So I just got my new drive. Is there any way I can move my OS over to the new drive without paying for something like Norton Ghost. I'd like to know how to do this ASAP. I actually copied all the files from c: to the new drive but it won't boot. Freaking partition magic won't let me make a boot partition on anything but disk1.
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Need Help Quick!! Moving OS
- Thread starter djskankho
- Start date
Skystalker
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2002
- Messages
- 1,216
Most of the large HDD manufacturer's have their own utility... WD's one is called "lifeguard" and is downloadable from their site.
Works like a hot-damn!
I know that Maxtor and Seagate have something similar... and I haven;t found one for Samsung. Don't know if there are any others.
Just look under downloads on the manufacturer's website (or check the FAQ's)... good luck!
-Skystalker
Works like a hot-damn!
I know that Maxtor and Seagate have something similar... and I haven;t found one for Samsung. Don't know if there are any others.
Just look under downloads on the manufacturer's website (or check the FAQ's)... good luck!
-Skystalker
ugh, I screwed everything up. I started an install of windows on the new drive and then I was going to copy all the windows files over to that but my old installation wouldn't work. So I tried to recover it but realized I did that will my windows CD and not with my unatended boot disc, which doens't even have that option so I screwed it all up. This was not worth the trouble. I should have just finished the new installation in the first place.
Skystalker
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2002
- Messages
- 1,216
You will need to give a bit more information here...
You are attempting a clean install of windows XP SP2?
You say it is not booting... how so? Please give as detailed a post as possible in order to be able to diagnose your problem!
Copying your files from one drive to another will not make a boot drive... the boot files need to be in a particular place on the drive. You need to use a utility that will do this for you... (see me previous post).
Details, my friend... details.
-Skystalker
You are attempting a clean install of windows XP SP2?
You say it is not booting... how so? Please give as detailed a post as possible in order to be able to diagnose your problem!
Copying your files from one drive to another will not make a boot drive... the boot files need to be in a particular place on the drive. You need to use a utility that will do this for you... (see me previous post).
Details, my friend... details.
-Skystalker
Sorry I think I finally got it although we'll see when I get home. I left it installing on its own. That's probably dangerous but oh well.
I understand all that about the copying files not making it a boot drive. My problem kind of changed from that to simply installing windows again. As it would turn out the problem was that I had my new WD4000KD set to AUTO in the BIOS when it should have been set to LARGE. It would let me go through the windows formatting and copying the initial files but after the first reboot it would say "Error loading operating system".
So for the vague posts, I wasn't really expecting much help. More venting than anything. I thought someone just might have any idea of some general error I could make. So I think I got it now. It only took me 2 days to find the answer on Google. Knoppix is nice, but I wouldn't want to use it all the time.
Just for future knowledge, if I copy all the files to the new drive and use the windows recovery command prompt, can I use bootcfg and fixmbr to make the drive bootable?
I understand all that about the copying files not making it a boot drive. My problem kind of changed from that to simply installing windows again. As it would turn out the problem was that I had my new WD4000KD set to AUTO in the BIOS when it should have been set to LARGE. It would let me go through the windows formatting and copying the initial files but after the first reboot it would say "Error loading operating system".
So for the vague posts, I wasn't really expecting much help. More venting than anything. I thought someone just might have any idea of some general error I could make. So I think I got it now. It only took me 2 days to find the answer on Google. Knoppix is nice, but I wouldn't want to use it all the time.
Just for future knowledge, if I copy all the files to the new drive and use the windows recovery command prompt, can I use bootcfg and fixmbr to make the drive bootable?