New Hard Drive

[Guest]

Does anyone know the best way to migrate Windows XP to a new harddrive? I
have minimal on the current one but my experience has been that it will only
let you install on the same machine (hard drive). Is that a number that I
need to get from within windows that will allow me to re-install on the new
hard-drive? Otherwise, what is the best method?

 

[Rock]

Does anyone know the best way to migrate Windows XP to a new harddrive? I
have minimal on the current one but my experience has been that it will
only
let you install on the same machine (hard drive). Is that a number that I
need to get from within windows that will allow me to re-install on the
new
hard-drive? Otherwise, what is the best method?

If it's a retail hard drive kit it should come with software to copy the
drive. If not go to the drive manufacturer's web site and download their
copy software. Another option is to create an image of the drive using
something Norton Ghost, Acronis True Image or Terabyte Unlimited's Image for
Windows and restore the image to the new drive.

In either case follow the manufacturer's directions for cabling and
jumpering the drive. After copying or cloning it, disconnect the old drive,
and only boot with the new drive. Once it boots the old drive can be
installed as a slave drive and used.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Does anyone know the best way to migrate Windows XP to a new
harddrive?

Just copy it, using any of the several disk cloning programs available. Most
hard drives either come with utilities to clone the old drive to the new, or
you can download one from the drive manufacturer's web site.

Failing that, there are several programs you can buy to do this, such as
Acronis True Image.

I have minimal on the current one but my experience has
been that it will only let you install on the same machine (hard
drive).

Not at all true. You can clone it, as I said above, or reinstall it. There
is no restriction on changing drives.