Replacing Hard Drive

[Guest]

I have Windows XP loaded on an 8 GB drive. I want to replace the entire HD
with a larger one as it is out of space. I have access to another machine
that both drives could be put in as slaves and all of the smaller drive
copied to the larger drive. Will this larger drive then be able to boot? If
not, how can I move everyhitng from the smaller drive to the larger drive
without installing Windows and all of my programs?

 

[DanS]

I have Windows XP loaded on an 8 GB drive. I want to replace the
entire HD with a larger one as it is out of space. I have access to
another machine that both drives could be put in as slaves and all of
the smaller drive copied to the larger drive. Will this larger drive
then be able to boot? If not, how can I move everyhitng from the
smaller drive to the larger drive without installing Windows and all
of my programs?

Every hard-drive I've purchased comes with a utility disk, a 3.5" floppy.
This is used for drive installation. There are also utilities on these
disk's to 'image' a hard drive to the new one.

DanS

 

[Terry]

On 11.17.2004 3:38 PM On a whim, Jake pounded out on the keyboard

I have Windows XP loaded on an 8 GB drive. I want to replace the entire HD
with a larger one as it is out of space. I have access to another machine
that both drives could be put in as slaves and all of the smaller drive
copied to the larger drive. Will this larger drive then be able to boot? If
not, how can I move everyhitng from the smaller drive to the larger drive
without installing Windows and all of my programs?

Just copying files from one to the other won't work. Putting the drives
into another computer may mess with the rights of files/folders if the
drives are formatted using NTFS. If they are FAT32, rights won't be an
issue, but still the copy process won't accomplish what you want.

If you have Partition Magic 8, you could copy the partition from the old
drive to the new drive, resize the new drive partition to what you need
and then swap the drives. Make sure the new drive partition is not
hidden prior to the swap.

--
Terry

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[JAX]

Your new drive may have come with software to allow you to copy the old
drive to the new one, most new ones do. If not, go to the web-site of the
drive manufacturer and look for a utility that will allow you to migrate to
the new drive.

LOL, JAX

 

[Alex Nichol]

I have Windows XP loaded on an 8 GB drive. I want to replace the entire HD
with a larger one as it is out of space. I have access to another machine
that both drives could be put in as slaves and all of the smaller drive
copied to the larger drive. Will this larger drive then be able to boot?

You do not need to involve a second machine; What I use is BootIT NG,
from http://www.BootitNG.com ($35 shareware - 30 day full functional
trial)

Download, to its own folder, extract from the zip, run the bootitng to
make a boot floppy.

With the new drive plugged in as slave/secondary, boot the floppy,
Cancel Install, entering maintenance, then click on Partition work.
Highlight your C:,Copy, then on left select the new drive (HD1),
highlight the Free Space in it, and Paste.

You might then consider a resize up a bit. But don't overdo it; leave
some free space so as later to make a new separate partition in it and
transfer data to that

Now click on 'View MBR' and in it highlight the entry for this new C
partition and click the 'Set Active' Click 'Write Standard MBR' and
Apply.

Close out, swap the disks to make the new one the one that boots, and
reboot into XP.