i've got windows xp pro sp2 (x86) installed on one drive, and i hooked up a second drive which happened to have xp pro (x64) installed on it. once the system booted (into x86) it went nuts, saying i had chkdsk errors and that xp system files had been written over and that i needed to insert the original disc to replace them. i insert the disc, it doesn't do anything, so i shutdown, remove the x64 hdd, and reboot.

now windows says it can't load kernel dlls, i can't system restore, safe mode, whatever, and i can't re-install over the existing partition because windows says it isn't a partition i can install on.


WHAT THE FUCK. both installations are virus-free and were in perfect running condition (on the same pc) before i had both drives in at the same time.

5/26/2006 12:10:38 AM

use hiren's boot cd or something similar to format the drive on your own and then try to reinstall

[Edited on May 26, 2006 at 12:15 AM. Reason : .]

5/26/2006 12:15:04 AM

thats the thing, i can format it fine (assuming) but i've got about 211 gigs of information i'd like to get off the drive first

right now i'm using acronis true image to copy information off the hdd onto the network (we got the good shit at work) and it seems to be working fine. won't know till its done copying and i try to read the complete image

5/26/2006 12:38:05 AM

Find someone with external hardrive

Get them tu copy data over from your drive to theirs

wait

...

Profit

5/26/2006 1:05:32 AM

I believe there is an optional windows xp 32 bit update that helps you transfer data from a 32 bit environment into a 64 bit. i dunno if it works the other way. if you do winupdates, and choose advanced or whatnot, you can see it. (KB896344)

as for getting you data back from your partition, you probably need an ntfs explorer program. (don't use a trial version of something, it will only show you that i can look at stuff, but won't actually let you look.)

5/26/2006 2:12:39 AM

found my solution, the backing imaging software works fine (off of a cd!) and it supports my raid host and network card and lets me backup onto a network share

fuckin awesome (kindof)


btw this shit sucks. the only reason i hooked up the x64 drive was because i wanted to format it and use it as a backup drive.


FUCK.

5/26/2006 2:22:17 AM

well at least you learned a valuable lesson about how shitty coexisting microsoft OS's can be

5/26/2006 9:14:28 AM