cant set old hdd inactiv But SSD runs perfect by itself.

[savvy]

done this many times on many systems. . SSD on many systems. never an issue w7
Short question how to set 2nd hdd boot inactive, given HP BIOS EFI is brick dumb. (intractable)
I am aware that GPT EFI is setup to block booting from "unauthorized media" but secureboot, turns that off.

Long:
Title GPT doomed. But SSD runs perfect by itself.
Ok windows, 8 and 8.1 64bit,
Brand new laptop, hp 17.3 e-0067cl (for wifey)
I did's:
update w8 , 100 updates, took 16hrs. (crashes it,endlessly) good now ( i did 10 upates, 10 times for 100) magic of MS.
update to 8.1 ok.
backup to external hdd , using Paragon w8.1 backup (hp make recovery disk to 32gb sandisk extreme flash, fails, and HP forum all others too.....a bad

rebecca.exe.) (gave up)

kick to curb the DVD drive install a new caddy and new SSD. (in same , it works)
mirror old hdd to new ssd, using farstone, (the best and free)
moved, ssd to hdd, main location. hdd out of system.
boots and runs fast as lighting,
now I put in the HDD to the caddy, yes, i know that only one disk can be active. but how do you flip that bit, not plugged in, sure.'?
now the dumb, BIOS EFI in the HP can not select boot sequence at all, it has just this boot manager, that is not accessible..at all.
it runs a while then wants to boot to hdd, i can't stop it nor fix bios, but (esc+f9) force boots work to SSD. as expected.
So i try partition-wizard, it shows HDD as active and can not set to inactive, (it's not fully gpt aware? but works great all other modes)
i hide all those partitions and the boot up ignores hidden flag.... GPT,EFI..!
i run from elevated CMD.exe, MS- DISKPART
and select (old windows (my label) vol 2.
i command Inactive to old windows part. vol2
it errors out, saying,can only be used no MBR disk.

i read up on that and it meant, GPTs don't have active flags (bits) ok, im game...
odd how windows 8 DISKPART is not up to the task for GPT,
or I dont know Diskpart anymore....?

keep in mind i want to keep the HDD in the system. for the D:recovery partition, that HP needs. and will not fit on SSD.

bios set to NON secure boot, for all this. testing.
did not try SATA legacy mode, (it gives warnings in BIOS not to use that)
i moved this hdd to non efi bios system desktop, with win 8.0 and same deal.
I wonder what my win7 Desktop would do?, wreck the GPT , structures? i'll not do that.

my guess is there is new procedure to render the GPT EFI , inactive, but is not documented?, (tons of format it from scratch, on many forums....odd that)
i tried, my w8 startup repair STICK (PE) same Diskpart error.

please help, me learn how to control this GPT disk, (drive 2)
is there a DISPART2(gpt)?

thanks for any help ! any at all...
Retired-ETtech

 

[genet]

Here is some info about MBR and GPT partition style: link

update w8, 100 updates, took 16hrs.

You only need to install KB2871389 update, then you’ll be able to install the Windows 8.1 update via the Windows Store.

Update is available that prepares Windows 8 and Windows RT-based computers for the update to Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 RT

But if you've opened the Windows Store and you don't see the Windows 8.1 update, then you will need to also install KB2917499 update.

Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 upgrade information is not displayed as expected in Windows Store

 

[savvy]

Here is some info about MBR and GPT partition style: link

update w8, 100 updates, took 16hrs.

You only need to install KB2871389 update, then you’ll be able to install the Windows 8.1 update via the Windows Store.

Update is available that prepares Windows 8 and Windows RT-based computers for the update to Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 RT

But if you've opened the Windows Store and you don't see the Windows 8.1 update, then you will need to also install KB2917499 update.

Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 upgrade information is not displayed as expected in Windows Store

thanks but all that works.

windows update 8.0 has 100 updates, that don't work but i got that to work by forcing 10 at a time. 10x10 and bingo !
MS H3LL deal. (hp has w8 missing 100 updates OOTB )
then windows 8.1 is easy, ive done many. no big deal . and was fast.

what dont work is DISKPART,
I can not set drive 2 HDD< old boot inactive which make the HP bios go nuts.
the HP UEFI bios will not allow me to pick the BOOT drive. (sure F9 manually every boot) but not boot order.

I want to make 2 hard disks work,
SSD boot and HDD (inactive)
ive done this on many desktops. and w7, but laptops.>>>>>?????
Its a GPT issue and ms ,documentation does not address this.

 

[Clintlgm]

Here is some info about MBR and GPT partition style: link

update w8, 100 updates, took 16hrs.

You only need to install KB2871389 update, then you’ll be able to install the Windows 8.1 update via the Windows Store.

Update is available that prepares Windows 8 and Windows RT-based computers for the update to Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 RT

But if you've opened the Windows Store and you don't see the Windows 8.1 update, then you will need to also install KB2917499 update.

Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 upgrade information is not displayed as expected in Windows Store

thanks but all that works.

windows update 8.0 has 100 updates, that don't work but i got that to work by forcing 10 at a time. 10x10 and bingo !
MS H3LL deal. (hp has w8 missing 100 updates OOTB )
then windows 8.1 is easy, ive done many. no big deal . and was fast.

what dont work is DISKPART,
I can not set drive 2 HDD< old boot inactive which make the HP bios go nuts.
the HP UEFI bios will not allow me to pick the BOOT drive. (sure F9 manually every boot) but not boot order.

I want to make 2 hard disks work,
SSD boot and HDD (inactive)
ive done this on many desktops. and w7, but laptops.>>>>>?????
Its a GPT issue and ms ,documentation does not address this.

I would back up all the data you want to save to another drive.
Then use Diskpart from a elevated Command Prompt
C:\> DiskpartDISKPART> list disk
DISKPART> select disk (id)
DISKPART> online disk (if the disk is not online)
DISKPART> attributes disk clear readonly
DISKPART> clean
DISKPART> convert mbr (or gpt)
DISKPART> create partition primary
DISKPART> select part 1
DISKPART> active (if this is the boot partition)
DISKPART> format fs=ntfs label=(name) quick
DISKPART> assign letter (letter)
DISKPART> list volume

This should clean and convert the disk to GPT again and format NTFS. Do not make active!!, Then move your data back to your Newly cleaned an formatted disk

I've done this with Mini Tool partition wizard with no problems? It sounds like something is different with your set up but Diskpart should solve it.

With Minitool you would delete the hard drive, convert to GPT, create logical partition, format NTFS, Apply Reboot and you'll have an empty hard drive ready to transfer data too.

 

[Saltgrass]

A picture of your Disk Management window might be helpful, but beyond that I am having a hard time understanding what you want to know.

The bios setting determines what type of boot devices are available, UEFI, Legacy, or Both. Secure Boot is an extension of the UEFI configuration.

In a UEFI world, the system boots to a Windows Boot Manager, which is contained in the Firmware and partly on the hard drive.

Each Windows Boot Manager needs a EFI System partition to hold the boot files. One EFI system partition can contain more than one Windows Boot manager and a EFI system partition can be on more than one Hard Drive, depending on your configuration.

If you could open an Administrative command prompt and type the following, it would tell us how your system is currently configured.

bcdedit /enum all > %userprofile%\Desktop\Bcdtext.txt

or if using a administrative PowerShell window

bcdedit /enum all > $Env:userprofile\Desktop\Bcdtext.txt

Then zip and attach the text file.

 

[savvy]

Thanks,
to effectively manage systems we need to know all possible paths.
for example a system running 100s of apps, (serious not games)

• solutions for cloning a drive. with or with out removal after.
• and for mirror backups.
• and for converting the whole system from UEFI GPT back to MBR (for buggy, system BIOS; happens!)
• ? i sure others can add more.

Then use Diskpart from a elevated Command Prompt
C:\> DiskpartDISKPART> list disk
DISKPART> select disk (id)
DISKPART> online disk (if the disk is not online)
DISKPART> attributes disk clear readonly
DISKPART> clean
DISKPART> convert mbr (or gpt)
DISKPART> create partition primary
DISKPART> select part 1
DISKPART> active (if this is the boot partition)
DISKPART> format fs=ntfs label=(name) quick
DISKPART> assign letter (letter)
DISKPART> list volume

This should clean and convert the disk to GPT again and format NTFS. Do not make active!!, Then move your data back to your Newly cleaned an formatted disk

I've done this with Mini Tool partition wizard with no problems? It sounds like something is different with your set up but Diskpart should solve it.

With Minitool you would delete the hard drive, convert to GPT, create logical partition, format NTFS, Apply Reboot and you'll have an empty hard drive ready to transfer data too.[/QUOTE]

 

[savvy]

thanks !
i have 2 solutions, now, you inspired me..
im backuping the whole thing up, to Acronis , tib files, then formatting it to fat32. and putting it back
then it will not interfere with my buggy , HP UEFI BIOS.
best wishes. to all.

 

[Clintlgm]

thanks !
i have 2 solutions, now, you inspired me..
im backuping the whole thing up, to Acronis , tib files, then formatting it to fat32. and putting it back
then it will not interfere with my buggy , HP UEFI BIOS.
best wishes. to all.

I don't believe I would format a hard drive FAT 32, NTFS would be proper.

 

[savvy]

my post is because i didn't read the 10 things never to do GPT.
i blush.

PROPER? as in (what? )
there is nothing wrong with fat32, for small files..
tech republic:
one thing's for certain, nothing seems to beat the old-school FAT32 file system for high interoperability between major operating systems with read-and-write capability (and a master file allocation table that doesn't trash itself as easily as the newer exFAT can).

even GPT windows 8
has a fat32 for the boot partition (hidden) it's not going away. soon.

I do have one fat32 part.
on a laptop with a 1/2 nuked GPT boot(HDD) drive E:
and the partition was small so Fat32 it is. this preserved my HP D:/RECOVERY partition) untouched by me, and works

the only real limit is that 4gb file limit.

nothing to fear with Fat32 at all but fear itself.