At 11:28 PM 8/7/2004, "M. Akram Fazal" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>5) If the hard drive is partitioned in parts then itself is C&D... and
>like wise.letters D, E, F.. are skipped and the second hard drive is
>detected after that (counting the number of partitions) and then the CD
>Roms are counted likewise.

I had the new hdd as slave on the primary.

Using the Seagate DiscWizard, I partitioned the entire thing as FAT 32.  It
wouldn't allow me to do NTFS...choices were grayed out.  I'm **guessing**
here, but it's because I was booting from 98se?  For some reason, this time
my attempt to format the disc with Seagate's DiscWizard went through to
completion.

Using the XP Pro cd, I attempted to partition the disc as NTFS, in 4
partitions, beginning with the letter E:.  The setup even asked me how I
wanted things.  So I figured I'd just let Windows shift the cdroms over to
the next letters.  I thought I was examining all the screens diligently and
it seemed as if all was going according to plan.

Then Windows quickly told me it was copying a whole bunch of files to the
C: and did so.  Why did Windows do that?  Then I got the error that there
was either no <windowsroot>\system32\hal.dll or a corrupted one and Windows
can't do the next step.  So I stopped the setup.  Now I can dual boot to a
working 98se with a bunch of new files on the C:, or a non bootable XP
which is supposed to be on the E: drive, but who knows.  (In looking at the
new files on the C:, I see C:\$win_nt$.~ls\hal.dl_ .  In looking at the
files on the XP cd, I found <cdroot>\i386\Hal.dl_ .  Is that the same file?)

My data is still located on the D:.  I'm looking at My Computer through
98se, and it's designated as:
floppy on A:, C: has 98se and all those new files, D: has my data and
program files, with the cdroms as E: and F:.  I unplugged the newly
installed hdd before I powered up, just to see what would happen, and
that's what happened when I chose to use 98se.  Except for the new files on
C:, that is the original layout.

What I'm going to do is, like Joseph suggested, simply hook the new hdd up
as a stand alone disc and try that route.  At least maybe then I'll get to
experience the joy of XP Pro in this lifetime...

However, now that all those new files are on the C: of the present hdd
running 98se, will that effect XP Pro on the new hdd?  I guess my concern
is based on the fact that I don't know what those new files are for plus
the fact that things seem to go awry for me and maybe this portends another
OS moment...and I don't mean Operating System.

Is this experience something that's normal in the process of working within
the computer case?

(Over the past couple of months, I've become completely frustrated with the
software aspect of technology, but fascinated with the nuts and
bolts.  Indeed, next week I begin a study regimen for networking, lan, wan,
etc, and protocols.  Kinda funny for this former ballerina.)

thanks and apologies for the verbosity,
Diane

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