Westie said:
Just another couple of questions now that I've thought about it a bit....
Just so you're clear, it's a Dell computer with OEM XP Home on it. It has
the system restore partition.
I'm getting a new HDD and copying the entire primary drive, why? Is this
basically a backup in case the reinstallation process on the original
drive turns to custard?
You don't have to get another HDD. Simply running the restore program
(usually available as an option during boot) will fully *erase* (reformat)
and fully replace the existing XP partition content back to factory
condition. You will loose everything that was on that partition (all your
pictures, music, and so on). I guess I thought you were trying to put in a
bigger drive ...
In which case, do I mount the new drive with the image and use that as the
primary boot drive, or do I copy the image back onto the original drive?
So copying the entire primary drive onto the new drive transfers the
partitions too? The image includes the system restore partition? Yes?
Actually, both Maxtor and WD have a utility that will work directly from a
normal boot of XP to make a bootable image. Problem with that, if I
*remember* correctly (and I might not), is that it would only copy the XP
partition that way and not the restore partition --- for that, you had to
boot the CD and use the feature to do a *disk* copy (they mean an entire
disk, not just one partition on it). You will always be copying from the C
drive to something else. Be sure to use the disk copy method or you probably
won't get one of the partitions onto the new drive. You can manually make
the partitions and manually copy each, though. The *screen* help directions
with the utilities are pretty good. There is no need to make the restore
partition bigger on the new drive than it is on the old drive, but the XP
partition can be all that's left over on the new drive.
If I do this I will have to remove my existing secondary HDD and put the
new HDD in it's place while I image the primary drive.
The Maxtor and WD utilities will not (easily) allow you to destroy the
currently defined boot HDD. You have to copy the C drive to *some* other
drive, but if you have a free cable connector then you can use that without
having to temporarily remove a cable from another drive. Since it's a *disk*
instead of a partition copy the result will be a bootable drive once it's
finished being made, you could then make that one the C drive (at least long
enough to make sure it was working correct) if you so desired. This is how
you increase HDD space, and keep the restoration partition too. Be sure to
test the new drive as Drive C before you trust that all went well!
OK. Specialised drivers. Good point.
Let me get this right...
So I get another HDD, and install it in place of the existing secondary
HDD. I put an image of the primary drive onto this new HDD using the disk
utility that came with it.
Yes, if you want to have a backup and/or a bigger HDD that you boot to.
I boot up the system restore from the BIOS and start the system restore
process.
No, BIOS has nothing to do with this (unless the computer is so old that the
BIOS has to be told that a drive just got connected to it). The restore
utility, by Dell, is usually available as an option that appears on the
screen momentarily (not for long, you need fast fingers) during the boot
process. It might also be available once XP has booted via some utility in
the Dell section of Program Files. You should probably keep out of BIOS.
Also, you might just boot the XP CD and be able to do it that way. But I
recommend another drive to copy to, since it's better to have a backup than
to find that user created files are gone ...
That automatically formats the windows partition, and reinstalls the
original clean OEM version of XP.
The restore utility by Dell does, yes (BIOS usage doesn't unless Dell's done
something odd).
I add drivers for any additional hardware as necessary, using the driver
disks that came with the hardware.
Hmmm. You've done this before, eh? Yep, that's correct, if the restore
utility doesn't do it for you.
I connect to the internet, and allow Windows to download the (no doubt
large number of) updates and SP2.
Yes. Once SP2 is on, then at least 20 more ... I hope you have high speed
internet because a dialup simply won't hang in there for the (probably days
of) required time period. When you think all the updates are done, go back
to the update site and select *2nd* option for updating instead of the
automatic one, and you will find more files to get that are not critical
updates. Then, when that's finially done, go to
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdate/default.aspx
After you put in all this time, a shop doesn't seem to be charging so much
after all, eh!
I reinstall my software.
I copy my files and documents from the new HDD that has the image on it.
Voila!
Yep. Don't forget about HDD jumpers, it can really weird out the electronics
if you mess up on that (and if left badly configured for too long might even
damage the computer). If you don't see the expected HDD's being recognized,
pull the plug fast and take a closer look at jumper settings. If you have to
pull the plug, be sure you run XP chkdsk on the affected drive/s asap.
