lived in the rest. Since you did that > > last, > > I'm surprised it didn't mess something up. Though the partitions were > > the same, I don't know if the actual contents of the table could > > differ > > at all due to disk geometry. If not, no problem. I will try copying > > the MBR again, at least those first 440 bytes. > > Well, the instructions that said 440 bytes are definitely wrong. > Basically, > the 512 bytes includes 446 bytes of the MBR and the rest is the > partition > table. Or better yet, rather than rely on my memory (which can be > horribly > faulty), here is a reference page: > > http://www.ntfs.com/mbr-damaged.htm I stand corrected. I rechecked the original source and it was indeed 446, and I was following the written instructions when I did that. The 440 figures my own faulty memory at work. :-) That NTFS reference is interesting, though. From the symptoms they describe, it looks like the MBR got damaged somehow after I copied it, and I need to copy or create it again. > > So at minimum, you'll have to copy over the first 446 bytes. > > HOWEVER, I would recommend copying it all. Remember that you created > the > partitions on the new drive to be identical to the old one so the > partition table should be identical. FWIW, when I was doing my own > research > last Wednesday, every site I went to recommended the entire 512. > Yeah, I just didn't know how the table was kept internally, so I didn't know if there was any dependence on the number of cylinders, which would in turn depend on disk geometry. Assuming that the actual numbers in there are sector-based, and that the cylinder info is just for the benefit of us humans, it should have worked either way. > > More likely though, it's something to do with that darned hidden > > partition. It appears the system you cloned didn't have one. I have > > been researching this issue and have found some venomous comments > > about > > Compaq/HP's weird setup. The hidden partition contains not only > > recovery info but it has files necessary for the boot. I know > > that's a > > common thing in the Linux world, but at least for us, everything's > > documented. I haven't yet found much useful info on this "feature". > > Hmm.. you're right that this system didn't have a recovery partition > (although it was a Compaq/HP). As long as you replicate that exactly on > the new drive as well, why would it be a problem? > That's what I can't figure out! I was thinking there might be some evil checksum or special code somewhere that the HP's BIOS might be checking before allowing it to boot. But I will try recopying the MBR (or perhaps make a startup disk and try doing a FIXMBR from the recovery console.) > Good luck! > Kurt Thanks. Hopefully I can get this done soon so I can go back to concentrating on a better designed OS. Vaughn > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss