Hard Drive copy problem

[Karnevil9]

Here is the situation. I have a WD 60gig 2mb cache hardrive that has two XP partitions and two Linux Partitions. I am tryiing to replace this with a WD 120 Gig 8mb cache hardrive.
First try I set up New drive as master and old drive as slave. I run the WD Date Lifeguard tools and transfer the primary 15 gigs of partition space from the 60g drive to the 120 G drive. When I'm done the new drive will not boot. I make a boot disk from Data L and still no boot. I update MBR using Data L, and still no boot. I only get as far as the varifying DMI pool on the boot screen.
I put set the 60 g drive as master the 120 as slave. I can boot into the 60g drive. From there I can see that the fiiles have transferred to the new drive. I use windows XP to do a repair of the new drive and still no boot..

I then do a clean install on the new drive and use partition magic to make two 30 gig partitions on the new drive and install XP on each. It boots fine. I use power quest Data keeper to back up all files on the old drive and send them to one of the partitons of the new drive. Now,again the new drive will no longer boot. Get error message stating that windows has a problem accessing the license key. But I can boot to the parition that does not have the new files on it. I send files from bad parition to good parition and now neither will boot, error accessing licensing key.

I use Power quest parition magic to delete all paritions on old drive, with the exception of the primary Windows XP partiton, thinking that perhaps the lilo installer is messing everything up. I then update the MBR on the old drive. I also format the new drive to wipe everything off and to start from scratch. I set both drives for cable select this time and put new drive on primary plug of cable, and put the old drive on the slave of the plug. I then copy everything again using the data lifegaurd tools. When it is done, again the new drive will not boot. I try to update the MBR again and nothing, I create a back up boot disk and try that and still will not boot. even when I disconnect the old drive, no boot. It only goes as far as varifying DMI pool on boot up screen. I put the old drive back in by itself and she boots right up.

Unless you guys no what I am doing wrong, or have some suggestions to try, I think the only thing left is do a clean install on the new drive and save old files from old drive to disk and reload them manually to new drive.

[Karnevil9]

Helloooo out there in computer land.

Edit, I got some possible solutions from Western Digital support and Microsoft that I have not had time to try yet. Hopefully this should do it.

[oddjob]

The only way that I've had success cloning a drive properly was to put each drive as master on separate ribbons, and use a disk utility (I used Maxtor Maxblast) outside of Windows. It worked well, and it didn't matter whether or not they were Maxtor drives that I was using. When I've used WD DataLifeguard, it would identify other brands of drives but only work on WD drives.

[doctorgonzo]

Is this a computer you built, or is it storebought?

[Karnevil9]

Thanks Oddjob. That may be worth a shot.

Doctor G, this is my own build.

[Karnevil9]

Oddjob, If I put each drive on seperate IDE cables does it matter which one is the primary master and which is the secondary master? Should the new drive be primary. Also does all the opitcal drives have to be disconnected? If so, I imagine that I have to run the data lifegaurd tools from floppy.

[glc]

I'd disconnect the opticals and make each drive master, which is which doesn't matter. Use 80 wire cables and cable select.

[Karnevil9]

I've just done that today, but I had to leave for work before I had a chance to reboot and see what happens.

While on the subject of rebooting, what would be the best way to do it? Should I leave it set as is (each hardrive on a seperate IDE cable with no opitcals) when I reboot the computer for the first time, or should I set it as it will be used (replace the opitcals and remove the old drive and run the new drive as single primary) before I reboot.

[oddjob]

Option 2: set it as it will be used (replace the opitcals and remove the old drive and run the new drive as single primary).

[Karnevil9]

Thanks. I won't be able to test it until later this morning. After I get home from work. I will post with the results.

[Karnevil9]

Done the above and it still won't boot from that hard drive. I got the files that I need saved to disk so I think I am just going to do a clean install. Thanks everyone.

[Karnevil9]

Just a thought, would this problem be caused by the licensing of the windows XP OS? Or does M$ account for this type of upgrade? It seems that everything is fine until I take the original hard drive out. Some other searches I have done suggested doing an OS repair before the first time you boot back back to the new hard drive.

[Billz]

well, the way I understand it, is WindowsXP sets a number based on your hardware, and then when you activate windows it activates the license with the number it created from your hw...if you change pieces of hardware the number changes, maybe XP checks this, and decides you are trying to use xp on a different computer, thus deciding your licence is invalid. when my computer did this, I had to call Microsoft, and tell them I had only upgraded the video card, and they told me how to get to the screen to re-activate it.