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elctech45

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XP Pro /w SP2 will not install on Dynamic Disks

I have a very similar situtation to another post in that I need to re-install/repair XP Pro.  Before I get into the details about the DD setup I will expand on the reason for the re-install.  Basically I had to replace my motherboard which means I have to a load a new HAL so that Windows will understand (load drivers) the new IDE Controller.  The way that I have done this in the past was to do a re-install/repair which would force kind of an upgrade so to speak preserving the applications installed.  This has worked perfectly in the past until I tried to perform this on a box with Dynamic Disks implmented :(

Note - Both Disk have be converted to Dynamic Disk
Setup:
Primary -
20 GB HD with 1 Simple 8 GB and 1 Spanned 12 GB Volume
Secondary -
120 GB HD with 2 Simple 40 GB and 1 Spanned 40 GB Volume

Windows XP Pro w/ SP2 sees all Partitions/Volumes during setup, but will not let me use any of the Partitions to re-install/repair Windows.  Is there another way to get Windows XP to reload the HAL so I can get my machine back up and going?

Regards -

/ja
Avatar of mslunecka
mslunecka

Try this.

Open a command prompt

type in "Diskpart"

type "Select volume 0"  or "select volume 1" etc depending on which volume you're trying to install windows on.

type "retain"

It should allow you to create a partition entry so that you can properly install windows.  You're almost universally better off installing XP on a basic disk and then converting to dynamic afterwards.  There are a ridiculous number of exceptions to what kind of volumes and partitions you can and cannot install windows on.

Here is a good microsoft article on dynamic disks.
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkb_cnc_opkt.asp
Avatar of elctech45

ASKER

I may have not been clear on my initial post and for that I applogize, but the Motherboard was/is dead and have since replaced hence no DOS Prompt/Command Prompt.  I'm trying to recover/reclaim my old install if possible?  Can Diskpart be run from the recovery console?  Secondary to that can the disk be reverted back to a basic disk to allow the repair installation?

Regards -

/ja
Update - I placed the Windos XP CD in the box and booted into Recovery Console.  I got an error in the Recovery Console about an Invalid File or Path and it goes to a c:\ prompt.  All Recovery Console commands are working, however I'm hesitant to try anything until I have a solid plan of action.

With that aside I took an old copy of Knoppix (Linux Boot CD) and I could see all my Partitions and Data, so it is safe to say that it is in fact there thank goodness.  Any thoughts or suggestions?

Regards -

/ja
Avatar of LeeTutor
>Can Diskpart be run from the recovery console?

No.  

>Secondary to that can the disk be reverted back to a basic disk to allow the repair installation?

Here is some info on Basic and Dynamic disks:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;309044
HOW TO: Convert to Basic and Dynamic Disks in Windows XP Professional

In particular, notice the following quotation:

After you convert to a dynamic disk, the dynamic volumes cannot be changed back to partitions. You must first delete all dynamic volumes on the disk, and then convert the dynamic disk back to a basic disk. If you want to keep your data, you must first back up or move the data to another volume.

I have just begun to experiment with Knoppix, so I am certainly far from knowledgeable about it, but I believe you can use it to copy and backup data before you attempt the conversion back to basic.  You can also use Bart's PE:

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
I assure you, Diskpart can and does run from the Recovery Console.

Whether it supports the "retain" command or not, I'm not sure.

Ultimately windows XP Professional DOES support installation on certain kinds of dynamic volumes.  The boot partition cannot be on a spanned volume, though. so make sure you're installing it on the basic volume.

Using the "retain" command isn't like converting  a dynamic volume back to a basic one ( you can't do that)...it just adds a "partition table entry" to point to the dynamic volume to make installing an OS easier.
I stand corrected; according to the Help documentation in XP, Diskpart can ONLY be used in Recovery Console.  I must have been thinking of another disk tool, though what it was escapes me now...

Here is a Very Complete article on Diskpart from Microsoft:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;300415&Product=winxp
A Description of the Diskpart Command-Line Utility
Please let me know if what I have read is correct or incorrect as I'm new to DR on Dynamic Disk.
As I understand it you can revert the Boot Partition back to basic without having to delete first.  From some others that experienced this same issues it appears that the only time you have to delete prior to reverting back is in the case of non boot partition.  At any rate I have three theoretical things I would like to try unless you guys suggest otherwise.

Note: I have made a Ghost Image for all intensive purposes.

1. Try to Convert the Disk via the Recovery Console
2. Place the hard drive in another box running XP and see if I can see or manage the disk.  I believe I read something about an import foreign disk option ... not sure.
3. Try a suggested tool call Partition Repair?  Never heard of it ...

Regards -

/ja
Let me be clear here, you CANNOT convert a dynamic disk back to a basic disk without destroying the dynamic volumes on the disk first.

Windows operating systems cannot be installed on dynamic disks that were created from unallocated space.  In other words, if it wasn't a basic disk that has been converted to dynamic, you can't install windows on it unless you add a partition table to the drive.

The reason for this is that windows requires something called a "partition table" to install to a dynamic volume.  Partition tables are only created by default when converting from basic to dynamic disks.  By using the DiskPart command I gave you before, you can create a partition table entry for a dynamic volume that has not been converted from basic, thus allowing you to install windows to a dynamic partition.  This process is non-destructive.

Since you may or may not be able to do this from the recovery console, I would suggest that you take both of your hard drives out of the system, and install them into another computer that can accomodate them.

You may have to go into the Disk management MMC snap-in to "import" the disks, but usually they will just show up.  Now you can run a command prompt and run the appropriate diskpart commands as stated above.

Pull the drives out, install them into the other computer, and theoretically you now have dynamic volumes that windows can be installed to.

If that still isn't working, take the drives, put them in the other computer, take all the data off of them and completely wipe the disks and start fresh with basic disks.  At that point you can then convert them to dynamic AFTER you've reinstalled windows.
I did not get this post until this evening.  I made a snapshot of my machine as stated above.  I was able to convert the disk back to Basic by plugging them into another system, importing the foreign disk and converting them via the MMC Console.  At first it seemed as though I has lost the data when I converted, so I restored the snapshot (Ghost image) and a funny thing happened.  The restored Ghost Image to the disk that I converted back to Basic and was now showing all my data on a Basic disk.  The next thing I did was grab the XP CD to do a reinstall/repair.  Unfortunately it see my partition, but does not give me the Second Repair option that it normally does (Only get delete and Diffrent folder).  

So my next question in my quest for restoration is does anyone know how or if you can reload the HAL or uninstall the HAL and IDE Drivers outside of Windows?  At this point if I can get the OS to redetect my IDE Controller I maybe okay as strange as this all sounds.  The reason I state this is the box still tries to boot up and I get the BSOD with the complaint about not able to find a bootable device.  As always thank you for your time and assistance.

Regards -

/ja
Update -

I ran the Recovery Console and performed the following -

1. bootcfg /scan
2. bootcfg /rebuild
3. fixboot
4. rebooted
5. booted using the Windows XP CD
6. selected install and then viola the previous install was detected and I could select repair.

At this point it's doing a repair so there is not telling if all is well ... praying for the best at this point.

Regards -

/ja
Second Update -

I was a little too optimistic :(  
At this point to box starts the Upgrade, gets to the Preparing to Install Windows, and then starts Installing Devices and then goes to a blackscreen after 34%.  After rebooting and retrying the install several times I disconnected the second drive and just get a hung screen on 34%.  Any thoughts at this point?  Also as asked above is there a way to make the OS re-discover the hardware outside the OS, say from Recovery Console?  I look forward to any suggestions.

Warm Regards -

/ja
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mslunecka

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