I am confused by a couple of things. Your Disk 0 is your boot disk with a 100MB system reserved,active and the 2nd partition "Boot" is your OS. But my confusion is that:
1) you have your pagefile which is a system file on Disk 1.
2) Disk 1 which is GPT/EFI seems unnecessary for such a tiny HDD.
I would put your pagefile back on the Disk 0 2nd partition and run Disk 1 as a standard MBR.
Okay okay. To clean up the misconception here some... Neither of these two HDDs (disk 0 or disk 1) were ever used/booted together continually. They're actually SSDs, but anyway they each were used separately, in the same box. They were only connected simultaneously for 2 reasons:
1. When Disk 1 was no longer bootable, Disk 0 was booted with Disk 1 connected (hot-plugged after Disk 0 loaded the OS), so that the files on it (Disk 1) could be accessed via the booted Disk 0.
2. To show both of the drives parameters in the DM screen shot as requested in this thread/post.
Both used to work fine independently, and why wouldn't they - they were connected separately, hence my previous comment about they had no idea the other existed - i.e., no conflict between the two could arise since they never were together (so to speak).
All I'm interested in doing now is having a look at the desktop from within Win 7 (booting Disk 1 without Disk 0) to see what files are there, or see if a restore is available to access/retrieve them.
This has nothing to do with compatibility - I don't and won't ever use them together. The one (Disk 0) was only implemented to access the other (Disk 1), via explorer.
Last edited by UserHAL; 18 Oct 2012 at 03:28.
bigmck:
Why two OS installs on two different disks: When the one was no longer bootable, it's not good practice to all of a sudden load another instance of the OS on the same disk - reason: data to be preserved could be overwritten (think forensics, though that's not the application here). So, to be SAFE - load another instance of the/a OS on another separate physical disk, boot into it and access the the other damaged OS via the file system. In other words, to break this down further: no disk write operations to a volume with data to recover, only read operations. I hope that clears it up.
greg: this had nothing to do with compatibility. The two disks were used separate of one another. They were only connected simultaneously for two purposes:
1. To access the damaged OS (on disk 1) from a known good working OS (on disk 0).
2. To indicate both drive parameters in the DM screen shot for this thread/post.
The two will never be used together. All I'd like to do is access or repair the damaged OS (on disk 1 in this arrangement with both connected, or it would be disk 0 if only it were connected - as it was before Win failed to boot/launch) to have a look at the desktop from within the windows environment (not accessing via the file structure via a second connected disk/os) to see what files are on the desktop or if a restore is available for the desktop etc.
mjf: I didn't change anything here. Two instances of the OS were loaded onto two separate drives. I'd swap one in the box for the other, then all of as sudden the one (currently showing as disk 1) stopped booting and required the recovery process. These two were never connected simultaneously prior to the booting problem. Only now for troubleshooting to see the parameters for both in the DM.
Of course the GPT/EFI was unnecessary, not being 2TB, was just experimental - however nothing to prevent it from functioning it being "small", just because GPT is to accommodate massive storage devices (capacity).
BTW: they're SSDs, not HDDs - just stated that so most could follow along.
Why change it to MBR when it worked previously as GPT etc.? I'm not sure that's the problem here.
bigmck: re: buying two different product keys, I don't think that's necessary for a temporary install to recover files. In other words, no long-term continual usage. That was your interpretation though, I have many OSs with separate keys - not a EULA issue. Difference between OS (version/type) and license (SN).
Last edited by UserHAL; 18 Oct 2012 at 03:29.
If an answer doesn't come along won 't be able to wait much longer than today to get this resolved. Probably have to just wipe the drive - typical.
Now you have explain some things. I think you should be able to retain Disk 1 (the non boot SSD) as GPT if it's only for data but move the pagefile back to the 2nd partition of disk 0.
But after the experiment I'd still make disk 1 an MBR (data) disk because of any potential software compatibility issues.
Since I reinstalled the OS on Disk 0, isn't by default the pagefile then also on Disk 0? I suppose I can check..
Please post back another Disk Mgmt screenshot so we can see the config after reinstall.
Is the data seen from the GPT disk in Win7 now?
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