Request help cloning hard drive

[Allen Weiner]

A friend gave me a Dell Dimension 4100 (constructed summer of 2000). Windows
98 SE was installed, but it no longer boots. He tried using the Dell
supplied Windows reinstallation disk, but the reinstall failed. He
subsequently misplaced the reinstallation disk. The computer boots bootable
CD's OK. I've booted Knoppix and the Ultimate Boot CD. According to
S.M.A.R.T. data, the HDD (WD102BB) has only 1500 power-on hours and is in
perfect health. The Western Digital HDD diagnostics reported zero errors.

I own a Dell Dimension L (constructed autumn of 2000). Windows ME is
installed. This PC comes with a Dell supplied Windows ME reinstallation
disk. I tried using this disk to install Windows ME on the Dim4100, but the
reinstall immediately failed.

Neither my friend nor I own a Microsoft Windows CD. So my next approach is
to consider cloning the DimL HDD to the Dim4100 HDD. One way to do this is
to temporarily transplant one of the HDD's to the other PC as a slave HDD
and use a disk cloning program. (Ultimate Boot CD has several disk cloning
programs.)

The HDD transplant approach runs into trouble with the DimL. Transplanting
into the DimL would be very difficult. The IDE 1 cable does not have a
connector for a second HDD. Also, there are no spare peripheral power
connectors. These cable problems could be solved, but with great difficulty
because the DimL internal drive bay is too cramped for me to work in.
Because of the cramped drive bay, it is also difficult to remove the DimL
HDD and transplant it to the Dim4100.

My question is: can I network the two PC's together (using a crossover
cable), run Knoppix or Ultimate Boot CD on the Dim4100 and clone the DimL
HDD to the Dim4100 HDD? If this can be done, please supply some details. (I
own only one monitor and I don't own a KVM switch. I could borrow a second
monitor if necessary.)

I've considered other approaches. I don't own or have access to an external
HDD. Neither the DimL nor Dim4100 has a DVD drive. My friend owns an
external DVD drive (both DimL and Dim4100 support USB 1.0 only.) Except for
what's on the Ultimate Boot CD, I don't own a disk-imaging program. I'm
looking for a very low cost solution (under $20).

 

[someone]

A friend gave me a Dell Dimension 4100 (constructed summer of 2000).
Windows
98 SE was installed, but it no longer boots. He tried using the Dell
supplied Windows reinstallation disk, but the reinstall failed. He
subsequently misplaced the reinstallation disk. The computer boots
bootable
CD's OK. I've booted Knoppix and the Ultimate Boot CD. According to
S.M.A.R.T. data, the HDD (WD102BB) has only 1500 power-on hours and is in
perfect health. The Western Digital HDD diagnostics reported zero errors.

I own a Dell Dimension L (constructed autumn of 2000). Windows ME is
installed. This PC comes with a Dell supplied Windows ME reinstallation
disk. I tried using this disk to install Windows ME on the Dim4100, but
the
reinstall immediately failed.

Neither my friend nor I own a Microsoft Windows CD. So my next approach is
to consider cloning the DimL HDD to the Dim4100 HDD. One way to do this is
to temporarily transplant one of the HDD's to the other PC as a slave HDD
and use a disk cloning program. (Ultimate Boot CD has several disk cloning
programs.)

The HDD transplant approach runs into trouble with the DimL. Transplanting
into the DimL would be very difficult. The IDE 1 cable does not have a
connector for a second HDD. Also, there are no spare peripheral power
connectors. These cable problems could be solved, but with great
difficulty
because the DimL internal drive bay is too cramped for me to work in.
Because of the cramped drive bay, it is also difficult to remove the DimL
HDD and transplant it to the Dim4100.

My question is: can I network the two PC's together (using a crossover
cable), run Knoppix or Ultimate Boot CD on the Dim4100 and clone the DimL
HDD to the Dim4100 HDD? If this can be done, please supply some details.
(I
own only one monitor and I don't own a KVM switch. I could borrow a second
monitor if necessary.)

I've considered other approaches. I don't own or have access to an
external
HDD. Neither the DimL nor Dim4100 has a DVD drive. My friend owns an
external DVD drive (both DimL and Dim4100 support USB 1.0 only.) Except
for
what's on the Ultimate Boot CD, I don't own a disk-imaging program. I'm
looking for a very low cost solution (under $20).

