OS Selector problems

Think I've screwed up here, but not so badly that it can't be recovered from.

I'm a software developer and I need to test install programs. The easiest way, I figured, was to make a couple of partitions with nothing but the OS installed. After testing the install, I could quickly restore the partition from a backup and be ready to go again.

I have an extra machine sitting here with Win2K installed on the C: drive. It's used for testing plug in peripherals that I don't want in my primary development box. I used DD10 to repartition like this:

c: original os with compiler, DD10, utils, etc.
d: shared utils
e: lots of empty space to store partition backups
f: small, bootable and empty except for OS and WinVNC
g: ditto f:

The partitioning went well and next I installed and configured OS Selector. All ok. Installed a version of Win2k on the f: drive and still things were just fine.

Then I noticed a command in OS Selector called "copy". Cool, it appeared from the help that I could simply copy my f: partition to g: and I'm all set. Well, I did something wrong and now I can't boot to c:. When I try, Windows reports it can't find ntoskernel.exe.

From f: I can see the c: drive and find that \winnt, \Docs & Settings and \Program Files are empty directories. Their contents are still on the c: drive under \BOOTWIZ. I tried to simply copy their contents back to where they belong, but the boot manager tells me that it must copy the empty directories back and the newly copied contents end up under \LOSTFILES. So, now I have three copies (slow learner so I had to try twice <grin>) of the needed directories but no way get them back.

It appears that I can use FIXMBR to disable the boot manager, but before I do, I thought I'd ask for help.

Thoughts and suggestions?

Jim

 

I'll have to reread this in the morning when I'm not so tired . The unused W2K installs need to be hidden when using OSS, otherwise W2K and XP seem to get all confused.


Colin