How to Clone a Hard Drive in Windows XP

Опубликовал Admin
27-09-2016, 18:10
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The way you clone or copy your drive depends on what files are on it. If you're simply storing files you can just copy them to another drive. If you need to upgrade your main or system drive (the one running XP) you need to use a utility like Norton Ghost. Those steps follow.

Steps

  1. You will need to obtain and install Ghost on your system. If you can't or don't want to install it on the system with the drive to clone you can install it on another system and make a Ghost boot Disk. (see Ghost documentation for how to make the disk)
  2. But here is an important caveat! Symantec has de-powered Ghost to such an extent that cloning your boot drive seems no longer possible. In typical Symantec fashion, they are cute and then evasive on the subject. Try going to symantec.com and entering the query "clone boot drive". The Symantec website greets that question with an answer to the effect that "they have never heard that question before".
  3. Clone your boot-drive? Huh? Why do you want to do that? We know that when we sold you Ghost that we promised that you could safely infer that you could clone your boot-drive: but in the interim we have forgotten exactly how to do that. Symantec's evasions typically have a criminal purpose: to sell expensive software which simply does not work.
  4. There is no question that earlier versions of Ghost could effortlessly clone Windows XP boot-drives. So why the change - why do recent versions of Ghost put the user through hours of work creating images that when restored simply will not boot. Do you suppose that Uncle Billy might have had something to do with that?
  5. Shut down the system and either temporarily or permanently connect the new hard drive. They both need to be in the system to clone. Most likely this will be a temporary arrangement if you want to remove the old drive or rearrange the connections later.
  6. If you installed ghost on the system where you're cloning the drive, boot to windows on your old drive and go into ghost. Select clone under ghost advanced and follow through the screens. Select old drive as source and new as the destination. See ghost documentation or help if you're not familiar with all the steps. The system will reboot and run the clone operation
  7. If you made a ghost boot disk boot the system from the disk and ghost will load directly. Use your mouse or keyboard to select clone from the menus and then run the operation.
  8. IMPORTANT: ONCE THE OPERATION IS DONE DO NOT BOOT WINDOWS RIGHT AWAY!! If your old drive is still connected booting to windows on the new drive will cause problems. You need to remove the old drive from your system or delete the partitions BEFORE you boot windows on the new drive. If your in doubt if the ghost operation worked.. just physically disconnect the old drive. Once you confirm the new drive is working reconnect the old drive. Use a windows setup boot disk to delete windows off the old drive. Simply start setup from the boot disk and get to the partition screen to delete the partition (make sure you do this on the OLD DRIVE!) then exit setup without going any further (you don't actually want to install windows).
  9. Connect the new (and old if keeping it in the system) drive permanently and close up your PC.

Tips

  • Doing this will save a lot of time instead of re-installing windows if you need to upgrade your hard disk.
  • If you've changed other major hardware like your motherboard along with your hard drive you can't clone the drive - windows won't work with new major hardware without being re-installed. (mostly if you change your motherboard)
  • Keep a ghost boot disk handy that way you can do clones on any system without installing ghost first.
  • Back up any important data you may have on the drive first if you can. If all else fails you can re-install windows but once you loose your data its gone.

Warnings

  • Its important not to load windows with both drives connected and windows on both after you do the clone. Windows on the new drive will still access files on the old drive and then after you reconfigure or remove the old drive windows will not work.
  • if you're not familiar with how to connect or configure hardware get help before opening your PC. Remember to take proper precautions against static discharge.

Things You'll Need

  • Norton Ghost or other similar software
  • New hard Drive
  • Tools and equipment to work on your pc
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