Copying entire OS while running Windows

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I want to make an exact copy of my C: drive with XP on it using Ghost.

I can plug another drive into the USB port.
Can I make a full complete copy of C: that will be bootable without messing
up Windows?

When it is complete; I would unplug the backup drive.
 
It sounds like you have a question about Norton Ghost. If so you need to
contact Symantec technical support. This newsgroup is for Windows XP.

In general, disk imaging software makes an exact copy of a hard disk (or
a disk partition). If you run into trouble you can restore the image,
which replaces the contents of the disk (or partition) with the image.
If your hard disk was bootable when you made the image, it will be
bootable after you restore the image (absent hardware problems.)
 
I want to make an exact copy of my C: drive with XP on it using Ghost.

I can plug another drive into the USB port.
Can I make a full complete copy of C: that will be bootable without messing
up Windows?

When it is complete; I would unplug the backup drive.
Click to expand...

Windows XP has problems boot XP from any removable USB / Firewire
drives. Microsoft never intend XP to be ever booted from a removable
drive. (Note: SCSI and eSATA drives are not considered to be a
removable drive for XP.) Search the Internet and look for other
people who have found methods of getting XP to boot from USB /
Firewire drives.

As for "cloning" hard drives, Ghost, or any other disk imaging
systems, will reboot the XP into a "specialized" "operating mode"
which will permit the copy of all the Windows XP files.
 
"As for "cloning" hard drives, Ghost, or any other disk imaging
systems, will reboot the XP into a "specialized" "operating mode"
which will permit the copy of all the Windows XP files."

That was certainly true in the early years of disk imaging, however
today's imaging software can image a drive - even a system drive - while
it's open and being used. It can also restore a non-system drive while
the computer is being used, but to restore a system drive you ordinarily
have to reboot the computer and let the software do the restore before
Windows loads.

Acronis True Image has a feature called Snap Restore that can restore a
system partition while it is being used, but for most situations when
you want to restore a system partition you'll want to reboot the computer.
 
What I am trying to say is I want to do an entire copy of my C: drive onto
another 100 gig hard drive which I can connect with USB.
And I'm wondering if WIndows will start to run off both drives and mix files
together.

Because I want to then remove the copied hard drive in case I might later
need to use it as my Main C: Drive in the future.

So the copied drive would be bootable if I swap it in the future.

Also the problem with Ghost imaging is that it tells me I can't restore
because it doesn't have the drivers for my separate hard drive controller.
 
What I am trying to say is that I have another hard drive connected through
USB.
I want to do an exact clone copy file by file while running in Windows.
Ghost will do this but----will XP then intertwine OS files while the system
is running after the full copy?
I know you can't boot up two drives with XP because the files would get
mixed up.

Does this make sense?

The backup drive would be swapped with C: in the future if I ever need to
use it.
So it would replace my C: drive at that time and be bootable.

Ghost imaging won't work because it tells me it doesn't have the hard drive
controller drivers if I needed to Restore the image.
 
What I am trying to say is that I have another hard drive connected through
USB.
I want to do an exact clone copy file by file while running in Windows.
Ghost will do this but----will XP then intertwine OS files while the system
is running after the full copy?
I know you can't boot up two drives with XP because the files would get
mixed up.

Does this make sense?

The backup drive would be swapped with C: in the future if I ever need to
use it.
So it would replace my C: drive at that time and be bootable.

Ghost imaging won't work because it tells me it doesn't have the hard drive
controller drivers if I needed to Restore the image.
 
What I am trying to say is I want to do an entire copy of my C: drive onto
another 100 gig hard drive which I can connect with USB.
Click to expand...


OK, good.

And I'm wondering if WIndows will start to run off both drives and mix files
together.
Click to expand...


No, it won't anything like that at all.


Because I want to then remove the copied hard drive in case I might later
need to use it as my Main C: Drive in the future.
Click to expand...



That's fine. Then what you want is a "clone," not an image.

So the copied drive would be bootable if I swap it in the future.

Also the problem with Ghost imaging is that it tells me I can't restore
because it doesn't have the drivers for my separate hard drive controller.
Click to expand...


You would simply physically replace the original drive with the copied
one (taking the copied one out of its USB enclosure). No restore is
needed.

You can do this with program like Ghost or Acronis True Image (my
personal favorite).
 
So it is safe to "CLONE" the C: drive to another -- Shut Down--and remove it?

But then if I want to update the Cloned Copy---I can't boot up with both
drives? Correct?

And if not is it ok to turn on the SUB cloned drive after I boot up if I
want to reclone to update the second drive?
 
So it is safe to "CLONE" the C: drive to another -- Shut Down--and remove
it?

But then if I want to update the Cloned Copy---I can't boot up with both
drives? Correct?

And if not is it ok to turn on the SUB cloned drive after I boot up if I
want to reclone to update the second drive?
 
So it is safe to "CLONE" the C: drive to another -- Shut Down--and remove it?
Click to expand...


Sure. It's a standard method of backup used by many people.

But then if I want to update the Cloned Copy---I can't boot up with both
drives? Correct?
Click to expand...


I'm not sure what you're asking. You can only boot from one drive at a
time. However, you can certainly have your external USB drive attached
when you boot, and then make a new clone on it.

And if not is it ok to turn on the SUB cloned drive after I boot up if I
want to reclone to update the second drive?
Click to expand...


Again I'm confused. Are you asking whether you can plug in the USB
drive after booting? Yes, you can do that too. It doesn't matter much
whether the USB drive is plugged in before you boot or afterward.
 
You're trying to do this the hard way. Here's the easy way:
1. Purchase imaging software and an external hard drive.
2. Image your internal hard drive to the external hard drive. Do this as
often as you like.
3. If your internal hard drive becomes corrupted, simply restore the
image from your external hard drive. If the internal drive is physically
damaged, buy a new drive, install it in your computer and restore the
image to the new hard drive.
 
I used to do that but now Ghost Restore won't work because their software
doesn't have the Hard Drive controller I would need to open an image.
 
Can't help you there - I don't use Ghost. Have you contacted their
technical support?
 
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