old hdd

[the crazy 1]

hi

i am buying myself a 80gb hard drive and need to transfer all the stuff on my old one to the new one i know i have to format the new one but i would like to transfer everything so it appears in all the same places and the start screen looks the same as the old one

could you tell me the best way to do this

i do have stuff backed up i would like to just move everything over as it is

many thanks

[deddard]

Basically you need to create a disk mirror.
This is supported under XP Pro, but the normal method for this sort of thing is to buy a copy of Norton Ghost, which will lead you through the process.
GHost is available by itself, or part of Utilities Professional.

[Steve]

I think you'll find that all the major HDD manufacturers provide a disk to disk copy utility with their retail drives. If, for some reason, you don't get a copy, you can download it at the manufacturers website.

:)

[pawprint]

I agree that ghost is great software for cloning your hdd to the new one.
here (http://qualityinks.com/title1.php?title_id=systemworks2003) is a link for Norton Systemworks 2003 for a decent price. I believe that Norton Ghost is included in this suite.
here (http://ghost.radified.com/) is a link re:using ghost.
To clone an entire (physical) DISK, select: Local -> Disk -> To Disk is discussed on page 8 of the Radified site. You need to set up the new hdd as slave on the same IDE channel.
WARNING!!! Use Norton Ghost at your own risk. You need basic skills in DOS, and if you don't know what you are doing, you can erase your hard drive accidentally.If you have a friend who is a computer "guru", ask for their assistance.
cheers, ~pawprint~

[classicsoftware]

Whay would you buy a program when the hard drive manufacturer will provide you with copy when you buy the drive or allow you to download a copy from theri web site.

The software will allow you to:

1) Format the drive

2) Partition the drive

3) Transfer the data from the old drive to the new one.

No DOS commands, no FDISK no format, just follow the bouncing ball and you'll be up and running in no time.


Good Luck

[deddard]

I'd agree with going with the manufacturer's utilities if they are available. THe reason I mentioned Ghost is that it isn't always possible to get the utilities from the HDD manufacturer. If you can, then go for it - a freebie is always welcome!

[the crazy 1]

thanks alot for all your advice i can now go out and get my new hdd with confidence

[pawprint]

From my own personal experience, using the maxblaster software for my maxtor hdd to fdisk, partition, copy the hdd etc. was an exercise in futility. I ended up using a startup disk, fdisk, format c: and a new install of the OS.
I have had good success with Norton Ghost, which is why I recommend using it as an option to transfer data to new hdd.
cheers, ~pawprint~

[classicsoftware]

Funny:

I have installed dozens of drives with maxblast and WD Data Life Guard w/o any problem at all....