Pre installed OS

My laptop came with Vista preinstalled, but my hard drive is almost full. I
want to change my hard drive but don't know how to copy the OS as well as
every other thing over. I'd also heard of authentication problems when doing
similar.
Any help would be appreciated!

Brianm123 wrote:
> My laptop came with Vista preinstalled, but my hard drive is almost
> full. I want to change my hard drive but don't know how to copy the
> OS as well as every other thing over. I'd also heard of
> authentication problems when doing similar.
> Any help would be appreciated!
=================================
I'm thinking the first step would be to backup
all of your important/personal documents.

Maybe Acronis True Image would perform
the task you describe.

Have a look at chapter 14 in the .pdf version
of the manual:

Chapter 14. Transferring the system to a
new disk
http://us2.download.acronis.com/pdf...age11_ug.en.pdf

--

John Inzer
MS Picture It! -
Digital Image MVP

Digital Image
Highlights and FAQs
http://support.microsoft.com/ph/695

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

The date and time was 1/16/2008 2:23 PM, and on a whim, Brianm123
pounded out on the keyboard:

> My laptop came with Vista preinstalled, but my hard drive is almost full. I
> want to change my hard drive but don't know how to copy the OS as well as
> every other thing over. I'd also heard of authentication problems when doing
> similar.
> Any help would be appreciated!

Hi Brian,

Is it logical to you that your drive is full? Have you stored that much
on it so soon? Or are you questioning why it's full.

If you haven't done it before, it would be better for you to take it to
someone who can image your old drive to a new one. Once it's imaged it
can be swapped. It's a little more difficult to do with a laptop than a
desktop.

--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

"Brianm123" <Brianm123@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:67846D2A-9C58-4D66-ABAC-2476FACEC825@microsoft.com...
> My laptop came with Vista preinstalled, but my hard drive is almost full.
> I
> want to change my hard drive but don't know how to copy the OS as well as
> every other thing over. I'd also heard of authentication problems when
> doing
> similar.
> Any help would be appreciated!


Are you sure that it is reporting the boot drive as full?

Have you been saving stuff to your recovery partition, because if you have,
it would not take much to fill it being as the partition is just large
enough to hold the recovery data without reporting as being full..

--
Mike Hall - MVP
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

Where did you laptop come from? If it is new laptop this is an unrealistic
situation you are describing. No manufacturer will install an OS to fill the
entire HDD.

One option is that somebody installed this Vista over another OS and Vista
collected most of the stuff from the previous OS and put into Windows.old
OS.

It is quite possible you do not need it at all. Delete or better copy it to
an external HDD just in case and then delete it. It will free at least 40%
of your boot drive.

I am thinking. Vista Premium takes about 30Gb, as I recall all things
included. If it is Home basic or Home Premium it should be much smaller. It
appears your HDD has about what 40Gb capacity if it is brand new and you
haven't had a chance to load it with any stuff? Very hard to believe.


"Brianm123" <Brianm123@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:67846D2A-9C58-4D66-ABAC-2476FACEC825@microsoft.com...
> My laptop came with Vista preinstalled, but my hard drive is almost full.
> I
> want to change my hard drive but don't know how to copy the OS as well as
> every other thing over. I'd also heard of authentication problems when
> doing
> similar.
> Any help would be appreciated!