Anyway i can copy a hard drive?

Blackhawk47

Blackhawk47

Blackhawk47

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Hi all,

im thinking of getting a new hard drive as im long overdue for one (stuck with 120gig ide).

im looking at this as it seems the best:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showp...nt F1 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD502IJ)

now i dont really fancy doing a reinstall of windows and all my stuff, though its not out of the question.

ive done some it courses but still not entirely familiar with the term "ghosting". what i think it is, take an image from a hard drive to install windows therefore not losing data. (someone correct me please!)

or i guess i could run both hard drives, but keep os on current drive, install games,music etc on the new one.

do i have any other options and what do you guys think i should do.
 
PING is what i use.

What is PING
PING is a live Linux ISO, based on the excellent Linux From Scratch (LFS) documentation. It can be burnt on a CD and booted, or integrated into a PXE / RIS environment.

Several tools have been added and written, so to make this ISO the perfect choice to backup and restore whole partitions, an easy way. It sounds like Symantec Ghost(tm), but has even better features, and is totally free.

Features include:

* Probably the best available Linux toolbox for rescueing a system;
* Backup and Restore partitions or files to a MS Network Shared directory;
* Backup and Restore the BIOS data as well;
* Either burn a bootable CD / DVD, either integrate within a PXE / RIS environment;
* Possibility to Blank local admin's password;
* Create your own restoration bootable DVD (see the Howto Documentation);
* Partition and Format a disk before installing Windows (so to make sure your unattended Windows installation will happen on the right partition);

* Specific advantages PING brings you over DOS and Ghost :
o Most network cards automatically recognized by the Kernel (unlike DOS);
o Most CD/DVD readers automatically recognized by the Kernel (unlike DOS);
o You don't have to run a Ghostcast server to receive images over the network;
o More supported filesystems;
o You can store an image on several CD/DVD (CD/DVD-spanning);
o You can backup and restore BIOS settings too;
o Much much smaller than WinPE / BartPE;
o etc.
 
yeah thought so :(

sigh, i heard moving same chipset doesnt do this, only switching chipsets does?

how would i just put he windows files on one disc (say a 36GB raptor) and ALL else such as proggy files, my docs, pics ETC on another?
 
my suggestion is that you:

Backup all your Wanted Files, (Downloads, applications, music ect) onto another drive

then document the configuration of the windows partition

format and the reinstall windows

then just copy and transfer your data from your backup drive and so on

and continue from there
 
doesnt window have a repair thing that installs windows again but keeps all your files and settings?
i remember doing it on win98 or 2000...

it was a proper install btw im not talking about the thing where windows just checks all its core files and replaces them
 
Yes Windows repair will get you out off an incompatible driver situation, and it works great under both Win2k and WinXP.

Vista seems to handle a new mobo much better and just load the different drivers it needs to get going again.
 
Its now a few years back, but I successfully used Samsung's free disk tool utility to copy my old HD to my new one. I was able to test the new drive booting in OS before wiping the old one.

No need for partition magic or fancy linux distros.
 
Most drive makers offer free utilities to clone hard drives for this specific reason, there is no need to use anything more complex in most cases.

As for doing the same with a motherboard swap you can always use Sysprep.
 
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