Removing a system disk

[ogboot]

I have 2 30g on a raid array, and i have a backup 40gHD. i want to put the 40g in another box, but when i boot without it the first machine freaks because windows set the 40g up as the system disk. how can i remove this drive and set up my array as the system disk instead? windowsXP

[shiyan]

not sure... some ideas:

A pretty safe option would be to make a new installation of WinXP onto that raid array, just to get the bootloader onto the MBR and all the little files like boot.ini. After that just edit boot.ini, adding a new line for the old installation and set that as default. After that once everything works, delete the new installation, the system folder, the folders under Documents and Settings, and the line under boot.ini. Just remember to do the new install into another folder, say "WINDELET", or anything else you choose, just not overwrite your old "WINDOWS" folder.

Much riskier and I could be totally wrong here so don't try it:

copy all the little files required for start up into the raid array first. you have to go into folder options, and turn off "hide system protected files". Then you'll see all the files on that backup HD. copy them over to the raid array.

then use the WinXP cd and choose Repair (Recovery Console? not sure), log into your WinXP and do fixboot? or fixmbr? rather risky though.

[shiyan]

For example, if you did make the new install into the "WINDELET" folder, boot.ini should look something like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDEL ET
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDELET="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

to which you add one line and edit the default so it looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDELET="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

after you boot your old installation successfully, you just delete that last line.

[ogboot]

i tried fixboot with no results. i think i will reinstall windows on the array drive without the other disk installed, i have a nice backup that i can use so its not a question of file integrity, just thought it might be easy if i just changed one setting in a file somewhere, like in disk management, then remove the drive.....oh well.

[ogboot]

oh yeah thanks for the advice