copy everthing to new hd

[maxwell333]

I want to copy my entire hd operating syatem and all to a new hd .then use the old drive as storage (slave). tried to use drive image but it gets to about 70percent and then reboots .When it does the 2nd drive is empty as if nothing was done .Ialso tried partition magic by copying the partion to the new hd . When I click okay nothing happens . It just refuses to do it . No error messages though . Anyone know how to do this . I just want to switch everything from my old hd to a new one . Im using windows XP . By the way I tried doing this with the new one as slave and the old one as master and also with the new one on the 2nd edi cable in place of the cd rom (as driveimage suggests) Thanks

[VHockey86]

Personally it never hurts to do a fresh install of XP, makes things runs faster, but if you want it transfered as is, I suggest using the drive clone feature in Norton Ghost.

[maxwell333]

The computer is only a couple of months old and Ive got it loaded with programs etc . Id hate to have to reinstall it all again . Ill give norton a try tmo . Have you actually tried this feature ?

[Siliconjunkie]

Ghost will work like a charm. I have done this many times and its usually transparent.

[agathodaimon]

I can also vouch for ghost myself.
It's easy to use and does a PERFECT job for when I back up my system. It's been a lifesaver a couple of times with bad installs.

BTW, is your slave drive SMALLER than the MASTER?
You can only Ghost to a drive of equal or greater size to the master drive... Well, maybe they've corrected that in the newer Ghost program... Mine is OLD!!

[maxwell333]

the old drive is 120 gig but only 15 gig is used . The new is 80 gig but a faster HD . Ive never used ghost . To copy I need to use the clone feature? . Also which version would you recommend Thanks very much to everyone for all the advice

[LeftCoast]

Originally posted by maxwell333
the old drive is 120 gig but only 15 gig is used . The new is 80 gig but a faster HD...

This may be your problem. If you're copying from the 120 to the 80, how does the copy tool/program know not to copy the empty space? It is being instructed to copy 120 gigs (full space AND empty space) to an 80 gig drive, and you say it stops @ 70%. 80 gigs is 66.6% of 120 gigs. Coincidence? Don't think so.

Good luck using ghost, but I think you're in for another heartache. I'd back-up important files, and reinstall the OS in the 80 gig, or get a 120 gig or larger HDD...IMAO.

-LC

Link to 120 gig HDD for $59.94 after MIR :

http://www.techimo.com/forum/t70655.html

[maxwell333]

Cant thank you enough . Just so happens I have another 120 HD western digital w/8mb buffer that I was sving for another computer I was planning on building soon . Can I ask you another question . The reason I was changing HD's is the old one only has a 2mb buffer the new one has an 8mb buffer . I will be using the computer for video editing and games . Do you think its worth the hassle to switch them ?

[soulja]

it sounds good, if u want to access stuff faster,

[maxwell333]

Okay . Norton ghost worked perfectly however the computer will not boot from the hd I checked them both with partition magic and they are exact copies anyone have any idea why