XP hard disk

[knts172]

Hi

I need some info about cloning a XP hard disk.

I have a 9 GB HDD (Fujitsu) with XP Pro on it. I don't have original
installable/Key as I got the HDD from a friend when he upgraded his
PC.

After extensively using my PC (leaving it on for long durations for
batch runs etc), it seems the HDD is close to the end of its usable
life. It makes a strange grinding noise sometimes. I am afraid my all
phd work and thesis might be lost if this HDD crashes.

I have a spare 20GB HDD and plan to transfer everything from XP-HDD to
new one. Since I have installed many software programmes, I just wish
somehow if I can just clone the old XP HDD 'AS IT IS' to new HD drive.
Reinstalling everything will be a sure impossible task and I guess it
will require a lot of time. (plus I even don't have XP pro installable
cds)

Can it be done reliably? I looked at similar posts, but most of the
suggestions seem to be trial/not-sure-to-work type. Some comments say
Ghost works for win'98, some say it doesn't for XP.

I will highly appreciate any help, advice.

Thanks in advance

K172

 

[John Barnett - MVP]

I've used the latest version of powerquests drive copy without any problem.
However, at the time of copying XP had not be activated, thus when i
recopied to the original partition everything was as it should be. I had 9
days left to activate which is exactly as it should be.
Let me explain that i have an 80gb hard drive with four partitions. C: holds
XP D: hold windows server 2003, E: hold data and F: holds a drive image copy
of XP. I completely reformatted drive C: then, using the drive image cd i
restored the image of xp back to drive C: Everything worked like a dream.
The only worry i have in your case is whether you can copy successfully to
another hard drive. The answer is yes you can - normally. However xp's
activation has noted the details of you 9GB hard drive and uses this to
prove that your copy is activated. You are now changing to a 20GB hard drive
that will register a different code number. Therefore XP should ask you to
activate once again. As you got your hard drive off your friend and
installed it into your own pc i assume xp asked you to activate? If that
went smoothly, then so should this new one.

 

[knts172]

As you got your hard drive off your friend and

installed it into your own pc i assume xp asked you to activate? If that
went smoothly, then so should this new one.

when I installed the HDD in my PC (hardware config different than my
friend's PC), XP fortunately didn't ask for any new activation etc. It
just detected new hardware settings, updated drivers etc and never
caused a trouble (may be that's why I liked XP so much that time).

K

 

[Alex Nichol]

I need some info about cloning a XP hard disk.

I have a 9 GB HDD (Fujitsu) with XP Pro on it. I don't have original
installable/Key as I got the HDD from a friend when he upgraded his
PC.

After extensively using my PC (leaving it on for long durations for
batch runs etc), it seems the HDD is close to the end of its usable
life. It makes a strange grinding noise sometimes. I am afraid my all
phd work and thesis might be lost if this HDD crashes.

I have a spare 20GB HDD and plan to transfer everything from XP-HDD to
new one. Since I have installed many software programmes, I just wish
somehow if I can just clone the old XP HDD 'AS IT IS' to new HD drive.

The recipe I use for doing this - which makes an *exact* clone copy - is
to 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) and
Paste.

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. You can then make a second partition on the disk, using
Control Panel - Admin Tools - Computer Management, select Disk
Management and look lower right for the graphic of the drive. - r-click
in Unallocated space and 'create partition'. Or you could use BING
again, highlight the partition and resize it up.