IF i copy a hardrive with xp on it to another empty clean harddrive

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 7:26 pm

will the os run? on the new drive? just curios

konomi · Post by **konomi** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 7:34 pm

to my knowledge only if you xcopy /e /v /h /c all files.

You need to make sure the registery is copied also

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 7:46 pm

of course the registy would be copied if i copied the whole drive.

The thing that i think would be a problem is the os recognizing the new drive like "hey this is not my home... My home was 40 gigs smaller"

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 7:51 pm

is this the same PC just a new hard drive ?

The Dude · Post by **The Dude** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:42 pm

If it's a different PC with different hardware it will likely crash to a BSOD or stop error. If you just "copy" the files the new drive won't likely be bootable. You would have to clone or image the old onto the new one to make it bootable.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:57 pm

same pc just a bigger faster drive

hmmm... clone.... image...hmmm

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 5:31 am

double post

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 5:32 am

Randy wrote:same pc just a bigger faster drive

hmmm... clone.... image...hmmm

the manufacuater (sp)? of the drive should have some utilities to do that.

i have never used them but they give ya floppies for that.

The Dude · Post by **The Dude** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:01 am

Mark wrote:the manufacuater (sp)? of the drive should have some utilities to do that.

i have never used them but they give ya floppies for that.

If the drive didn't come with any disks you can download the cloning utility from the drive makers site, it's free.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:23 am

As long as the destination drive is equal to or larger than the sum of the data on the source drive....it will work. Cloning software out there to do it, such as Ghost, or as stated, many utilities at the drive manufacturers website. If you purchase a full retail boxed hard drive, they usually come with a disk of the utility to migrate your drive. OEM barebones usually don't come with it.

When XP boots up for the first time on this new drive...after a few seconds you'll see "New Hardware Found" in the systray...and the hard drive will change in Device Mangler, with a prompt to reboot.

Also I'm assuming this new drive is of the same bus technology...like from one IDE/ATA drive to another IDE/ATA drive. That works fine. But going from an IDE/ATA drive to something like a SCSI drive...

She won't boot up at all.

Assassin_x_1 · Post by **Assassin_x_1** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:08 am

Hi! if you copy using the right tool it will work as the same, one of the best to use is a program called Ghost, it is designed by pro tec,maybe hard to find but well worth it,

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:10 pm

Thanks you guys

Ghosting and image is a weak area for me. I recently bought 2 harddrives and have really liked being able have one drive for a guinea pig (service pack2, kazza, etc). The other drive I like to keep clean for my games

btw drives are both 160 gb maxtors.

Also I want to set my mother up with webcam. She is too sick to travel 600 miles to see us. She also cant run a computer PERIOD. I figured if i sent her a comp with 2 harddrives I could do a remote (pc ne where) reformat/ ghost if i had too. * she wont be getting 160gb maxtorz! lol

thx again, Randy