Questions:
1) Both servers are x64?
> yes
2) What installation files(Graphical installer, source,etc)?
> postgresql-9.3.0-1-windows-x64 from enterprisedb.com
3) Does the data directory have the config files?
> yes
however, postgresql b won't start ("not listening")?
4) How are you starting?
> pgadmin -> start server
5) What is the exact error message and where are you seeing it?
> "server not listening on port 5432" in cmd ('netstat -ab | find "5432"' also returns empty)
so i restored postgresql b's old /data/, but it still won't start?!
6) So there was an existing Postgres instance at b?
> yes. two installations - a and b.
7) What version was it?
> both are 9.3.0-1 from the same installation file (above).
fyi, pg_bouncer process was running even after the server shutdown when i did the copy (since size is not an issue, i could copy the entire /postgresql/?).