Replace my c-drive with a larger drive

[bkress]

I would like to replace my c-drive with a larger drive and not have t
re-install Windows XP and all my applications. Is there a way to mak
a disk image of the c-drive, copy the image to the larger drive an
switch disks?
Thank

 

[peter]

90% of the time that works.........10% of the time you'll end up doing a
"repair" installation afterwards
peter

 

[Guest]

If you buy a Maxtor or Seagate RETAIL hard drive, they come with all the
software tools required to initialise the drive [outside of Windows] do what
you require.

If you have another drive, then get Norton Ghost.

If you use Ghost, you will need to perform a Repair installation of windows
after restoreing the image file to the new Hard Drive.

A repair install will not require that you reinstall all applications and
documents etc. In the same way as one manages an upgrade from other Windows
to XP.

 

[Thomas Wendell]

Most disk manufacturers have a disk cloning program. If not with the disk
(bulk), go their home page and get it there..
It usually is as simple as plug in new disk as slave, clone master to slave,
remove old disk, jumper new disk as master.

--
Tumppi
Reply to group
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[Bob Davis]

I would like to replace my c-drive with a larger drive and not have to
re-install Windows XP and all my applications. Is there a way to make
a disk image of the c-drive, copy the image to the larger drive and
switch disks?

If you buy a retail package you will get disk-cloning software on the
install CD, but not if the drive is OEM. Norton Ghost (older versions that
run from a floppy) would be my preference if you have it.

 

[Bob Harris]

As other replies have mentioned, this can easily be done with the software
that come with the "retail" version of the new hard drive. They have
mentioned GHOST, run form a floppy, whihc I have also used with good luck.
Another possibility is Acronis True Image, which runs from a bootable CD,
instad of a floppy. Handy if you do not have a floppy drive.

As for a repair installation of XP, that is normally not required for a
simple disk upgrade. The exception would be if you switch from IDE (also
called ATA) to SCSI or SATA drives. Then a repair will definitely be
required. To run a repair, you will need a retail copy of XP, full or
upgrade. See the following links on repairing:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341



http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm



http://www.extremetech.com/print_article/0,3998,a=23979,00.asp



If you have a retail copy of XP, changing the hard drive will count as one
change towards having to re-active XP. If this is the only hardware (or
BIOS) change you have made within the last 3 months, you should not be asked
to re-activiate. But, if you have replaced RAM, video, etc and then do this
hard drive, you may need to re-activate. That is not a big deal, even if
you are told (on the screen) to call an 800 number. Just explain what
changes you have made.



If you have an OEM copy of XP, those are usually locked to the BIOS, so you
can freely change any hardware, except the motherboard, without
re-activation. But, some OEM CDs do not support a "repair". If OEM (e.g.,
Dell, Gateway, Compaq) check with the PC maker bfore swaping the hard drive.
Note that some OEM CDs do not contain XP at all! Instead, they contain a
small recovery program that works with an image of the original hard drive
that is contained on a "hidden" partition. Such a recovery CD will not work
with a new hard drive, and will not uppot a "repair" of XP.

 

[Peter Hutchison]

I would like to replace my c-drive with a larger drive and not have to
re-install Windows XP and all my applications. Is there a way to make
a disk image of the c-drive, copy the image to the larger drive and
switch disks?
Thanks

You can with a program called Ghost or free utilities supplied by HD
manufacturer such as MaxBlast3 by Maxtor for its drives.

Peter Hutchison
http://www.pcguru.plus.com

 

[jimbo]

I would like to replace my c-drive with a larger drive and not have to
re-install Windows XP and all my applications. Is there a way to make
a disk image of the c-drive, copy the image to the larger drive and
switch disks?
Thanks

I just did that. I replaced a 40 GB "C" drive running WinXP with a 200
GB drive. I tried to use the Western Digital software to do the clone,
but the program failed during execution, so I used Norton Ghost 2003. I
put the new formatted NTFS drive in "D" position by disconnecting the
existing "D" drive and connecting the IDE cable connector and power
connector to the new drive. Then I cloned "C" to "D" with Ghost. I just
used the Ghost Windows interface. It will boot to DOS to do the clone
anyway, so there is really no need to use a boot floppy. Then I removed
the old "C" drive and installed the new clone in it's place. When I
booted, I got a blue screen of death and a reboot, etc. I had used Ghost
to clone a 40 GB to a 40 GB before and the clone would boot to WinXP
with no problems, but this clone wouldn't boot. But here is what to do
if the same thing happens to you.

Boot with the WinXP installation CD. At the first menu select "Install
Windows XP". At the second menu, select "repair installation". Very
important, be sure you select "repair installation" or you will lose all
of your settings, applications, etc. This repair installation goes
through all of the installation steps just as for a fresh installation,
but your settings, applications, etc. are preserved. And you will need
your 25 character ID. My system did not require activation, after the
repair installation, it booted to my old WinXP system on the new 200 GB
hard drive.

Good luck, jimbo

 

[Art]

I just did that. I replaced a 40 GB "C" drive running WinXP with a 200 GB
drive. I tried to use the Western Digital software to do the clone, but
the program failed during execution, so I used Norton Ghost 2003. I put
the new formatted NTFS drive in "D" position by disconnecting the existing
"D" drive and connecting the IDE cable connector and power connector to
the new drive. Then I cloned "C" to "D" with Ghost. I just used the Ghost
Windows interface. It will boot to DOS to do the clone anyway, so there is
really no need to use a boot floppy. Then I removed the old "C" drive and
installed the new clone in it's place. When I booted, I got a blue screen
of death and a reboot, etc. I had used Ghost to clone a 40 GB to a 40 GB
before and the clone would boot to WinXP with no problems, but this clone
wouldn't boot. But here is what to do if the same thing happens to you.

Boot with the WinXP installation CD. At the first menu select "Install
Windows XP". At the second menu, select "repair installation". Very
important, be sure you select "repair installation" or you will lose all
of your settings, applications, etc. This repair installation goes through
all of the installation steps just as for a fresh installation, but your
settings, applications, etc. are preserved. And you will need your 25
character ID. My system did not require activation, after the repair
installation, it booted to my old WinXP system on the new 200 GB hard
drive.

Good luck, jimbo

bkress:
Jimbo's comments notwithstanding, using Ghost 2003 to clone your old hard
drive to a new one is simple & effective. I've used Ghost perhaps a thousand
times over the years to clone one hard drive to another and rarely encounter
any problem with the program. Whatever problems I have encountered have
invariably been due to user error or defective drives.

Again, Jimbo's comments notwithstanding, you can clone your old drive to the
new one using the disk imaging utility that's included with the retail,
boxed version of your new hard drive (or you can obtain the utility from the
hard drive manufacturer's web site in most cases). While I rarely use that
kind of utility (since I use Ghost nearly exclusively), it usually works
fine for a one-shot transfer of the contents of one drive to another. It is,
however, extremely slow in performing the cloning process, and is therefore
not really suitable for undertaking cloning operations for routine backup
purposes. But if you don't plan to use your old drive as a backup for your
new one, it's a more than acceptable alternative to a commercial disk
imaging program.

If you think you might want to use Ghost, indicate such in a subsequent
posting and I'll provide you with step-by-step instructions.

Art