Copying OS

[Don Soriano]

Questions:

1. What is the best way of copying (cloning) my OS (WINxp) from one hard drive (Primary Master) to another (SATA Raptor)?
2. Will using "Copy and Paste" in Edit work to transfer the OS?
3. Does it make sense to back up Windows into an external hardrive?

Don

[GaryRouth]

Assuming the Raptor is an upgrade, and you're replacing the old drive, and wish to copy the disk exactly - here's Western Digital's guide to using their "Disk Copy" utility in the DataLifeGuard utilities (comes with the hard drive, or can be downloaded from Western Digital's website) http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc....i=&p_topview=1

Depending on how many hardware changes are made, XP might ask to be "Activated" again - which is easily done either by Internet or phone in about a minute.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[macko72]

1. Use Norton Ghost or similar software!!! http://www.symantecstore.com/dr/sat5...DE=&CACHE_ID=0
2.NO
3.You can back up everything you like and where ever you like!!!

[glc]

1. There is a drive copy function in WD's Data Lifeguard Tools. No need to buy Ghost.

2. Absolutely not.

3. Sure, but you will need to buy software to do this the right way. You can copy and paste files all you want, but you can't get a functioning Windows installation backed up without some kind of cloning or imaging software - and WD DLG Tools won't work with an external drive.

If you don't mind spending some money, this USB external drive housing comes with everything you need to clone and image drives with just about every interface in existence.

http://www.apricorn.com/product_details.php?ID=332

[Don Soriano]

The Raptor is a SATA add on. I want to copy the OS from the existing boot drive (80G EIDE) to the SATA. I tried a clean install but no joy. The set-up did not allow the loading to complete as it stated that I was loading with a non-updated copy.

I got my drives working good other than the OS should be in the Raptor.

Don

[macko72]

Installing Windows

Once you have the drive(s) connected you are ready to start installing XP.

Master and Slave

Remeber since it's serial you can only have one device per SATA port/cable so SATA drives don't have jumpers. On the Motherboard SATA1 Port is for the primary device, SATA2 port is for the secondary device etc.

SATA controller driver

Your Motherboard or SATA controller card requires a driver to work properly. If you did not get a Floppy Disk with the SATA driver included with your Motherboard you will have to make one. The SATA drivers can be located on the installation CD that came with your Motherboard or preferably, download the latest SATA controller drivers from the manufacturers site. Once you have located the drivers copy them to a formatted floppy disk. Make sure they are in the root directory i.e. not contained within any folders.

BIOS settings

When you turn on the PC hit the Delete key when prompted and you will enter the BIOS (Basic Input Output System). Here you set the first boot device to be the CDROM drive, the option is usually found under the Advanced Options section but this depends on your BIOS and you may have to look around for it. Once you have done this save and exit.

Installing the SATA controller driver

Once you have set the PC to boot from the CD make sure the XP CD is in the CD drive and start the installation as per usual. Within the first minute or so of the installation Windows will prompt you to press F6 to install RAID or SCSI drivers, do this. Windows will continue to install then ask you to locate the driver. now with the floppy disk created earlier in drive A: select the driver and hit Enter.

With the SATA drivers installed you can now continue the Windows installation as usual.

BIOS settings revisited

Once Windows has finished installing you will need to make sure the PC is set to boot from the SATA drive. To do this make the first boot device SATA if the option is available. If not you have two options: HD0 - If there are no IDE HDs present, or SCSI if you do plan on running an IDE HD as a secondary device.

[glc]

Did you try Data Lifeguard Tools yet? All you have to do first is install the SATA drivers in Windows, then you can boot with the DLG disk and set up the Raptor, doing the drive-to-drive copy.

[Don Soriano]

To you all, thanks for the expert advice on this thread. But the end result is that I'm leaving the system as is, that is, keep the OS in the PriMas and use the Raptor as an ordinary third drive used mostly in FltSim games.

I tried eveyrhing you've suggested which sounded simple enough to do but in the end, even with the on-line help from Western Digital techs, it was no joy. What was happening was that about a third of the progress bar, a warning appeared stating that not all the files can be transferred to the new drive. I was told by WD that I have to transfer all the files and programs in the old drive. Did this two or three times. Frustrated, I finally took it to a professional PC service center. I was adviced to leave it as is because (1) There is no significant advantage in doing this and (2) A lot of things could go wrong even with the Ghost or the clean install. I'm sure that this is not a typical experience but prudence dicatates that I just leave it as is.

Thanks aain gents.

Don

[JonDee]

Don, I had a Seagate SATA HDD that went bad after we lost power a couple of times and I ran the Seagate Dianostics and it said the drive was bad, so I RMA'd it. While it was being RMA'd, I re-installed the Windows XP on an IDE drive that I had, so I could keep on Folding@Home on that computer. Well it took me awhile to get it going again with all the Windows up-grades and all and I didn't want to have to call Microsoft again for new sets of numbers to get my copy of Windows up and running. I did a search and found this software and ordered it, Acronis True Image. A day or two later, I received my replacement SATA Hard-drive and hooked it up in my computer. Useing this Acronis True Image and it sure did the trick very fast. It was real easy to transfer the whole drive over. After it got thru, I removed the IDE drive and it booted right up the SATA drive and I never looked back. I would highly recommend this piece of software to everyone. It worked great for me.