Topic Best way to upgrade/replace and clone system harddrive??

-HAL-

Does anyone have any suggestions to the best way to upgrade/replace the Windows (XP) system harddrive??

I want to clone the disk I'm using now on a new SATA drive (from IDE)...
Any recommendations on how I should do it, and what software to use??

I've been looking at Norton Ghost, but would prefer a cheaper alternative (if there's one...)

Donkey

Yeah know personally when I swap out drives I back up all necessary files and wipe them and start the new drive fresh...

It takes longer but it is always nice to do a lil house cleaning...

Dont get me wrong cloning def has its purpose

Just my thoughts

-HAL-

I've usually just installed everything again on the new drive as well, but this time I've got a lot of installed stuff on my old one that I would like to keep and I've also lost a few of the old installation CD's for some of the programs so a cloning is probably easiest for me this time....

mmarsh

Cheaper than Ghost? DriveImage. Better of the two? Norton Ghost hands down.

Also if you plan to do Network installation you need the CORPORATE edition of Norton Ghost. If its just to make a single PC backup the PE is fine.

One comment. If you are plan on ghosting keep in mind the hardware must really be EXACTLY identical. Any slightest deviation and you can with up with a BSD horror. Even on systems that are exactly identical ghosting is not always guarented to work, 2 identical hard drives can have microscopic differences during fabrication which can lead to differences in HD integrity.

On the Microsoft KB, there is an article that warns ghosting is not 100% guaranteed. Case in point, I recent did a rollout of 50 new Fujitsu-Siemans laptops, I had to send back 5 due to the fact the image (an image I built and tested) wouldn't run on them.

-HAL-

Hm, $69 for Norton Ghost, and I only need it to upgrade my HDD..
I guess I'll try to find all of the installation discs for windows and the rest of my programs before I buy Ghost since I only need it once...

mmarsh

Is this for your new system? If so don't bother with Ghost. Chances are you will run into problems.

Your better alternative is to

1. Backup all your files to another media (USB Key, spare HD, CD/DVD, etc)
2. Reinstall Windows then your appslications
3. Copy your files back to the HD (but keep a spare on other media).

Part 4 is optional. I don't do it, but it could save time in the future.

Once everything is working, you could purchase ghost and make a complete image file of your PC once everything is working. Burn the *.img or *.gho to a bootable CD or DVD. Then if you ever wanted to do a fresh reinstall simply insert the disk. You would have to remember to update the image file master if you make any changes to the original.

-HAL-

Part 2 of #2 is the main problem since I can't find all of the CD's for some of the apps..
But I guess a fresh install is best anyway, and I'll try to dig up my old applications later...

mmarsh

OK I see. Unfortunately as I said Ghost wont work. The hardware, such as the chipset, is too different you will most certainly wind up with a BSD.

If you've got the CD's Serial numbers you could call the manufacturers to see if they can send you a replacement CD. Might cost you a little but far less than buying it over again.

Donkey

mmarsh you part 4 is genius....

As long as you haven't done any upgrades it would make reformatting a breeze...

senojekips

Thank you mmarsh, your explanation probably explains my failure with Norton Ghost in the past. I never thought about having a different board and chipset. I can't remember the actual difficulties I experienced, but I do remember that it was a spectacular failure.

I never bothered with Ghost after that, and unfortunately my current setup is 2 years old and probably due for a complete format and re-load anyway. Groannnnn!!!

Then I'll run a Ghost onto a removable drive. Yeah,... next time... er... maybe. My laziness is without parallel.