Error Loading Operating System then Invalid Operating System!

This should be very easy, but it is not working. I am trying to clone a new disk (80G ATA 100 WD) from a working disk (80G ATA 133 Maxtor). The source for the clone is the active partition that is bootable and working normally. OS is Windows XP Pro.

The cloning seems to be successful -- at least that is the message I get from the Acronis software when everything is finished. Since I couldn't get this to work I also tried creating an image of my original disk and restoring it to my new disk as an active partition. I get the same results both ways.

When I remove my old disk and install my new disk (in the same computer with same hardware), I get this message when it tries to boot up: Error Loading Operating System. After reading another post on this board with the same error, I tried to repair the MBR using http://www.acronis.com/files/support/mbrautowrite_en.exe

After doing this I get this error when booting up: Invalid Operating System!

I also tried to repair the XP intallation by using my CD (both before and after trying to fix the MBR), starting out like I was going to reinstall XP (at the Repair Console screen, I chose the option to install XP) then at the next screen I choose to repair the existing XP installation. It copies a bunch of setup files then reboots to the same error messages.

What am I doing wrong or what can I do to fix this problem?

thanks,
Murray

 

Are you using the Acronis boot disk to do the cloning, or are you doing it from within windows? If one, try the other. Also, have you tried Maxtor's maxblast software? Use their bootable CD, not the windows based version.

 

I was doing it from the acronis application from within windows. I will try it using the Acronis boot disk, but theoretically, shouldn't it work from the Acronis application from within windows?

I tried both the Acronis disk formatting and windows -- same error each way. I guess I can try the Maxblast, but to me, it seems that the disk is formatted correctly (when I compare the files on my original and new disk, they appear to be exact copies of each other -- same folders, same size, etc.) so I don't really hold out much hope for this fixing my problem.

Thanks for the suggestions.
Murray

 

Forgot to mention, make sure your drives are jumpered correctly. So when you want the new one to be the boot drive, hook it up where the old one was and make sure it's jumper is configured as master, etc.
Good luck

 

Yeah I realized that...was one of the first things I did. I have all my drives as cable select, and moved the new drive to the master cable when I tried to boot it. I am running MaxBlast now...looks like it will take about 1/2 hour to finish!

 

I tried jimmytop's two suggestions -- using the acronis boot disk to create the cloned drive and using MaxBlast3. Same problems -- error loading operating system.

I am going to try to re-install windows on my cloned disk -- just what I was trying to get away from by buying Acronis. I have a general question -- it looks like MaxBlast3 will also clone disks. How does it compare to Acronis and since it is free with a Maxtor purchase, what are the advantages of using software such as Acronis which you have to pay for?

 

Please excuse my postings to myself. I tried reinstalling windows on my new drive and it failed just like the cloning attempts. I grabbed an old drive I had laying around and re-ran Acronis and cloned my original disk to this old disk. I removed my original disk and installed the cloned disk as the master and it booted up just fine! So it looks like my new hard drive was bad all along. Jimmytop, thanks for all the help.

Murray

 

I know you're getting tired of trying different things, but I would try the new drive jumpered as master. Some drives/mobos/hardware don't like cable select. Worth a try anyway....

 

Hello Murray,

I've assumed you've gone about it the right way. However, in case anyone coming to this thread becomes confused, please permit me to clarify a couple of your statements:

TI can't "Clone" partitions, only complete disks.

For the new disk to be bootable the whole of the source disk must have been "Imaged" not just the active system partition. This ensures TI includes the Master Boot Record into the image.

Regards

 

Murray, it seems like something is fishy with that new drive of yours But if the Windows installer, Acronis, and MaxBlast can copy those 1000's of files to the drive, then I don't think there is something physically wrong with the drive. Must the be configuration.

When you boot, can you enter the BIOS and check what it reports about the drive? Master, slave, UDMA mode, geometry, etc? Does it look alright?

Try downloading a Maxtor utility called PowerMax (or safe yourself a lot of trouble and download the http://www.UltimateBootCD.com/). PowerMax can do a lot of low-level stuff with Maxtor disks. Perhaps it will point you in the right direction.

Good luck,