Cloning a Hard Drive

[Scorpiоn]

This should go, and was, in the Software and Gaming board, but it's more games than software.  I figgered I could get more help here.

So I've been farting around with cloning my drive, but so far, no go.  I have my SATA as the master, and the IDE as the slave and their partitions are configured C,D,E and F,G,H respectively.  This is what I've been doing so far.  I downloaded Casper XP off download.com and cloned C to F.  After I disconnected the IDE, upon startup I get a message (not from XP) telling me the OS can't be found, has an error or some jazz like that.  I thought maybe this is because all the settings are for C:\ and the new drive is F:\ so nothing is truly "there".  Just a guess, but I haven't been able to alter drive letters for system volumes anyway.  Anyone have any ideas?

[congo]

If you have Windows set up on C: drive, then the PC looks for the info on C:

The whole idea of cloning a HDD is to clone it on a SEPERATE hard disk in case of failure of the primary drive.

Cloning to another partition on the same drive isn't really safe even if you manage to trick the system into booting from it. So, you need to clone to C: on the other physical hard disk in my opinion.

Also, the system looks for the master disk to boot from, so you need to configure the desired boot drive as the master I believe.

Sticking to C: for the Windows installation on the Master drive will prevent other problems occuring in a non-standard environment.

[Scorpiоn]

Nah, I think you've got me wrong.  This is my set-up:

• Primary IDE
  
  • DVD-R/RW
  • DVD-ROM
• Secondary IDE
  
  • 250 GB
  • CD-ROM
• SATA
  
  • 250GB
  • {Empty}

I'm gonna get a CD-RW, but as you can see, I'm fresh out of IDE spaces.  SATA is faster as well, so 'twas the logical choice.  I'm gonna sell my IDE drive, but I wanna transfer all my settings to my SATA, which has the exact same partitions as the IDE.

I appreciate the info on C:\ though, and I'll what I can do with the settings.

EDIT: Just had a thought.  What if you were to go about trying to "restore" the SATA drive using the IDE drive as a back up?  Wouldn't it copy just the same?  Perhaps the SATA calling upon the IDE would be better than the IDE forcing itself upon the SATA.  Perhaps?

[Scorpiоn]

I'm still having trouble getting this g'danged thing to work with me.

My "customer" is starting to ask questions on why he isn't getting his hard drive, and I myself am getting a little desperate to just get the dang thing transferred.  Is there any way y'all know of that I could transfer my info to another drive and still use the new drive as a bootable device?

[luke]

Is int there a fanction in XP to transfer OS's
from HD to HD?

This month's Pers.Comp.World magazine (and others) have on their free CD the Acronis's "Migrade Easy 7" program.
Could this help you better?.

[Scorpiоn]

I suppose there is, but I haven't found it yet.

I've come up with another theory, everytime I copy C:\ to F:\, and try to run the XP on F:\, I get an "Error loading OS" meesage during the BIOS.  I believe this is because five files refuse to copy, four of them are in System32/config and the other is in Docs and Settings/username/.  I assume they won't copy, because Wnidows is using them.  I know these are sensitive areas, but would five files keep the entire OS from loading?  Common PC sense and my gut feeling tell me yes.

Assuming the answer is yes, could I install a third copy of XP on the second drive, clone the drive as always and run the F:\?  I think this should work, but I want to ask, because I get nervous I'll delete the real deal when installing/formatting and all that jazz.

Theory

• Drive One: Hitachi 250GB IDE Master on IDE 2
  
  • C:\ Original XP Install
  • D:\ Games
  • E:\ Media
• Drive Two: Hitachi 250GB SATA Master on SATA 3
  
  • F:\ Desired XP Install
  • G:\ Proposed tertiary XP install :: Empty for the Moment
  • H:\ Empty for the Moment

Use G to successfully copy C to F, as C is no longer using it's own resources, and is free to copy.

[the_autopilot]

Just backup all data you need to keep onto another hd or cd/dvd.

Then just reinstall windows on the primary drive. This is the easiest and simplest way to do it.

OS migrators are a pin in the ass to use and often do things incorrectly leading to driver errors, incorrect registory entires, etc.

My advice is too backup data and reinstall windows.

[Scorpiоn]

Well, I think I shall do that...

But one question...

My current drive is C, D, E.  After I get done installing on the new drive, it will be C, D, E as well.  Now, if I plug the old one afterwards to copy media files, games and such over, will it even show up?  Or would dual drive letters make my computer angry?  (I've managed to keep it mild mannered for quite awhile now!)

[congo]

the PC won't get confused as it sees the partitions with ID numbers, not just drive names, it's you who has to be careful not to get them mixed up.

From the new XP installation (or the old one?) you can run the " Files and Settings Transfer Wizard" ( I think it's called), (in control panel?)

Seagate supplies a util called diskwizard that will build a new, bootable drive from an old one. Not sure if it supports SATA, but they do supply SATA drives so.......

Failing all else, get the 2 drives hooked up on the same PC and copy each partition to it's respective twin on the new drive, with the exception of C: drive.

C: drive won't copy because some windows files/exe's are resident in memory in order for the system to run, there are utils that can get around this, but it gets a little complex.