Windows issue - how not to install XP Pro

Hi All,

Every geeks most fun thing to do on the Easter weekend... got home on thursday after work (stsrt of Easter) to no bootable p.c..read on..

I had "ghosted" an image of a 40Gb with two partitions to a larger Hdd to a 320GB.
The 40gb drive was erroniuosly setup originally several years ago by a well meaning friend, he installed the windows on the larger partition of the 40gb drive some 30GB or so and about 5 or 6Gb for C:\

However to cut to the chase the clone of this drive a 320GB HDD had a .cfg related issue because i shut down the units power at the wall, thinking the unit had already shut down...(couldnt hear the fans over the T.V).which it hadn't....I know better so stop there..i dont Know how many people Ive told not to do just that sort of thing probably squidzillions..

Thought of ghosting the original e: drive which was the windows partition on the old 40gb...but unfortunately it just doesnt any more.. just doesnt?? yeah just doesnt do anything..even tried giving it a bit of a knock on the side although that used to work on really old hdd...not these new fandangled things...:cry

However now my only option left being a long weekend was to install Windows again on the C:\ of the larger Hard drive approx now a 35gb partition on the 320gb, and a remaining E:\ windoews on the remaining 250Gb or so which had the original cloned windows install on it, which is corrupted or has issues, reapair schmear install no good... a geat wasy to spend Easter for any geek i'm sure.

Now even if I could repair the original E:\ 250gb windows..which i could possibly find out about online install... I will be left potentially with a hard drive with a C: windows and an E: if successfully repaired...only one active partition...yes i can go to the administrative tools and change this under the disck options to the E: windows partition but this means i might be without an o/s if this fraksup or has an issue...

What i should really be asking help on is there a way to recover the original profile from the e: 250gb drive with all my former user settings and shortcuts some two years worth and have appreciate these will need to synch in with the registry so that the registery can find the paths...I only have two games running now...:cry and my tv tuner card....

P.s noted suspicious slow down on relative clean install after installing divX 2 point something i think...also when i removed my soundblater live 7.1 oem creative software media player it killed the avi files that media player was playing..just to add to the fun...probably got deleted with the app...

Please help I know I ask tricky questions but the techs out there must know a trick or two to help me out confused

 

Hi guys

Update the issue on the 320gb E: windows partition was a Windows\system32\config\system -
at least thats where the issue occurred I think the old 40gb had a .cfg issue when it was last seen running awhile ago..

Simple steps in bullet point layout would be great if someone know a fix for this dont want two pages of geek i just spent all of easter doing that just this is what you need. and be careful of would be much appreciated if you would like to ask questions to expediate a solution then please feel free to although i only get a chance to come online every other day with work an everything else...

thanks in advance

 

:cry

 

Microsoft articles here: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/winxp/default.mspx

 

Thank you yet again Cordialis for the input, you have offered many helpful suggestions to my recent posts.:wave

The files and transfer wizard may be an option, although I really only want the user settings? or data from my former "primary profile" currently on the inoperable E: partition and hopefully I can use this on the c: partition of the same drive (my recent clean install).

What the intent here is, to copy / transfer from E: (the old user profile) over to C: so all the old settings and save games data from my old profile can access the still valid data on E: as only windows has pooped itself on that drive..repair option no good on E:...

However only one partition can be active / bootable on a HDD...there are two XP Pro O/S. The original partition E: "pooped" and C:\ which is fine but a tiny 6 or 7gb.

I am thinking this just needs my former user profile on E: copied to C: to make the former profiles E: old desktop, apps and shortcuts available again...at least that is what I am hoping is feasible?

Still in essence the same hardware just not sure how the registry handles this...or do I need to copy the old user settings entries? / area of the registry across also...?

I have no spare functional HDD other than an 8gb flash drive...
I do have access to Ultimate Boot Cd which I can borrow from a friend this weekend but arent that familar with it, or how it works, or if it would help with repairing the original E:\ issue...?

I eagerly await any input on this..what could go wrong or if folks have experienced a simialr scenario.... want all my old things back like they used to be.:cry

 

The relevance and value of this link is limited but here it is anyway: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811151/en-us

I wont forget this thread, however. I'll be on the lookout for more!

 

Thank you so much Cordailis, you really are most considerate.major