Boot Problem

messiah62 · Apr 1, 2007, 09:26 PM

I have 2 harddrives, one is about to die and i want to get rid of it, but i cant because vista wont boot up if its not in, ive formatted the hdd so theres is no files on it or anything but some reason its still required by my computer. It is an ide drive and vista is on another drive that is sata-II. Anyone know what i can do to make vista boot with out that hdd

Monkeyboy · Apr 1, 2007, 11:59 PM

Have you tried removing the HDD in device manager, then physically removing the drive itself once you have shut the PC down?

messiah62 · Apr 2, 2007, 05:09 AM

well what woud i do if it wont start up once that is done?

Monkeyboy · Apr 2, 2007, 12:09 PM

I'm thinking that if you remove it from the device manager, your system won't be looking for it any longer provided you disconnect it before powering up again.

GutterPunk · Apr 2, 2007, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zardon

3: Installed Vista on a secondary drive, but having problems and want to erase it while keeping Windows XP on a main drive?
Go into windows XP, format the vista drive, if it says its protected, go into start/run/diskmgmt.msc - find the hard drive, format it (quick). if you STILL find its saying its protected, delete the partition first by clicking on it and erasing. then make a primary partition.
Run Vistabootpro http://www.vistabootpro.org/ (needs .net framework v2+ and runs in both XP and vista - vista incidentally has net framework built in), make windows XP the only boot option (Vista will have taken over your boot menu) and wipe vista from the boot sectors. reboot. reinstall vista to the wiped drive. Nothing in XP will be touched or removed.

Vista boot pro is great, I used it on my first setup. Give it a try and see if it helps you out.

messiah62 · Apr 2, 2007, 03:58 PM

i just tried bootpro and it didnt work

Ferret_Style · Apr 3, 2007, 09:58 PM

your boot managment and mbr is on the IDE drive. Take out the bad drive and boot up using the Vista disk. Run the repair and it should repair the MBR and boot management to run on the only hard drive you have. Also make sure that the SATA is setup as the primary boot device in the bios.

dipstick · Apr 3, 2007, 10:27 PM

If you install windows on an sata drive and you have an ide drive attached when doing so, windows installs files on the ide drive even if you specified an sata drive during the install. I have found no way to remove the ide drive after doing so other than reinstalling windows. If you end up reinstalling make sure to unplug all ide hard drives from the motherboard during the installation.

messiah62 · May 9, 2007, 03:18 AM

tried it and it still didnt work

Ferret_Style · May 9, 2007, 04:50 AM

then it sounds like you have the configuration in the bios causing it to require the IDE. I would go through your bios setting and set it for native to SATA. other then that hell buy a cheap IDE and stick it in

if that is the only fix it works.

messiah62 · May 10, 2007, 11:32 PM

im also trying to put in a 40gb ide but it still doesnt work. It wont let me get rid of this drive it sucks. I cant find the IDE default setting in my bios but i dont think there is such a thing. My mother board is a DFI Lanparty UT ultra-d

messiah62 · May 14, 2007, 04:25 AM

OK so hers the fine details

I have Vista on an 80gb sata hard disk. All of my files are on that hdd. I have another 80gb ide hdd insatlled which is divided up into 2 partitions. The harddrive has nothing on it except for the boot sector. I Cant figure out how to get the boot mgr of vista off that hdd and into my sata hdd so i can take the crappy ide one out

Ferret_Style · May 14, 2007, 02:13 PM

Take the IDE out. In the bios make sure the Sata is setup as the boot hard drive. then try the cd to repair the booting and see what happens.

messiah62 · May 14, 2007, 09:37 PM

i fixed it

Ferret_Style · May 14, 2007, 10:56 PM

how so?

messiah62 · May 15, 2007, 03:10 AM

used boot pro to force write a new boot mgr then i uninstalled the hdd with windows and unplugged it with no ide's, updated bios, then used the vista cd to fix the boot mgr. then it worked.

Apr 1, 2007, 09:26 PM	#1
messiah62 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 40 Rep Power: 0	Boot Problem I have 2 harddrives, one is about to die and i want to get rid of it, but i cant because vista wont boot up if its not in, ive formatted the hdd so theres is no files on it or anything but some reason its still required by my computer. It is an ide drive and vista is on another drive that is sata-II. Anyone know what i can do to make vista boot with out that hdd

Apr 1, 2007, 11:59 PM	#2
Monkeyboy DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Vista: the woe starts now! Posts: 113 Rep Power: 0	Have you tried removing the HDD in device manager, then physically removing the drive itself once you have shut the PC down? Last edited by Monkeyboy; Apr 2, 2007 at 12:06 AM.

Apr 3, 2007, 10:27 PM	#8
dipstick HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: USA Posts: 3,609 Rep Power: 71 System Specs	If you install windows on an sata drive and you have an ide drive attached when doing so, windows installs files on the ide drive even if you specified an sata drive during the install. I have found no way to remove the ide drive after doing so other than reinstalling windows. If you end up reinstalling make sure to unplug all ide hard drives from the motherboard during the installation. Last edited by dipstick; May 10, 2007 at 11:39 PM.

Apr 2, 2007, 05:09 AM	Thread Starter #3
messiah62 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 40 Rep Power: 0	well what woud i do if it wont start up once that is done?

Apr 2, 2007, 12:09 PM	#4
Monkeyboy DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Vista: the woe starts now! Posts: 113 Rep Power: 0	I'm thinking that if you remove it from the device manager, your system won't be looking for it any longer provided you disconnect it before powering up again.

Apr 2, 2007, 03:58 PM	Thread Starter #6
messiah62 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 40 Rep Power: 0	i just tried bootpro and it didnt work

May 9, 2007, 03:18 AM	Thread Starter #9
messiah62 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 40 Rep Power: 0	tried it and it still didnt work

May 10, 2007, 11:32 PM	Thread Starter #11
messiah62 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 40 Rep Power: 0	im also trying to put in a 40gb ide but it still doesnt work. It wont let me get rid of this drive it sucks. I cant find the IDE default setting in my bios but i dont think there is such a thing. My mother board is a DFI Lanparty UT ultra-d

May 14, 2007, 04:25 AM	Thread Starter #12
messiah62 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 40 Rep Power: 0	OK so hers the fine details I have Vista on an 80gb sata hard disk. All of my files are on that hdd. I have another 80gb ide hdd insatlled which is divided up into 2 partitions. The harddrive has nothing on it except for the boot sector. I Cant figure out how to get the boot mgr of vista off that hdd and into my sata hdd so i can take the crappy ide one out

May 14, 2007, 09:37 PM	Thread Starter #14
messiah62 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 40 Rep Power: 0	i fixed it

May 15, 2007, 03:10 AM	Thread Starter #16
messiah62 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 40 Rep Power: 0	used boot pro to force write a new boot mgr then i uninstalled the hdd with windows and unplugged it with no ide's, updated bios, then used the vista cd to fix the boot mgr. then it worked.