Need a good ghosting/cloning program.

C

cocheese256

Gawd
Joined
Apr 23, 2005
Messages
783
I need some advice on a program that I can use to perform a complete clone of a hard drive.
I want to copy all files, including the OS from one hard drive to another so I can take the cloned drive and place it in another computer. I would like to know also if it is possible to take that clone and place it on a larger hard drive.
Thanx
 
You're better off reinstalling your OS if you're moving to new hardware in my experience. You'll have all your old drivers still installed, causing problems with your new stuff. It may be possible to use a program to wipe out all your drivers, or do a repair install (if you're using XP), but I'm not one to enlighten on that idea.

Acronis True Image can clone harddrives fine, it can guide you through the process, and you can move to a different size harddrive with little problems.
 
Acronis True Image

Although in order to put it in a different computer you will have to use sysprep
 
Let me give a little more background on what I am doing. I run the parts and service department at our dealership. I have an old parts catalog system installed on an old system running windows 2000. This is one of those systems that we had to buy the hardware (ie the computer) with the software already installed. I never had an install disk for this program (this is how they keep people from installing multiple programs). The company has gone out of business so there is no way I can get a copy of this program. I am trying to make a complete copy because it is only a matter of time before this system quits and I would like to have a back for when that happens.
 
Another vote for Acronis...

It is possible that this software doesn't really need to be "installed". You may want to try a straight copy of all of its folders to a machine you can experiement on and just see if it runs that way. You would have to manually create shortcuts and Windows program entries.

You may also want to consider moving forward by getting this software onto a virtual machine. You mentioned that you do not have the installation disks, so you can't install this software. This means you are always going to be at risk of losing the software to a hardware failure, and also are risk because of drivers, hardware changes, etc.

I think you could significantly increase its life expectancy with it running on a virtual machine. Windows 2000 is getting a bit long in the tooth and eventually hardware won't run Win 2k, but I bet when that day comes, Win 2k will still run as a guest OS on a virtual platform.

I think your second task would be trying the manual copy of the program folders to another machine and see how well that works out. Your first would be to get that machine backed up - Acronis!
 
I vote Acronis with universal restore, don't need to sysprep

Universal restore really is an amazing app, i'm suprised i don't see it around here more
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top