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Edit D: Win 2k registry using E: Win 2k

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by macros 1 view

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I had 3 partitions + a harddrive.
....................Win2k......Win98
partition 1 Win98 ..(C:)........(C:)
partition 2 Win2k ..(D:)...........
partitions 3 Linux..................
Harddrive 2 Fat32 ..(E:)........(D:)
This is how each OS labeled each partition.
98 doesn't acknowledge the presence of Linux nor NTFS partitions.
I removed the harddrive and reformatted the Linux partitions as a single fat32. I manually assigned this new partition D: in Win 2k so that it would be seen as D: in both 98 and 2k.
BUT the subsequent reassigning of partition 2 as Drive E: in 2k has moved the paging file and bootsectors from the location where 2k expects to find them at D: and thus makes in unstartable
I loaded Win 2k onto partition 3 so nowI have 2 Win 2k installations.
I need to rename the partiton back from E: to D:. This can be done easily in the registry. What I can't do is access the original 2k registry. From F: 2k even if I RUN E:\winnnt\regedit.exe it opens the F: registry.
It must have a system setting for regedit to access %systemroot%. Where is this?
Or how do I access E: registry.

8 replies

by beermonster

Hi,
The registry is really just a collection of flat files, that are loaded into memory when the OS starts. Open regedt32, select the HKCU pane (so you don't get confused between the 'live' reg and the one you're modifying), then select registry \ load hive

Browse to system32\config\ on the partition you want to modify, where you will see the reg files - system, software etc - note that they have no extension. select the one you want, give any random name when prompted, and the file will beloaded so you can modify it. When you are done highlight the hive, select registry \ unload hive. That should be job done. Hope it goes ok....

by macros

Don't have access permissions to open that file accross from E:Win 2k to D:Win 2k. I do but no way of telling the comp that.
But even then, I fiddled with the hive function upon the working E:Win 2k and wasn't able to edit it anyway. What am I missing?

by amedee

I can give you a 'quick&messy' answer on how to open the E registry. Tried it myself in a similar case, and it works. But be very brave when you do this, and don't blame me when it goes wrong. By the way, 'quick' is rather relative in this case...
Booting from your windows 2K installation CD, install 2K again on the second partition.
The boot cd will name your second partition 'D' because it does not know anything about registry yet, so it uses the regular naming of partitions.
Install 2K again on the second partition (and here comes the magic) in the directory WINNT2, not in WINNT. Once it's up and running, edit the file boot.ini in the root of your D-drive. You'll find it's hidden, system and read-only so you might want to change that.
If it's not already there, add a lign identical to the one with WINNT2 in it, but change that to read WINNT. And set the timeout to something of 30 seconds, giving you time to meditate. :)
Now you reboot, choose the WINNT installation in your second partition and hopefully you have now a working 2K as you had before.

And another word of advise: invest some money in a program like Norton Ghost or Powerquest Driveimage before you go playing with partitions. And buy Partition Magic (or some other partitioning tool). By the way, Partition Magic has a drive letter renaming tool, I think it might have saved your day if you used it before you went on your perilous adventure.

Good luck!

by macros

The boot.ini has no data that will affect the paging file nor the drive lettering. It does have both win 2k partitions listed but the problem is further along. The boot.ini works fine. Unless I'm overlooking something

by geek2d

I hate to say it, but you may just need to start from scratch. If you can get your hands on another hard drive, I would install 98 and then 2K on it. slave the old HD and copy any files you want to keep. then if you want everything back on the original drive (if the second drive isn't that big)get a tool like PQ Drive Copy and move everything back. It sound like a lot of work but in the long run it would be cleaner.

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