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Transferring all data from HD to HD
- Thread starter marcusmay
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Most drives come with a utility that will allow you to copy
the whole partition from one drive to another. Maxtor for example comes with one. Although at least one drive has to be a Maxtor. I do it alot. Just make sure you understand the difference between the source drive and destination drive. I usually slave the new drive to the old one and then copy C: to D:
C: being the old drive (source) that has data on it and
D: being the new drive {destination)
This software is actually simple to use if you take your time.
If you accidently copy the destination to the source you will have successfully screwed yourself so be careful and DON'T RUSH.
the whole partition from one drive to another. Maxtor for example comes with one. Although at least one drive has to be a Maxtor. I do it alot. Just make sure you understand the difference between the source drive and destination drive. I usually slave the new drive to the old one and then copy C: to D:
C: being the old drive (source) that has data on it and
D: being the new drive {destination)
This software is actually simple to use if you take your time.
If you accidently copy the destination to the source you will have successfully screwed yourself so be careful and DON'T RUSH.
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- #7
Symantec's Ghost is a good utility for copying drives, they have a place to download a trial version of the corporate edition, might be worth a look. We use this software extensivly and have had no problems cloning drives either locally or through our network. I'm not sure what capabilities will be available with the trial version, but check it out...
Try this link...if it doesn't get you there go to the symantec site and then downloads for enterprise users.
pcheather@yahoo.com
Try this link...if it doesn't get you there go to the symantec site and then downloads for enterprise users.
pcheather@yahoo.com
If you're trying to find a faster way to copy over files, I don't think there is one, except to make sure each drive is on a seperate IDE channel.
The other solutions seems a bit of an overkill IMO.
If it's a network copy and you have only 10Mbps bandwidth, than I think imaging it with compression might make sense. If it's a direct drive to drive copy than the OS copy commands should work without a hitch.
If your worry is about copying a boot/system drive, than imaging it would be your best bet to copy all those hidden and read-only system files.
Keep in mind, imaging a drive (Ghosting) adds extra steps and time and even cost.
The other solutions seems a bit of an overkill IMO.
If it's a network copy and you have only 10Mbps bandwidth, than I think imaging it with compression might make sense. If it's a direct drive to drive copy than the OS copy commands should work without a hitch.
If your worry is about copying a boot/system drive, than imaging it would be your best bet to copy all those hidden and read-only system files.
Keep in mind, imaging a drive (Ghosting) adds extra steps and time and even cost.
marcusmay,
If your OS is Windows 95 or 98 there is a very simple and cheap procedure to copy all your data and program from a hard disk to another (bigger) hard disk. 1. You install your second hard disk alone, boot the system with Windows Startup disk, run FDISK and make partition. If necessary, boot into Setup to detect the new hard disk. 2. Connect the first and second hard disk properly into the motherboard as usual (if you use only one cable, please set the Master/Slave jumper properly) and run Windows so the first hard disk will be C drive and the second, D. 3. Format the D drive with clicking Start, Programs, Windows Explorer, rightclick D drive, click Format, mark Full and Copy System Files. 4. When Windows is running a file WIN386.SWP which support Virtual Memory is always open, while we want to copy all the files from C to D. Moreover copy process will stop if it encounter open file to copy. So, click Start, Settings, Control Panel, System, Performance, Virtual Memory and mark Let Me Set My Own Virtual Memory Settings and Disable Virtual Memory. OK and Reboot. 5. If you have many programs run at start-up absence of Virtual Memory can cause Low Memory error, so before point 4, you may want to disable them by clicking Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information, Tools, System Configuration Utility, Startup and dismark all the Startup programs except Windows specific like System Tray and Task Monitor, then Reboot. 6. Restart Windows, click Start, Run and fill command : xcopy c:\ d:\ /c /h /e /f /s /r and click OK and wait maybe an hour to complete. Please don't forget to put backspace (\) in front of C: and D: because we don't know what is the current directory. 7. Shut down Windows, remove first hard disk, put the new disk as first disk or C: and restart computer 8. Voila, now all your data has all been copied onto it! Don't forget to re-enable Virtual Memory, and your startup programs ! If you have third hard disk, and your computer support 4 hard disk, you can set the free HD as C: or copier, your Master HD as D: and your big HD slave-to-be-master as E:. Then simply click Run, type xcopy c:\ d:\ /c /h /e /f /s /r and OK. There is even no need to bother with virtual memory and startup files. With this method you can also copy hard disk with OS like Windows NT, 2000 and XP which have the NTFS partition. I don't know how to copy them with first procedure since I don't know yet virtual memory issues with these OS'es. More over you can also backup a hard disk to a folder of bigger (or emptier) HD with command xcopy d:\ c:\backup1 /c /h /e /f /s /r and later you can restore all the data to another partitioned and formatted HD with command : xcopy c:\backup1 d:\ /c /h /e /f /s /r. Please be sure to observe Copyrighted material when you copy hard disks ! Do not put copied HD in another machine !
