W2K pagefile error after partition cloning from old harddisk with Norton Ghost

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I have clone my old harddisk to a bigger new harddisk with Norton Ghost. After the cloning, when I start up the W2K (after logon) it prompt an error "Your system has no paging file or the paging file is too small. Please use the virtual memory option of the System applet in the Control Panel to create a paging file or to increase the initial size of your paging file."

I know what it means and know what to do if I could logon sucessfully, but how can I do it without the successful logon? I mean I have no option but only click "okay" when it prompt. Then the OS log me out and then prompt login again. And after login, it prompt the same message. Could anyone help because I do not want to reinstall all the software and OS again.

Many Thanks!
 
Tried starting up in Safe Mode?
You could try running chkdsk on the new partition, check if there is enogh free space, delete the swapfile.
 
Yes, I have tried "safe mode" and "debug mode" and it is the same. BTW, I have PowerQuest and Ghost on hand but I'm using a Laptop...the notebook harddisk give me some extra effort if I wanna do it with PowerQuest. I guess what I have to do is reinstall everything.:rolleyes:
 
You'll have to do an in-place upgrade of Windows 2000 by booting from the Windows 2000 CD and "reinstalling" it. You will not lose any data and the vast majorirty of your settings and programs will remain intact once it is complete. This is a far better alternative to formatting. ;)


How to perform a system recovery
 
Did you partition the new drive with a DOS-tool like FDISK or Ranish Partition Manager (my favorit)? Then the partition is formatted FAT (16/32). If you cloned a Windows 2000 NTFS partition to this new FAT-partition you sure get the problem of a missing or corrupted Pagefile (I had).

As a solution I started W2k with the old drive and the new as a slave drive and formatted the boot partition on the new drive as NTFS, after that I did the cloning.
And it worked!
 
Originally posted by Rick
You'll have to do an in-place upgrade of Windows 2000 by booting from the Windows 2000 CD and "reinstalling" it. You will not lose any data and the vast majorirty of your settings and programs will remain intact once it is complete. This is a far better alternative to formatting. ;)


How to perform a system recovery

Does this work for other Windows OSs?
 
Yeah, this is a fun problem. :)

I am guessing it is more of a "bug" than anything and the problem lies with Windows 2000... Not ghost necessarily. I've worked on a couple of systems (all of which had Windows 2000) with the same problem.

I have not found a 'good' fix for it, but a system repair will fix it. Check out this thread for instructions on how to perform a system repair: https://www.techspot.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8356
 
This will work

Resolution Steps: After some research I found that Windows 2000 maintains a record of drive letters in the registry and re-assigns drive letters based on Globally Unique Identifiers (GUIDs) which are recorded for each volume. If the volume's GUID is modified or duplicated (i.e. by hard drive cloning software (i.e. Norton Ghost)), then the original drive letter may not be re-assigned to the boot volume.

So how to fix this problem? There are several possible ways to fix this but the easiest way that worked for me was to boot up with a Windows 95 boot disk (probably just about any old boot disk will work, if you don't have one then you can download one). Make sure that the FDISK program is on the diskette. Run the following command:

FDISK /MBR

This re-writes the Master Boot Record which removes the disk signature associated with the volume's GUID. Windows 2000 then re-assigns the drive letters and allows you to log on.

Phew! I thought I had locked myself out of my computer! This trick works for both FAT and NTFS partitions.
:knock:
 
IMAGE transfer from old IDE to SCSI disk

:giddy:
Hello gus, hello adigh, thanks a lot for you help...
It's really working... but some precisation.
My configuration
2x IDE disks
2x SCSI disk
images from 2x IDE to 2x SCSI.

I have to connect one SCSI disk per time to regenerate the MBR with both toghether make logically only the ID 0 DISK.
I tryed with windows recovery console (is possible to speficify the needed device) but didn't work. I suggest also to first a pagefile per disk after the first reboot and to change AGAIN the setting later. This help to flush old wrong registry data.

GRAZIE MILLE E UN BUON ANNO 2006 (happy new year 2006).

Saluti
M. Teruzzi
 
I Found a Simple Solution to PREVENT the Problem

:bounce: After dealing with this problem for over a week and trying to figure it out, I've done it, I've found a solution to prevent the problem and the solution is VERY simple!

I searched all over and found this and other discussions with people (even Microsoft) trying to correct this pagefile problem after cloning or copying a partition. The problem I had was that the FDISK /MBR solution doesn't work for me because I use a partition boot manager to boot multiple partitions. Using FDISK absolutely clobbers the installation preventing it from booting correctly. On top of that, I'd rather PREVENT the problem than have to try to fix it, so here it is:

1. PRIOR to cloning or copying a Windows 2000 partition, use REGEDIT and browse to the following branch:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices

2. DELETE all the keys in this branch.

3. Shutdown and clone away prior to booting that partition again.

I imagine if you clone or copy your partition live (while booted) that this will still work without shutting down. I happen to boot to the Partition Boot Manager (PBM from sadevelopment.com) or use Acronis True Image boot media so I haven't tried doing it that way.

When you boot the OS (the restored clone or the cloned system) Windows will, :bounce: first of all allow you to log in, :bounce: and second remount all drives and assign C: to the booting partition. The drive letters may have to be changed if you've reconfigured your drive(s) or if you had higher letter drive assignments with blanks in the middle, but that's easy.

For example, if the cloned system had drives A:, B:, C:, D:, F:, and H:, you will now have A:, B:, C:, D:, E:, and F:. Just go into Disk Management and reassign the letters as you like. At least C: will be the booting drive and Microshaft Windows will be able to locate the pagefile.sys.

Here are some of the fixes MS recommends:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/249321/en-us
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223188/
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812448/en-us

Again, those are to fix, mine is to PREVENT when you know the drive/partitions are going to change.

Good Luck!
 
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