Using OEM Recovery CDs on replacement hard drive

[Guest]

When my eMachine's harddrive (made by Maxtor) began to slow down, I ran a
Maxtor diagnostic utility, which informed me that the drive was failing. I
need to replace it, and can find one on sale for $50. However, eMachines has
informed me that their Recovery CDs will only work on a configuration
identical to the original one, and have offered to sell me the original
harddrive model for $120--something I'd like to avoid!

I have 3 questions:

1. Is there any way for me to install another drive into my system, and get
the recovery cds to install Windows Home as well as the other drivers for the
system onto the new hard drive?

2. Also, what I'd like to do is to use the new drive as the master, and the
old one as the slave, and transfer data from the latter to the former, before
I throw out the old harddrive. Is that feasible?

3. I've also been downloading the various XP updates and security patches
as they became available onto my old harddrive. I'd like to avoid having to
download them again (over my telephone line!). Would the upgrades and
patches be in any one (or more) folders on the old hard drive?

FYI, I am not using my "defective" computer, so as not to put any more
strain on it than I have to.

TIA

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

I would suggest purchasing the same make and model Maxtor hard drive
and using Maxtor's software to transfer the entire contents of the old
hard drive to the new hard drive.

Download MaxBlast 4
http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/M...tware Downloads/ATA Hard Drives&downloadID=57

How to copy the operating system from one drive to another drive using MaxBlast 3 or 4.
http://maxtor.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...wdj0mcF9jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT0zJnBfcGFnZT0x

Excellent Maxtor Hard Drive Pricing
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ice=&MaxPrice=&SubCategory=14&Submit=Property

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

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:

| When my eMachine's harddrive (made by Maxtor) began to slow down, I ran a
| Maxtor diagnostic utility, which informed me that the drive was failing. I
| need to replace it, and can find one on sale for $50. However, eMachines has
| informed me that their Recovery CDs will only work on a configuration
| identical to the original one, and have offered to sell me the original
| harddrive model for $120--something I'd like to avoid!
|
| I have 3 questions:
|
| 1. Is there any way for me to install another drive into my system, and get
| the recovery cds to install Windows Home as well as the other drivers for the
| system onto the new hard drive?
|
| 2. Also, what I'd like to do is to use the new drive as the master, and the
| old one as the slave, and transfer data from the latter to the former, before
| I throw out the old harddrive. Is that feasible?
|
| 3. I've also been downloading the various XP updates and security patches
| as they became available onto my old harddrive. I'd like to avoid having to
| download them again (over my telephone line!). Would the upgrades and
| patches be in any one (or more) folders on the old hard drive?
|
| FYI, I am not using my "defective" computer, so as not to put any more
| strain on it than I have to.
|
| TIA

 

[RepublicOfTaiwan]

Computer manufacturers change their components very often. I don't believe
they would be that stupid to fix the recovery image on a specific model of
hard drive.

 

[Jerry]

Yes they would. Then they could sell you an OEM part for a higher price.

 

[WM]

OEM's have margins, and do not operate by replacement part extortion quite
like the auto industry. Locking an image to a HDD model and revision would
require an insane amount of work and cost them way more than they would
make.

 

[Mats]

They usally use more than one supplier att a time so they don't lock it to
the HD manufacturer but they may lock it to modified disk bioses so that
they can be sure that it is a "genuine" part