Jusman Sulaiman
If your OS is Windows 95 or 98 there is a very simple and cheap procedure to copy all your data and program from a hard disk to another (bigger) hard disk. 1. You install your second hard disk alone, boot the system with Windows Startup disk, run FDISK and make partition. If necessary, boot into Setup to detect the new hard disk. 2. Connect the first and second hard disk properly into the motherboard as usual (if you use only one cable, please set the Master/Slave jumper properly) and run Windows so the first hard disk will be C drive and the second, D. 3. Format the D drive with clicking Start, Programs, Windows Explorer, rightclick D drive, click Format, mark Full and Copy System Files. 4. When Windows is running a file WIN386.SWP which support Virtual Memory is always open, while we want to copy all the files from C to D. Moreover copy process will stop if it encounter open file to copy. So, click Start, Settings, Control Panel, System, Performance, Virtual Memory and mark Let Me Set My Own Virtual Memory Settings and Disable Virtual Memory. OK and Reboot. 5. If you have many programs run at start-up absence of Virtual Memory can cause Low Memory error, so before point 4, you may want to disable them by clicking Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information, Tools, System Configuration Utility, Startup and dismark all the Startup programs except Windows specific like System Tray and Task Monitor, then Reboot. 6. Restart Windows, click Start, Run and fill command : xcopy c:\ d:\ /c /h /e /f /s /r and click OK and wait maybe an hour to complete. Please don't forget to put backspace (\) in front of C: and D: because we don't know what is the current directory. 7. Shut down Windows, remove first hard disk, put the new disk as first disk or C: and restart computer 8. Voila, now all your data has all been copied onto it! Don't forget to re-enable Virtual Memory, and your startup programs ! If you have third hard disk, and your computer support 4 hard disk, you can set the free HD as C: or copier, your Master HD as D: and your big HD slave-to-be-master as E:. Then simply click Run, type xcopy c:\ d:\ /c /h /e /f /s /r and OK. There is even no need to bother with virtual memory and startup files. With this method you can also copy hard disk with OS like Windows NT, 2000 and XP which have the NTFS partition. I don't know how to copy them with first procedure since I don't know yet virtual memory issues with these OS'es. More over you can also backup a hard disk to a folder of bigger (or emptier) HD with command xcopy d:\ c:\backup1 /c /h /e /f /s /r and later you can restore all the data to another partitioned and formatted HD with command : xcopy c:\backup1 d:\ /c /h /e /f /s /r. Please be sure to observe Copyrighted material when you copy hard disks ! Do not put copied HD in another machine !
Jusman Sulaiman
LadyH's post is worth noting.
With a bigger harddrive, what you have is more information to loose and be distressed about loosing. Image software can help you with backups as well as an initial transfer, which spreads its cost considerably.
With a bigger harddrive, what you have is more information to loose and be distressed about loosing. Image software can help you with backups as well as an initial transfer, which spreads its cost considerably.
Most drive manufacturers have utilities to copy hard drives that you can download. Before you copy a hard drive you really need to run Scan Disk in surface mode and inspect everything and then run DEFRAG to reorganize the drive. It helps if you can get rid of junk you do not need first, like ZIP files for downloads you will never need again.
If you are using Win98 or earlier, I recommend copying the win98 disk to the hard drive. This way if you ever need the disk it is on the hard drive. Often people lose the install disk for the OS. Same thing goes for install files for other hardware like video cards, sound cards, modems, etc. Usually on a large Hard Drive this will not take up much room.
If you put a hard drive in another computer and the motherboard is different, you may need to do a reinstall or an operating system repair to make the computer work properly. The OS has special drivers for the chipset devices on the motherboard. There is no guarantee that just moving a hard drive from one computer to another will produce good results. Sometimes this requires XP to have to be re-certified, which is a pain.
If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.
If you are using Win98 or earlier, I recommend copying the win98 disk to the hard drive. This way if you ever need the disk it is on the hard drive. Often people lose the install disk for the OS. Same thing goes for install files for other hardware like video cards, sound cards, modems, etc. Usually on a large Hard Drive this will not take up much room.
If you put a hard drive in another computer and the motherboard is different, you may need to do a reinstall or an operating system repair to make the computer work properly. The OS has special drivers for the chipset devices on the motherboard. There is no guarantee that just moving a hard drive from one computer to another will produce good results. Sometimes this requires XP to have to be re-certified, which is a pain.
If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.
- Thread starter
- #14
Sorry, in my last message, I made command error for 3 hard disk configuration, it is not "xcopy c:\ d:\ /c /h /e /f /s /r" but "xcopy d:\ e:\ /c /h /e /f /s /r" since you want to copy from D as master onto E as slave. Thank you.
Jusman Sulaiman
Jusman Sulaiman
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