I have an XP system that the HD is showing preliminary signs of failing. On
previous versions of non-NT windows I have done the following and would like
to know if this works for XP. I remove hard drive from the system and set
it up in a second system along with the new hard drive. With the setting to
display all files including system files in Windows explorer I copy all
files from the old hard drive to the new hard drive. I then install the new
hard drive in the old system. I would like to do this as opposed to
purchasing a third party product. Will this technique work on XP?

Thanks,

Tom Haughton

Tom, that won't work. You could try your hard drive manufacturers website.
Some have free software that copy one drive
to another. Also, Knoppix Linux Live CD has that feature. You can get it
at www.distrowatch.com Might be worth a try
before investing in Ghost or True Image.
"Tom Haughton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have an XP system that the HD is showing preliminary signs of failing.
>On
> previous versions of non-NT windows I have done the following and would
> like
> to know if this works for XP. I remove hard drive from the system and set
> it up in a second system along with the new hard drive. With the setting
> to
> display all files including system files in Windows explorer I copy all
> files from the old hard drive to the new hard drive. I then install the
> new
> hard drive in the old system. I would like to do this as opposed to
> purchasing a third party product. Will this technique work on XP?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tom Haughton
>
>

"Tom Haughton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have an XP system that the HD is showing preliminary signs of failing.
On
> previous versions of non-NT windows I have done the following and would
like
> to know if this works for XP. I remove hard drive from the system and set
> it up in a second system along with the new hard drive. With the setting
to
> display all files including system files in Windows explorer I copy all
> files from the old hard drive to the new hard drive. I then install the
new
> hard drive in the old system. I would like to do this as opposed to
> purchasing a third party product. Will this technique work on XP?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tom Haughton

Contrary to what other respondents say, your approach will
work nicely, provided that you copy all hidden and system
files. You must also set the target partition to "active".
When finished you need to do this in order to restore the
boot environment:
1. Install the new disk in your PC. Do NOT connect the old disk.
2. Boot the machine with your WinXP CD.
3. Select Repair / Recovery Console.
4. Type these commands:
fixboot
fixmbr

"Tom Haughton" wrote:
>I have an XP system that the HD is showing preliminary
> signs of failing. On previous versions of non-NT windows
> I have done the following and would like to know if this
> works for XP. I remove hard drive from the system and
> set it up in a second system along with the new hard drive.
> With the setting to display all files including system files
> in Windows explorer I copy all files from the old hard drive
> to the new hard drive. I then install the new hard drive in
> the old system. I would like to do this as opposed to
> purchasing a third party product. Will this technique work
> on XP?


That's too much work. Just download a free 30-day
trial copy of Casper XP from:
www.FSSdev.com/products/casperxp/ . Then copy
the partition containing the OS to the same numbered
partition on the new HD. Then, with the new HD *alone*
in the old PC, start the PC. Your OS will boot normally,
thinking that it's just its ol' self, not realizing that it's a clone.

*TimDaniels*

Can you please email me. I would like to discus this further with you
off-line.

Thanks!

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Pegasus (MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Tom Haughton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I have an XP system that the HD is showing preliminary signs of failing.
> On
>> previous versions of non-NT windows I have done the following and would
> like
>> to know if this works for XP. I remove hard drive from the system and
>> set
>> it up in a second system along with the new hard drive. With the setting
> to
>> display all files including system files in Windows explorer I copy all
>> files from the old hard drive to the new hard drive. I then install the
> new
>> hard drive in the old system. I would like to do this as opposed to
>> purchasing a third party product. Will this technique work on XP?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Tom Haughton
>
> Contrary to what other respondents say, your approach will
> work nicely, provided that you copy all hidden and system
> files. You must also set the target partition to "active".
> When finished you need to do this in order to restore the
> boot environment:
> 1. Install the new disk in your PC. Do NOT connect the old disk.
> 2. Boot the machine with your WinXP CD.
> 3. Select Repair / Recovery Console.
> 4. Type these commands:
> fixboot
> fixmbr
>
>

Tom

Go to http://www.acronis.com .. download the 15 day full trial of Acronis
TrueImage 9, and use it to clone to your new drive..

