Can you backup the MBR ?

Hi ... I would like to know if its possible to make a MBR back up only or restore a MBR from another hard drive with the same windows install ? Can I just make a backup of the master boot record only ? What I have done was made a full ( My Computer ) backup onto a seperate partition . My origianl c drive which had windows xp was reformated and now this partition is clean empty . Now I did a restore backup onto this reformated drive but I now get the master boot record missing NTLDR .

BTW I am using 2 hard drives with windows xp install , that how I was able to reformat the original c drive and restore a backup ...

 

You don't need to backup the MBR, the full backup you did of your c: drive should be automatically bootable (whether you checked the MBR box or not) when restored on any hard drive. I never backup the MBR and have yet to run into a full backup that I couldn't restore.

More than likely you have to edit the boot.ini file to get it to boot. Also if you had 2 windows xp hard drives connected at the same time you might have a drive letter change problem.

With windows xp, I always use a "boot corrector" to fix these problems. A quick 5 minute fix in most cases.

If you try to use MBR from another hard drive on you current hard drive, it will not work. It would be better to do a FIXMBR AND FIXBOOT repair, but those usually won't fix a boot.ini or drive letter problem.

 

Terry:

The message "ntldr is missing" is not generated by the Master Boot Record code but rather it is a message generated by the Partition Boot Record. This means two things:

1. Your MBR is fine; it did its job and transferred control to the Windows partition.
2. There is something wrong in the Windows partition. Most likely the file boot.ini is pointing to the wrong partition or disk.

On your original C drive, did you have more than one partition? Which one was Windows installed to?

On your reformatted drive, how many partitions and which one did you restore to?

Probably all you need to do is change boot.ini to point to the correct partition. For example, here is what boot.ini should look like for Windows XP on the first partition of the first hard disk:

Code:

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

Can you connect this disk to another PC and look at the file C:\boot.ini? Remember that it is a hidden, protected operating system file so you may need to enable viewing of these two types of files to see it.

 

Terry,

Just to make this clear in my mind, you created an image of the OS on the first HD and wrote this image to the second HD. Did you verify the image?

You then formatted the OS partition on the first HD and restored the image to the first HD.

Only one partition on each HD?

 

When I do a full backup of " My Computer " It never restore without having this problem missing NTLDR . Ok so where do I get this " boot corrector " from ? thanks

I will try to answer the other posters now to .

 

My is exactly like your and I still get the NTLDR problem

[boot loader]
timeout=07
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

 

No I have 2 hard drives , both are partition into 2 drives . Hard drive # 1 >>> first partition ( C drive ) has windows install . Second has the backup image which is a full " My Computer "

Hard drive # 2 is a clone from hard drive # 1

Now I boot up with hard drive # 2 and then I reformatted hard drive #1 only the partiton with the c drive not the other partition with the backup . Once the formatted is finish ? I then restored the backup from hard drive #1 second partition . Afterwards I get this NTLDR missing .

 

At the moment I am booting up this windows with the NTLDR problem . I have a disk with only the NTLDR files on disk which my boot order is set to boot from the optical drive first , but without it I can't boot up , even if I place the boot order hard drive first . Yes the drive is the correct drive in the boot order .

 

Wow, Terry, that is confusing.

Did you create the clone of HD #1 before or after you created the image?

Did you create the image of the OS on HD #1 after you created the clone. In other words, was there an OS on HD #2 when you created the image of the OS on HD #1.

jonyjoe81 will have a field day.

 

What I have done on hard drive # 1 was I partition the drive into 2 drives . I install windows and all my stuff . I kept the second partition empty . I then clone this drive onto hard drive # 2 . Once it was finish ? I check it to see if both hard drive will boot , which they do . I then made a full backup from the first hard drive on the second partition ( the empty drive ) and now I try to restore this backup back but I get this damn NTLDR missing . I hope that make any sense lol

Thanks for everyone helping .

 

Terry,

How were you handling the dual boot? Which boot manager? What were the drive letters?

You have a very unusual technique which unfortunately is probably causing your problem.

k0lo, what do you make of it?

 

I wasn't dual booting . I just kept the second hard drive unconnected . I only use it for emergency it case like now my original backup on my #1 hard drive doesn't work . I would then just clone this drive onto my main hard drive back . I was hoping that I didn't have to use it this way and rather just use the full image backup from my main hard drive . This is were my problem is . It doesn't work and I am now wondering why every time I try the restore backup I always get this NTLDR missing . I really like this software , though with all the money ATI makes from it I would wish they would have guides so people can follow from . This way if I made a error somewhere I could located from where but doing it this way can be confusing as to how to perform and restore a full backup image . Bed time now and I will check tomorrow here for more help . Thanks ...

