want to copy a notebook hdd to my pc for restoring later

[racerbrownn]

i have a usb 1 notebook hdd enclosure so i can access the contents to save on my desktop. i can't use copy/paste as the boot sector [or whatever] was not copied.

copy back on new hdd gave invalid sys disk error when installed in notebook.

my drive image program won't work as i have a ata 100 hdd controller card which loads after the dos program is running.

is there an easy way to insure that i can copy ALL the notebook hdd [while in windows].
thanks, ray.

[HAL9000]

GHOST will do it from within Windows. You will need a recent version to be able to make the image to and from the USB drive.

[racerbrownn]

great, i just happen to have ordered it a few days ago for a different job.
can't wait to try it out.
thankx.

[racerbrownn]

story of my life....
i found ghost 2002 on an old copy of sys works and made the boot disc to run the executable.
i picked usb from the boot menu to search the drive to copy and the program couldn't find a usb device connected.
i remember that i had to install a driver for windows to recognise the hdd adapter.
course, that driver isn't loaded in dos mode only.
any other ideas as there must be a way.

[racerbrownn]

this makes no sense!!!

i checked the hdd that i'm getting the invalid system disc error on and it has io.sys, msdos.sys, drivespace.bin and command .com installed in their own folders on the drive.

it really should boot to a c:\

all the data copied onto the drive shows up on my desktop when accessed thru the usb adapter.

just what kind of fault will produce the invalid system disc error?

[David_Jones]

Not sure what the "usb 1 notebook hdd enclosure " means (my lack of knowledge, not your explanation), but if you can access the disk from a boot floppy in the laptop, then you can just link the laptop to your other PC using a parallel cable (say), and use ghost to image the laptop HDD.

If that is feasible (you can access the laptop HDD from the laptop using a boot disk), post back on how to do it.

Note: Doesn't matter whether the laptop will or will not boot up using the HDD, just so long as it can be read using a bootable floppy.

David.

[racerbrownn]

yeah, that would be nice IF the laptop had a floppy drive. only a cdrom.
sure makes things alot harder although i get things done anyways.
as far as the usb enclosure, i got one off ebay that the notebook 2.5 hdd fits into to allow access of the files as an extra drive thru the usb.
my question as to what sets the error "invalid system disc" when all 4 programs that windows startup disc copies to a floppy are in place on the hdd in question.
it really should boot to c:\
maybe one of the programs [io.sys or etc] is corrupted?
i will have to load one of my other working hdds to be sure the laptop still works [has up till now] and recopy the 4 startup programs to try to get this hdd to load.
i wonder if when i copied ALL files off of the hdd, would i get the boot sector also just using select all/copy?? [doubt it]

[David_Jones]

You can boot from a CD too, so the lack of a floppy shouldn't be a problem (I have a desktop with no floppy that I imaged to another PC before).

If you can do that, then you are free to experiment without having to make one big (final) decision with all the possible data loss consequences.

Post back if you aren't sure how to make a bootable CD with the necessary software thereon to link the PCs, but this is all assuming that the laptop can actually read (even if not boot) from the HDD.

You would also need, say, a parallel cable to link the PCs.

David.

[racerbrownn]

what a mess!!!

my desktop floppy is screwed and doesn't write the folder contents correctly.

now my origional laptop hdd will not respond either in the pc or in the usb adapter.

at least it is not the laptop... another hdd with a good op sys boots the laptop fine.

now, if i try to do anything with the questionable hdd in the laptop, it won't even post - no screen or anything except for the power on led on case.

looks like it's time for a new floppy for the desktop and a hdd for the laptop.

countless hours wasted chasing my tail over either junk hdwe or software.

i really should stick to my day job. pay is alot better and less frustrating.

nothing like a hobby where you pull hair out of your head on a regular basis. ha ha i think.

as far as booting from a cdrom, isn't the win98se cd bootable??

also, i've never heard of linking 2 pc's with a parallel cable [you mean crossover cable?]. just how does that work and respond???

[David_Jones]

Yes, the Win98 CD would be bootable, but that will only contain the software that MS put on there.

You can also make writeable CDs bootable, and of course, include any software you like, including something to get two PCs to network (peer to peer) using, say, a parallel cable.

A parallel cable is one that connects between the parallel ports on your PCs, and is much slower, but perhaps simpler to use, than a CAT 5 crossover cable.

Some people seem to call them 'Laplink' cables, but Laplink is just one maker of software that can connect the two PCs, and it is neither free, nor, I have found, the easiest way to go about it (just my opinion).

I have used XTreeLink quite often, and it works very well, has been reliable, and dead simple to use.

HTH,

David.