Hey Pro's,

I need to install a larger primary hard drive. Instead of having to
re-install all my software, I would like to initially install the new
hard drive as a secondary drive, make an exact copy of my C: drive to
the new drive. Then pull the drives out, plug the new drive in as
the primary, and hopefully boot right up.

What is the best way to accomplish this? Xcopy?

Lasagna stained wooden leg wrote:
> Hey Pro's,
>
> I need to install a larger primary hard drive. Instead of having to
> re-install all my software, I would like to initially install the new
> hard drive as a secondary drive, make an exact copy of my C: drive to
> the new drive. Then pull the drives out, plug the new drive in as
> the primary, and hopefully boot right up.
>
> What is the best way to accomplish this? Xcopy?

Ordinary copy methods (XCOPY, etc.) will not work and cannot be made to work
because they don't know of the existence of system data (Master Boot Record,
partition tables, etc.).

Use the utility made for just this purpose from the new hard-drive's
manufacturer.

"HeyBub" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Lasagna stained wooden leg wrote:
>> Hey Pro's,
>>
>> I need to install a larger primary hard drive. Instead of having to
>> re-install all my software, I would like to initially install the new
>> hard drive as a secondary drive, make an exact copy of my C: drive to
>> the new drive. Then pull the drives out, plug the new drive in as
>> the primary, and hopefully boot right up.
>>
>> What is the best way to accomplish this? Xcopy?
>
> Ordinary copy methods (XCOPY, etc.) will not work and cannot be made to
> work because they don't know of the existence of system data (Master Boot
> Record, partition tables, etc.).
>
> Use the utility made for just this purpose from the new hard-drive's
> manufacturer.

While the cloning utility supplied by the disk manufacturer is the
best option, you can actually use tools such as xcopy.exe,
provided you do it like so:
1. Temporarily install the source and the target disk as slave
disks in some other WinXP PC.
2. Partition & format the target disk.
3. Use xcopy or robocopy to copy all files from the source to
the target disk. Make sure to include hidden files and file
permissions.
If you have a Bart PE boot CD then you can even do this on
the current PC.

Most new hard drives come with migration software that will do all of this
for you. Maxblast is for Maxtor drives. Check the website of your drive
manufacturer.
Louis

"Lasagna stained wooden leg" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:cff67f08-efa1-4c02-b582-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hey Pro's,
>
> I need to install a larger primary hard drive. Instead of having to
> re-install all my software, I would like to initially install the new
> hard drive as a secondary drive, make an exact copy of my C: drive to
> the new drive. Then pull the drives out, plug the new drive in as
> the primary, and hopefully boot right up.
>
> What is the best way to accomplish this? Xcopy?