Originally posted by Big Booger
I am assuming you have use of the windows XP GUI, installed on the other HDD, with the two Simple Dynamic drives installed as well.
If you need more help, just ask. I will do my best to find the solution.
BB
Whoa Nellie! Are you psychic or what. Thats exactly what I did. After I converted the two Cheetahs from BASIC to DYNAMIC DISKS, created the two SIMPLE VOLUMES, one being the SYSTEM VOLUME for the system files and the remaing space on both drives were configured as one 16Gb STRIPED VOLUME to be used as the BOOT VOLUME for the OS itself.

All this was done while on the XP OS run from my IDE drive. I then opened a command prompt and ran the retain command on both SIMPLE VOLUMES. It should have worked but didn't, hence my post. I started doubting this morning that this would be possible with XP but then I found these:

Reference 1: http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;309044
states "You must have at least 1 megabyte (MB) of free space on any master boot record (MBR) disk that you want to convert.
This space is automatically reserved when the partition or volume is created in Microsoft Windows 2000 or
Windows XP Professional."
1 is a good thing.

Reference 2: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tre...b_cnc_ploo.asp
states "You can convert basic disks to dynamic at any time. In most cases, you do not need to restart your computer to complete the
conversion. However, you must restart the computer if the disks you are converting contain any of the following volumes:
System volume (x86-based computers only).
Boot volume.
Volumes that contain the paging file.

When you convert MBR disks that contain the system, boot, or paging file volumes to dynamic, you are prompted to restart
the computer two times. You must restart the computer twice to complete the conversion."

2 is a good thing.

Reference 3: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tre...b_cnc_pbxa.asp
states "Although you can convert a basic disk to dynamic without losing data, you cannot convert a dynamic disk to basic
if the disk contains volumes. You must delete all volumes on a dynamic disk before you can convert it to basic."


3 is a good thing.

So if for some the "retain" thingy isn't working does this mean that I have to start with a BASIC primary partiton as a SYSTEM VOLUME and a logical partiton for the BOOT VOLUME. Then once XP is up and running convert the whole mess to DYNAMIC?

Then I found this tidbit: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tre...b_cnc_opkt.asp
it states "You can install Windows XP Professional on the following dynamic volumes:
* Any basic volume that was present on the disk when you converted the disk to dynamic by using Windows 2000.
* Simple volumes on which you run the DiskPart command retain. This command adds a partition entry to the
partition table so that you can install Windows XP Professional on the simple volume.
* An existing simple volume that is the boot or system volume.

I checked my SIMPLE VOLUMES by right clicking the drive label and the "Extend Volume" option is grayed out indicating that a partition entry exists in the table.

I am determined to get this working. When I ran W2k off a STRIPED VOLUME it flew, dying to see how XP would perform.

My brain is starting to throb now, I think I'll go watch some DVD's. Tackle this again tomorrow.

Thanks again B&B