XP Home + Pro causing data access problems

[andyjenk]

Hi,
I've had a copy of XP Pro for quite a while and as my XP Home is getting a bit overblown I thought I would try installing XP Pro with SP3 to a different (USB) drive.
I foolishly thought that as I was installing to a totally separate physical drive I would not need to back up my data. I reckoned without Microsoft!

I have XP Pro installed OK but I cannot get back into XP Home - hal.dll corrupted. I've tried replacing it but keep getting the same error. I can't find my XP home disk so I've expanded the one on the XP Pro disk. Also tried one downloaded from a web site. No joy.

Worse, I was denied access to My Documents on the original C: drive from within XP Pro on F:!! I've got around this by going into Safe Mode and taking ownership, but I can't figure out how to get at my messages and address book in the "old" Outlook Express. These messages contain such things as Software Keys and some which need replies, so they are important.

Has anyone any suggestions, please? My preferred choice would be to get XP Home working again so I can back up, but recovering the e-mail stuff would suffice.

Am I correct in believing that hal.dll is the same for both XP Pro and XP Home?

Thanks

 

[tifc8lraz]

How did you install XP to a USB drive?

You can't unless you have modded files in a certain way...trust me, I tried once .

I read up on it.

In any other case, you need to edit the boot file to be able to get into your other install.

 

[andyjenk]

Hi cfitzarl,

I followed the guide at a link which I'm not allowed to post as my post count is less than 5. Include ngine in the search

That bit worked a treat - it even worked putting XP Pro on a 2GB SD card - but a bit slow. I slipstreamed SP3 into the XP Pro set up.

Could you elaborate on what I need to do to the boot file (and how), please? Currently on booting I'm given a choice of Pro or Home. Pro works, home doesn't.