Howto activate removable hard disk

**NoDex** · 09-18-2008, 05:43 AM

I have problems to mark removable hard disks to active, so I can boot car comp from it. I installed totally ripped XP to 1 compact flash disk SiliconDrive 4GB SSD disk and it boots up fine. I have used driveImageXML to make a image from it and restored to the dist but comp says "boot up disk failure" and I cant mark it active in windows. I have searched many sites and tools but no success. I have to clone these disks many so I wont be installing XP manually every disk.
Does anyone know is there a tool to make it in windows? Card is plugged to USB2.0 flash card reader on my desktop computer.

I gratefully thank if some 1 can help me.

Tomi

**Sicarius** · 09-18-2008, 11:00 AM

Hmm, maybe it doesn't have an MBR (Master Boot Record).

Boot up your XP install CD and enter the recovery console. From there run "fixmbr" and see if it works.

**Hellrazor978** · 09-19-2008, 10:06 PM

I have successfully done this on a laptop using a microdrive on a usb cf reader. You have to trick the system into thinking this is a local disk, and not removeable storage. I had links for some drivers to edit, but I cannot find them. Knowing this info.... google it....

**NoDex** · 09-23-2008, 09:55 AM

Thanks for replys!

I succesfully have no done it with kind of a simply way with help of this http://www.lancelhoff.com/2008/06/19...as-local-disk/ link.

Basic idea is just like Hellrazor978 said "You have to trick the system into thinking this is a local disk, and not removeable storage."

After it is a local disk, you can via windows disk management utility activate the removable media or/and partitiate it.