I think your heading for more trouble than enough Allen.
All the settings for a specify computer a stored on the hard drive.
When you take that drive to another machine, the settings probably
won`t match, so you`d have a lot of trouble.
If the machine is reasonable, format the drive and install a fresh OS
on it.
You might pick up an OS CD on Ebay etc.

 

[Rod Speed]

A friend gave me a Dell Dimension 4100 (constructed summer of 2000).
Windows 98 SE was installed, but it no longer boots. He tried using
the Dell supplied Windows reinstallation disk, but the reinstall failed.
He subsequently misplaced the reinstallation disk. The computer
boots bootable CD's OK. I've booted Knoppix and the Ultimate
Boot CD. According to S.M.A.R.T. data, the HDD (WD102BB)
has only 1500 power-on hours and is in perfect health. The
Western Digital HDD diagnostics reported zero errors.

You should be able to install any Win you like on
it using a full CD as opposed to a reinstall disk.

I own a Dell Dimension L (constructed autumn of 2000). Windows
ME is installed. This PC comes with a Dell supplied Windows ME
reinstallation disk. I tried using this disk to install Windows ME on
the Dim4100, but the reinstall immediately failed.

Yeah, most of those wont install on something else.

Neither my friend nor I own a Microsoft Windows CD. So my next
approach is to consider cloning the DimL HDD to the Dim4100 HDD.
One way to do this is to temporarily transplant one of the HDD's to
the other PC as a slave HDD and use a disk cloning program.

That may or may not work. Basically depends on how
close the motherboard is with the two machines. Win
will often need new drivers off the install CD when the
hardware changes significantly on the first boot of the
cloned drive. That usually wont be happy with a reinstall CD.

(Ultimate Boot CD has several disk cloning programs.)

Yeah, that part is completely routine.

The HDD transplant approach runs into trouble with the DimL.
Transplanting into the DimL would be very difficult.
Nope.

The IDE 1 cable does not have a connector for a second HDD.

Completely trivial to use another cable, even the one
out of the Dell Dimension 4100 just for the cloning.

Also, there are no spare peripheral power connectors.

You dont necessarily need everything else powered to do the
clone. So you only need a total of 3 power connectors. And
you can get Y cables that increase the number of connectors too.

These cable problems could be solved, but with great difficulty
Nope.

because the DimL internal drive bay is too cramped for me to work in.

You dont actually need to do anything to that drive, just
plug the drive out of the Dell Dimension 4100 into the
DimL using the ribbon cable out of the 4100 and have
the drive loose with something insulating under it.

Because of the cramped drive bay, it is also difficult to
remove the DimL HDD and transplant it to the Dim4100.

Yeah, they can be a bit fiddly.

My question is: can I network the two PC's together (using
a crossover cable), run Knoppix or Ultimate Boot CD on the
Dim4100 and clone the DimL HDD to the Dim4100 HDD?

Its more usual to image the original drive to a PC thats
networked to the first PC, then restore from that PC to
the other PC you want the clone in. That works fine and
I do it quite a bit myself when rebuilding systems.

Ghost 2003 can clone like you want
to but its a bit tricky to setup.

If this can be done, please supply some details.
(I own only one monitor and I don't own a KVM switch.
I could borrow a second monitor if necessary.)

I've considered other approaches. I don't own or have access to
an external HDD. Neither the DimL nor Dim4100 has a DVD drive.
My friend owns an external DVD drive (both DimL and Dim4100
support USB 1.0 only.) Except for what's on the Ultimate Boot CD,
I don't own a disk-imaging program. I'm looking for a very low
cost solution (under $20).

I dont think its worth the hassle myself, the ME is unlikely to
run on the 4100 even when its been cloned to its hard drive,
because you dont have an ME distribution CD for ME to get
the extra drivers off. It would probably work if the DimL had
a full ME install on its hard drive, but its likely a cut down
install that Dell has done which doesnt have the extra drivers
on the hard drive. A full ME install might well have enough to
allow the system to boot and then you could download what
other stuff you need off the net or from a data CD.

It would be simpler to get a pirate copy of ME using emule or torrent.