 

This does suggest that both HDs were connected to the motherboard. How did you restore the image? From Windows or the TI recovery CD?

When you created the image of the OS on HD #1, was the second HD connected to the motherboard.

 

Hi Brian:

It's late here and I'm somewhat incoherent, but it sounds to me like Windows saw two identical hard disks and made changes to one of them to make it unbootable. I'd also like to figure out what it does when this happens.

You could try restoring the bootsector of the restored drive by using the fixboot command from a Windows XP CD.

 

Terry,

I'll be away for a few days but I was going to ask if you had tried a conventional restore. Only the first HD in the computer, boot to the TI CD and restore the image from the second partition. It doesn't matter if the first partition is formatted or blank.

 

Terry:

1. Which version and build of TI are you using?
2. On your restored disk, is the file C:\ntldr present?

I agree that Brian's method is the one that should be used. Get any other disks containing an installed version of Windows out of the picture when you boot the recovered disk for the first time.

 

Okay if that what you mean by dual doot , then yes both hard drives were connected because that is how I try to re load the backup from . I would boot up HDD # 2 and use True Image program . I would start the program and try to restore the back up on HHD#1 second partition onto the first partition of my HDD #1 . Thsi is getting confusing it would seem for everyone . I am going to just clone it again . This I know wioll work . I would like to understand how in the hell does this back up feature actually work ... All I would like to do is have one hard drive partition into 2 drive . One for my OS and the other to keep a backup of my computer . Can this be done ? If so how ? Because everytime I do a full " My Computer " backup image onto my second opartition and then whenever I want to restore tjhis backup it never works . So what am I doing wrong here ? Thanks

 

Terry, a piece of the puzzle is missing. For most users it is the Clone feature that gives problems and they're advised to use Backup and Recovery instead.

You say Clone works for you. Here's something to try. Make the bootable Rescue cd, boot with it and try to restore the Backup that is on Drive 2's second part to Drive 1 first partition. Don't use the Backup, which is identical, that you have on Drive 1.

 

LMAO with cloning . It has never fail on me . I have try to use the Rescue cd and boot from it , Also I would only have the one hard drive connected . Its partition into 2 drive . One were the backup image is and the other space as to where I want the backup to go , Still it doesn't work LOL What kills me the most is why with all the tech stuff available nowadays ATI can't have guides to view to follow or even watch a video on maybe youtude or something like it . Is that to much to ask ? I know I bet it would sure help many people as well ... I should mention the second hard drive doesn't have a backup image only a empty partition . Any ways I did the clone feature again and i'm up and running ok , though I would like to use the backup feature but I don't believe it will work .

BTW I am using the latest version ( 11 ) and latest build ( 8053 ) on windows xp pro ps2

 

Well that's good that the Clone feature works for you. Once you've booted with the newly cloned drive you can then reconnect the other drive into the system. But now, try what I suggested, copy the Backup Image to anywhere on Drive 2 (it doesn't have to be on the empty part). Then use the Rescue CD to restore the backup to Drive 1.

Part of the difficulty with the instructions probably stem from the fact its a translation from Russian to English. Look for any message by GroverH and in his signature are several excellent links on how to use True Image.

 

Okay I will give it a shop . I have many extra HDD . I will use 2 different HDD and place the backup copy onto one drive and then try to restore it onto the other HDD using the rescue cd , hang on for the answer while I give it a try .

 

That work DwnNdrty . So I am guessing you can't restore a image within the same hard drive ? or you can't do a full " My computer " backup because I have 2 partition with one having the backup image ? Correct or not ?

Thanks

 

Terry:

The above statement is the key here, whether done via a clone or from a backup image. You were having problems because you were letting Windows "see" two identical drives on first boot.

 

I don't deal with more than single partition drives so can't help there. I like to keep things simple. I never create a situation where the Backup is on the same drive I want to restore to, even if temporary. And since you have multiple hard drives, you shouldn't have to do so either. If you make use of those rack and tray devices for hard drives it would simplify drive changes immensley. I find them invaluable. Glad you got the Backup worked out.

 

Sound like a good idea . I now have the backup image on a different hard drive . Well thanks for your help and from the others who try to help