How to move MBR to another drive

[erik46]

Hello all

I wonder if you could help me with an issue with regard to a multi-boot, xp / win 7 system.

Historically, I would run XP on my desktop workstation off a SATA drive, and later added win 7 on another SATA drive; still further down the line, i 'flipped' the win 7 onto a SSD drive.

Now, as far as I know, the MBR still resides on the older (SATA) drive. I would like to eventually ditch this drive and stay with the SSD where win 7 (x64) now resides.

However, I believe I'd need to somehow move the MBR to that drive...

Is this possible? How?

Thank you very much.

 

[gregrocker]

Always unplug all other drives during install so that this doesn't become an issue.

Go ahead a post back a screenshot of Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image
telling us what is on each partition/drive.

 

[erik46]

thank you.

here's the drive setup (i have quite a few disks in the workstation -- 6 physical -- so i only kept the relevant [partitions] in the screen capture).

#1 shows the original [xp] system partition where I suspect the MBR is located (because it is 'active' -?). I would eventually like to delete this partition (while keeping & booting off #3)

#2 shows the partition win7 were originally installed on (before flipping them over to #3, an Intel SSD drive). Again, I would like to eventually delete this partition as it's been rendered redundant.

#3 is the OS I am currently using, and the disk/partition I'd like to hold the MBR, becoming the system (and 'active' -?) drive.

Thank you!

 

[theog]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[erik46]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

done, thank you.

 

[whs]

You can't move the MBR because that is a fixed area on the disk. But you can move/copy the bootmgr to C (or any other partition) http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/209885-bootmgr-move-c-easybcd.html

 

[erik46]

You can't move the MBR because that is a fixed area on the disk. But you can move/copy the bootmgr to C (or any other partition) http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/209885-bootmgr-move-c-easybcd.html

thank you!

when you mention 'moving the bootmgr' i remembered the mgr is supposedly different with xp compared to latter win versions. is this true, or can this cause any issues down the line?

 

[theog]

when you mention 'moving the bootmgr'

If you move, a primary partition will be need to boot from.

 

[whs]

You can't move the MBR because that is a fixed area on the disk. But you can move/copy the bootmgr to C (or any other partition) http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/209885-bootmgr-move-c-easybcd.html

thank you!

when you mention 'moving the bootmgr' i remembered the mgr is supposedly different with xp compared to latter win versions. is this true, or can this cause any issues down the line?

theog is right. Your C partition is logical. You have to first make that primary. Sorry I overlooked that.

Your current active partition is 'Y'. It contains the bootmgrs for both XP and Windows 7. They will both be copied. But that is not a problem because in the process the C partition will be activated. You only have to change the BIOS boot sequence to boot from the SSD.

If you want to get rid of XP and the XP bootmgr entry , then you have to do this:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/210983-dual-boot-delete-os.html

 

[gregrocker]

Mark Win7 Partition Active, power down to unplug all other HD's, swap the XP drive's data cable to Win7 drive so it becomes DIsk0, then boot into the Win7 installation media or http://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/51100-repair-cd-system-repair-disk.html to run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html until Win7 starts and holds the System flag.

Now you can plug back in the other HD's, boot XP if needed using the one-time BIOS boot menu key. If it still shows a boot listing for Win7, delete it in msconfig>Boot tab.

 

[erik46]

Mark Win7 Partition Active, power down to unplug all other HD's, swap the XP drive's data cable to Win7 drive so it becomes DIsk0, then boot into the Win7 installation media or http://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/51100-repair-cd-system-repair-disk.html to run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html until Win7 starts and holds the System flag.

Now you can plug back in the other HD's, boot XP if needed using the one-time BIOS boot menu key. If it still shows a boot listing for Win7, delete it in msconfig>Boot tab.

thank you.

but as stated above, a logical partition (drive) cannot be made an active partition, right?

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, so convert it first using How to set partition as Primary or Logical with Partition Wizard , then http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html, then unplug all other HD's to run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html

 

[erik46]

Yes, so convert it first using How to Wipe Partition with partition manager? Partition Wizard Wipe Partition Help Video, then http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html

thank you (all).

 

[gregrocker]

The link was screwy after it posted. It said "How to Wipe Partition Manager" but opens the intended "Convert to Primary or Logical" Help video. So I corrected the link to How to Wipe Partition with partition manager? Partition Wizard Wipe Partition Help Video. Be sure you are converting to Primary and NOT wiping the HD!