H/D toH/D

[tony draper]

Is it possible to transfer the entire contents of one Hardisk to a new ,newly formated one?ie operating systen, progs ect.
I know there are probably third party software utilities that can do this,buy is it possible just using say winows 98.

[Evo7]

You can buy DriveImage,

<a href="http://www.powerquest.com/driveimage/" target="_blank">http://www.powerquest.com/driveimage/</a>

which is supposedly very good. Not sure about doing it with Win98 - you need to get the bootsector copied, as well as the data. In the good old days you would just type "sys D:" but I'm not sure how you would do it now.

[Tinstaafl]

You can still type 'sys D:'. Use a DOS window or the 'Start--&gt;Run' menu.

I did something similar when I got a new hard drive for my laptop. And got to do it all over again when the new drive failed after 9 months... <img src="frown.gif" border="0">

Basic procedure:

1. Make a bootable floppy before doing anything AND back up your data!!!!.

You will also need a DOS disk partioning program. Put a copy of it on the boot disk in case things go awry. There's plenty of them available for free. I have one I can send to you (if I can find where I put it!).

Make sure both drives are connected & readable/writable.

2. Format the new drive. Don't set the intended Windows partition to 'active' yet ie informs the operating system which partition to boot from.

Windows has a right hissy fit if it finds more than one active partition eg one on each drive

3. Type 'Sys D:'

4. Copy everything else to the new drive. Don't forget hidden files.

5. Using a suitable disk partitioning program delete the 'Active' flag on the OLD disk AND set the 'Active' flag on the NEW disk.

Note: The disk partitioning program can be resident on one of the HD. It gets loaded into RAM before it can be used.

6. Shutdown & swap the cables between the two hard disks so that the new disk becomes 'C:' & the old disk becomes 'D:'

7. Reboot and all will be well with the world, millions will be saved from starvation, war & pestilence, pollution will disappear, old growth forests will reappear, as will numerous extinct or threatened species, beautiful & ethereal music will be yours to behold etc etc etc...

Alternatively armageddon just knocked on your door.

[Evo7]

D'oh. I tried to check if sys existed on Win98 ... by trying it on a Win2k box <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

[RW-1]

Most new HD's will come with a disk manager software (In fact WD drives call it disk manager).

Included in this software is a utility to take the image off of your old one and place it on the new one. (which is the useual purpose)

And, if you don't have issues copying files in use, (I didn't) you can drag, drop (Have to have hidden files showing though) in windows explorer in 95 or 98, don't know about Mil, 2k, or XP.
(Really, it works! Have hooked up new drives and imaged them with my original one that way.)

[BOAC]

Tinstaafi's solution worked for me. If he cannot find the programme to which he refers, I can - he sent me a copy! (Thanks Tin). Email me if req'd.

A caution on using 'manufacturers' progs' to install, though, my Seagate install somehow trashed my C: drive. My eldest lad (who like all kids is FAR cleverer than his dad) told me the first thing to do with such a programme is to bin it!

Beware also that some files will NOT copy over under Windows if they are in juse by Windows. Either revert to DOSCOPY or if you are a cynic like me, use your 'Emergency' Win3.1. It has saved my electronic life more times than I care to think.

[Mac the Knife]

XXCOPY Personal Edition v2.80.3 is free from Pixielabs at <a href="http://www.xxcopy.com/" target="_blank">http://www.xxcopy.com/</a>

Its like a superpowerful Xcopy and the equivalent of a very sharp knife - wonderful if you are careful. The command syntax is very complex and rather arcane, but but for moving systems,

XXCOPY C:\ D:\ /CLONE will do the trick.

Just make sure that you are in a DOS box in Windows (you heard me right, IN Windows).
And if you're like me, with a lot of physical. logical and mapped drives, make sure you've typed the right f**king drive letter for the destination (only made that mistake once).

RTFM (long and complicated, but worth it). It'll handle NTFS volumes too.

[ 17 January 2002: Message edited by: Mac the Knife ]</p>