Using backed up copy of boot drive from 2nd drive

[Guest]

Hi All:
This is probably a silly idea. I have 3 drives in my computer and
recently copied my entire boot drive to a 2nd hard drive using XP back up.
This approx 9 GB file contains everything in the drive that came with the
original computer and any software updates etc to date. If my original hard
drive ever fails, can I simply disconnect it and somehow just change to the
drive with the back up copy and make it the new boot drive? The only other
option would be to use the 4 CD's that Gateway had me make to restore the
system, but then I would face hours and hours of downloading updates for
Windows and other software at 56K speed. It would be a lot easier if I could
just switch to the backup on the other drive. Will that work and what would
I have to do to implement that plan?

xiowan..........in tucson

 

[Guest]

Like it says"back up",its not an implimented OS on the hd.If you really want
a reserve copy of xp on a 2nd hard drive.Set the hd as slave to C: Format
the drive,then go to run,type:XCOPY C:\*.* D:\ /c/h/e/k/r Agree to all in
the DOS window,once its thru youre done..Also,D: being the slave hd,if
asigned diffrent letter then use that letter.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

This is probably a silly idea.

Yup. You also have to copy the boot sector and the
Master Boot Record and the registry. Just read the
current thread in this NG "How can I copy my files
to a 2nd Hard Drive?" to make a clone. Then the
simplest way to boot the clone instead of the original
HD is to into the BIOS and put the clone HD at the
head of the HD boot order. Or, requiring a little
more labor, open the PC and
1) just remove the original HD (assuming that there
are only 2 HDs, or
2) reverse the jumpering of the HDs, or
3) if they're using Cable Select on the same cable,
reverse their positions on the cable, or
4) if they're on different IDE channels (i.e. different
cables), exchange their channels.

Otherwise, if you understand the syntax of the boot.ini
file, add a 2nd entry for the clone and set the timeout
value to, say 10 seconds, and use dual-booting
to determine which copy of the OS boots.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Guest]

Hi All:
Now I'm more confused than ever. My computer has 2 SATA 300Mbs, and 1
SATA 150Mbs hard drives. The original 250 GB boot drive, Partion(C and
partition (D) were copied to my 3rd hard drive (L which was formatted with
a single partion and designated "storage". Hard drive (K is set as storage
and is full already with stored video. Am I to understand if my original
drive goes bad, I can't just remove it and somehow redesignate (L as the
new boot drive. EVERYTHING that was on drive C & D was copied to drive L.
(That was only about 9 GB.) I had hoped that could be used as a new boot
drive if it ever became necessary. Guess not? With SATA hard drives, I
didn't think there was such a thing as slave and master.....am I
misunderstanding something? Or in the event of failure, can I install a
replacement hard drive, format & partitition it and then just copy back
everything I backed up from the original drive C. These constant software
and driver updates make it an awful project to replace a boot
drive.......hours of downloading everything again, trying to remember what
hardware had to have updated drivers.....geesh. Why can't Microsoft figure
out a way to just copy and save the stuff on a separate drive so you can just
go into safe mode or re-store or something when you turn on the computer and
just go to the saved file and transfer the backup to a new drive. It only
took 30 mins to save all the info......should be able to re-install it on a
new drive in 30 mins and be ready to go by just clicking a button! What good
are computers if you have to spend hours and hours re-storing them if one
part fails? I'm sorry to rave, but this looks like it's going to be over my
head.

xiowan.........in tucson

P.S. I really don't know how to do most of the stuff you guys recommended.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

My computer has 2 SATA 300Mbs, and 1 SATA 150Mbs
hard drives.

Shoulda said that in the 1st place.

The original 250 GB boot drive, Partion(C and partition (D)
were copied to my 3rd hard drive (L which was formatted with
a single partion and designated "storage".
Hard drive (K is set as storage and is full already with stored video.
Am I to understand if my original drive goes bad, I can't just remove
it and somehow redesignate (L as the new boot drive.
EVERYTHING that was on drive C & D was copied to drive L.

How did you "copy" partitions C: and D: to L:? The way you
describe it, it sounds like you just copied all the files from
2 partitions into one partition. That won't boot because for one,
it's not an entire operating system, and two, you didn't copy
the boot sector.

With SATA hard drives, I didn't think there was such a thing
as slave and master.....am I misunderstanding something?

No, you're right. With SATA hard drives there's no Master
and no Slave. The controller can differenttiate the drives
because they're on separate cables. The BIOS leaves out
the jumper settings when assigning a default hard drive
boot order. Unless you know how to get into the BIOS to
adjust the boot order, you'll have to rely on plugging different
cables into the hard drives in order to put one at the head
of the boot order in place of another.

Or in the event of failure, can I install a replacement hard drive,
format & partitition it and then just copy back everything I backed
up from the original drive C.

You've been told. What you need to do is make a clone of
the partition containing the OS - that includes the installed
programs. The data files you can just drag 'n drop or copy
with whatever utility that you have for file copies or imaging.
But making a bootable system involves more than just
copying files.

These constant software and driver updates make it an awful
project to replace a boot drive.......hours of downloading
everything again, trying to remember what hardware had to
have updated drivers.....geesh. Why can't Microsoft figure
out a way to just copy and save the stuff on a separate drive
so you can just go into safe mode or re-store or something
when you turn on the computer and just go to the saved file
and transfer the backup to a new drive. It only took 30 mins
to save all the info......should be able to re-install it on a new
drive in 30 mins and be ready to go by just clicking a button!
What good are computers if you have to spend hours and hours
re-storing them if one part fails? I'm sorry to rave, but this looks
like it's going to be over my head.

Yup. If you can't follow the directions you've been given,
it's time to give up.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Guest]

Hi Timothy Daniels:
You're right, I give up. I'll erase the wasted back up and forget
having an easy way to fix my computer if the main drive fails. Actually, I
hope it fails, then I can just re-install the original set-up from those 4
system re-store CDs and forget about all those MS hotfixes and if something
goes wrong, just do it again.......and again and again as necessary.

xiowan........in tucson