Backup important stuff first.. the instructions for TrueImage are simple,
but still read carefully.. the process does not take long..

Resist any temptation to follow a route that includes any DOS function..


-
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User


"Tom Haughton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have an XP system that the HD is showing preliminary signs of failing.
>On
> previous versions of non-NT windows I have done the following and would
> like
> to know if this works for XP. I remove hard drive from the system and set
> it up in a second system along with the new hard drive. With the setting
> to
> display all files including system files in Windows explorer I copy all
> files from the old hard drive to the new hard drive. I then install the
> new
> hard drive in the old system. I would like to do this as opposed to
> purchasing a third party product. Will this technique work on XP?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tom Haughton
>
>

Thanks Rich. I will try the Knoppix. Do you know why it is this will not
work? Hidden or System files that XP refuses to copy?

Tom Haughton

I have opened this temporary account for you:
(E-Mail Removed)
Replace both letters "z" with "s".


"Richard Urban" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Can you please email me. I would like to discus this further with you
> off-line.
>
> Thanks!
>
> --
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
>
> Quote from George Ankner:
> If you knew as much as you think you know,
> You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
>
> "Pegasus (MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> >
> > "Tom Haughton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> I have an XP system that the HD is showing preliminary signs of
failing.
> > On
> >> previous versions of non-NT windows I have done the following and would
> > like
> >> to know if this works for XP. I remove hard drive from the system and
> >> set
> >> it up in a second system along with the new hard drive. With the
setting
> > to
> >> display all files including system files in Windows explorer I copy all
> >> files from the old hard drive to the new hard drive. I then install
the
> > new
> >> hard drive in the old system. I would like to do this as opposed to
> >> purchasing a third party product. Will this technique work on XP?
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >>
> >> Tom Haughton
> >
> > Contrary to what other respondents say, your approach will
> > work nicely, provided that you copy all hidden and system
> > files. You must also set the target partition to "active".
> > When finished you need to do this in order to restore the
> > boot environment:
> > 1. Install the new disk in your PC. Do NOT connect the old disk.
> > 2. Boot the machine with your WinXP CD.
> > 3. Select Repair / Recovery Console.
> > 4. Type these commands:
> > fixboot
> > fixmbr
> >
> >
>
>

"Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote:
> Go to http://www.acronis.com .. download the 15 day
> full trial of Acronis TrueImage 9, and use it to clone to
> your new drive..


A caveat is in order. If True Image version 9 is like
version 8, True Image can only copy an entire HD
contents to the 2nd HD. If all you have on the 1st HD
is one partition, True Image will do the cloning fine.
But if there are two or more partitions on the 1st HD
and all you want to clone is one of them, OR... if the
2nd HD has a partition which you wish to keep, you're
SoL with True Image.

Casper XP, on the other hand, can transfer just
a designated partition on the 1st HD to the 2nd HD,
and it can put it among pre-existing partitions on the
2nd HD.

*TimDaniels*

True Image can't do the job, even in it latest version.

Ghost 9.0 (and later I presume) "can" copy just one of many partitions (the
Windows partition comes to mind) from a hard drive to a "new" hard drive, as
long as the new drive is as large, or larger, in capacity as the source
partition.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Timothy Daniels" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news-(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote:
>> Go to http://www.acronis.com .. download the 15 day
>> full trial of Acronis TrueImage 9, and use it to clone to
>> your new drive..
>
>
> A caveat is in order. If True Image version 9 is like
> version 8, True Image can only copy an entire HD
> contents to the 2nd HD. If all you have on the 1st HD
> is one partition, True Image will do the cloning fine.
> But if there are two or more partitions on the 1st HD
> and all you want to clone is one of them, OR... if the
> 2nd HD has a partition which you wish to keep, you're
> SoL with True Image.
>
> Casper XP, on the other hand, can transfer just
> a designated partition on the 1st HD to the 2nd HD,
> and it can put it among pre-existing partitions on the
> 2nd HD.
>
> *TimDaniels*