Hard Drive Installation from ME to XP

[Edward Garner]

Hi, I was about to transfer data from Windows ME to XP when the drive could not be read. (on startup, XP's CHKDSK ran on the ME drive.) I placed the hard drive back into the original PC and received an invalid disk error message.

I booted from a 2000 CD to look at the data and saw zero byte folders & *.CHK files. it has hs_err_*.log's Is there anything that can be done with this? (I don't have an ME cd.)

Thank you,

Edward Garner

egarner123@aol.com

Edited September 26, 2005 by Edward Garner

[Redcloud]

XP uses only the NTFS file system. If your ME HD was formatted in the FAT file system, this would explain your problems.

[gamehead200]

XP uses only the NTFS file system.  If your ME HD was formatted in the FAT file system, this would explain your problems.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wrong... XP also uses the FAT32 file system... I have systems as proof that this is true.

[nmX.Memnoch]

That's correct. XP can create, format, read and write FAT or FAT32 partitions. It's recommended to use NTFS, but FAT capability is there. Proof of an example would be that USB thumbdrives come formatted FAT/FAT32 (depending on size).

Ed...did you covert the drive from FAT32 to NTFS or run any sort of other partition utilities on it?

Edited September 26, 2005 by nmX.Memnoch

[Redcloud]

When I formatted my external, the manual described the following:

"Do not select FAT 32, as you cannot format the drive using the FAT 32 file system on Windows 2000 or XP". NTFS is recommended if not needed to used the drive on Windows 95 or ME. I guess FAT is O.K. though. ME can use any of the 3 formats.

Edited September 26, 2005 by Redcloud

[nmX.Memnoch]

When I formatted my external, the manual described the following:

"Do not select FAT 32, as you cannot format the drive using the FAT 32 file system on Windows 2000 or XP".

That depends on the partition size. I haven't tried it but from what I've read 2000 and XP can't format a FAT32 partition larger than 32GB. However I don't know about reading a FAT32 partition larger than 32GB. THAT may be Ed's problem as I know that Win9x/ME could format FAT32 partitions larger than 32GB.

ME can use any of the 3 formats.

2 formats...FAT or FAT32.

[rtK]

XP can deal with large FAT32 partitions with no problems.Except by design since win2k ms limited their tools to not to create fat32 partitions larger than 32GB forcing the users to use NTFS on larger volumes which is much more reliable.

I'd say that your hdd is damaged. Backup the data and try to zerofill repartition and format the hdd , it will either fix the drive or kill it

Edited September 26, 2005 by rtK

[nmX.Memnoch]

Before doing the format/repartition you can try a utility called RecoverMyFiles to see if you can get any of your files back. It's not free but $70 isn't too much to ask for recovering important data. You can, however, see what it will find with the trial version...you just can't actually recover any files. So grab the trial and see if it'll help you before purchasing a license. If it works be sure not to recover files to the same drive! Doing so takes a chance on overwriting the drive area the program is attempting to recover data from.

If the drive is too badly damaged then you may not be able to do anything with it at all. Though I suspect that your partition just got damaged somehow and the drive itself is fine.

[Andromeda43]

As a tech, the first thing I would do, to preserve everything on that drive, would be to take that drive to a working PC and install it as the SLAVE. Then access it, or at least try, from within windows.

If windows couldn't read it, then some file recovery software may be required. If the heads crashed or the logic board on the drive is fried.....you're just S.O.L.

Only a data recovery company could then get your files back,,,,ones that were not damaged, that is.

Would this be a good time to repeat my montra?

Backup, Backup, Backup!

Cheers,

Andromeda43

[nmX.Memnoch]

As a tech, the first thing I would do, to preserve everything on that drive, would be to take that drive to a working PC and install it as the SLAVE.  Then access it, or at least try, from within windows.

I thought that part was understood since he mentioned he was trying to transfer the data to a new machine.

Hi, I was about to transfer data from Windows ME to XP when the drive could not be read. (on startup, XP's CHKDSK ran on the ME drive.) I placed the hard drive back into the original PC and received an invalid disk error message.

But yeah, just to reiterate, be sure to use the recovery software in the new machine with the "bad" drive installed as a slave.

[Edward Garner]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. Learn from my mistake! Don't let XP (SP2) do a CHKDSK on your hard drive from another system. I called Microsoft (almost no help at all). They said XP would perceive the hard drive as a threat, and not allow access to the data.

I called a forensic data recovery company. They said CHKDSK will write zeroes to the hard drive (that's what happened). The cost to evaluate the hard drive is $100. To fix it cost $300 -$1,700. Guess who wants to be a forensic data recovery specialst!

The crazy thing is that I put this hard drive in my customer's XP home PC with no problems. I went through every sub-directory with her to copy over needed files. I had no problems. She said she didn't need this particular sub-directory because she hadn't used the program in years.

I took the computer away for disposal. Of course she calls me several days later wanting that sub-directory. The lesson is to give the customer everything.

[nmX.Memnoch]

The lesson is to give the customer everything.

ALWAYS! Even if they don't think they need it...let THEM delete it. That way it's THEIR fault.

[Andromeda43]

When ever possible, burn ALL data to a CD or DVD and give the disk to the customer.

Don't try to select just this data or that data,,,get it ALL.

Then the customer has a permanent record, so that if their NEW DELL shoots craps, they still have a copy of their valuable data files.

I'm preparing to do this soon for one of my own customers. I've had enough experience with Dell's to know that the data from her old PC, which she's going to give away to a Katrina survivor, needs to be safely on a CD before we try to copy it to her new Dell.

Dell's far eastern computer support has one basic solution for all problems......RE-Format and install the Restore CD. Boy, does that ever do a number on data files!

Good Luck,

Andromeda43