BIOS and Boot help, multiple HDDs

[xr4man]

something else you could try is to boot off a linux live cd and transfer the files to an external drive, then try and transfer them back to your main drive under windows.

[altec]

something else you could try is to boot off a linux live cd and transfer the files to an external drive, then try and transfer them back to your main drive under windows.

This is always the first route I go to. Used to be DOS disks, and some time with the command prompt. Now I just keep a Ubuntu CD on hand.

If you are skipping booting windows at all you can probably boot with both of them plugged in as well. So you can skip a external.

[Munty]

Thanks guys but I have no external drives and no way to boot from off the HDDs. I tried moving one game directory from the E: drive to a flash drive and it had the same problems. It's certain .dll files and executables that won't copy but so far the only exception to those 2 file types is 1 app file that wouldn't move.

[x88x]

Thanks guys but I have [..] no way to boot from off the HDDs.

What about that CD drive you mentioned..you could boot off that, neh?

Alternately, is this XP Home or Pro?

[Munty]

It's home, and yes I could boot from the CDD if I had a boot disk but that's what I mean :p Can boot from a flash drive if I want but that still won't help me transfer files will it? I can see both HDDs and transfer files between them ok. It's just that certain files refuse to copy or move. THAT's the problem now...

[xr4man]

the point is that i have found that booting off a linux cd sometimes lets you access files/partitions that windows says are corupt. i only say to use an external drive to move files because i can't remember if linux can write to ntfs yet or not. i know it can read from it, but not sure on the writing part.

but if it does, then you wouldn't need teh extra step or hardware of the external drive.

[Munty]

AAAAH I don't get why it just doesn't move! It seems to be applications, executables, DLLs and html files now that won't move. It's still saying the same thing, surely there is a way to allow access to these bloody files isn't there?! I don't have boot disks and external drives and such. I just want to put those files on this HDD!

[farlo]

try emptyloop's unlocker, works pretti well for getting control over those pesky files.

http://www.emptyloop.com/unlocker/

[x88x]

i can't remember if linux can write to ntfs yet or not.

Yup. It has been able to write reliably to NTFS for at least a few years now.

It's home

Hmmm, that is unfortunate.

I think the problem is the file security settings not allowing you to access files because they never knew about the user that you are currently using to try to access them. If you were using Pro it would be a simple matter of changing the file permissions, but home can't do that...because MS decided home users didn't need that function for some reason...

I think your best bet is to download a Linux live-disk, boot from that, and move the files around wherever you want them.

[Munty]

Thanks guys I'll have another go tomorrow I guess No idea what to do with a Linux Live-disk or how to get one though so I'll be back here before any more progress is made I think! And thanks Farlo will take a look at that too!