Copy a Hard Drive

[Loosehorse]

My old desktop is starting to make noises. Like the drive is spinning and grinding.
Not a good noise. If I turn it off, and on, it usually goes away. For now.
It’s a Pentium4, and it runs on Windows XP Pro.
CPU 2.66 GHz, 2.67GHz
504 MB RAM.
The File system says
NTFS 76.3 GB Free 11.7GB (Is my HD 100 gig?)
It has the router for my wireless hooked up to it. I usually use my laptop.

What I wanted to know is, if I buy an external hard drive, and copy the hard drive, can I put it on a new computer?
Will the programs work or will I just be saving the files?
I have some old programs that I don’t know where the disks are.
Like Quick Books and Family Tree Maker. Will they still work?
Can you boot up off the copied hard drive?
I don’t even know if I have a windows disk, I think it came on the computer.

Is this something a novice could do?

Thanks in Advance.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

[njcurveball]

Many programs use registry entries and files in the Windows directory. If you do not have the original disks, then you probably would need to buy or upgrade to get them to work on a new system.

I always tell people to copy their personal stuff first. Pictures, movies, documents, spreadsheets. Things you could not buy off the shelf, even if you wanted to.

Set up directories on the External Hard Drive that mean something. Having one JPG directory is nice, but finding your pics in it over time gets tougher and tougher.

Either set up sub directories by date, or by description (even better). 2007 Alaska trip is much more meaningful than 2007_08_05 in a few years.

You are smart to jump on this now. Once you get the personal stuff done, then move on to your programs.

Once you have everything copied, perhaps try a defrag and check disk? I say AFTER since it would not be good if the computer crashed during these tasks without a back-up.

You can run operating systems using an external, but it is not recommended.

There is a package called Norton Ghost, it is a lil involved, but if you take the time to learn it, then it pretty much answers all your needs.

http://www.symantec.com/norton/products/overview.jsp?pcid=br&pvid=ghost12

Jim

[tupper]

It might be good to run a check on your drive. Windows has the chkdsk utility: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

The manufacturer of your hard drive might offer a free diagnostic program.

You can also try something like smartmontools, if your system/drive is compatible (see the "Sixth Method"): http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

Of course, there are diagnostic tools that you can purchase.

As njcurveball suggested, it is probably a good idea to back-up your data files A.S.A.P. The programs/applications are not as important.

The noise could be coming from a fan. Dust can accumulate quickly in computers. Blowing/vacuuming out the dust is easy -- just be gentle around the CPU (and while you have your box, open, it's easy to mount and plug-in another internal drive).

[Red Knave]

Both the other suggestions are good. Here's my .02 -
My old desktop is starting to make noises. Like the drive is spinning and grinding.
Not a good noise. If I turn it off, and on, it usually goes away. For now.This could just be the power supply fan. Much easier and cheaper to replace the power supply. :) Can you boot up off the copied hard drive?Not easily. Some newer motherboards allow booting from a USB device. The intention is for you to have a CD on the USB port with your Windows CD in it. I have created a USB flash drive and booted from that but it's not pretty and not for the faint of heart. Go here http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ to see what I mean.Is this something a novice could do?I doubt it but this tool will allow you to create an image of your hard disk. http://www.fssdev.com/ Then you can swap out your old drive with the new one and boot from that. It really works well.

[JustRalph]

Norton Ghost

you can install a new drive.........clone the drive from one to another

or you can clone the drive to cd/dvd shut down.........pull the old drive out and replace it with a new one. Boot from the cd/dvd made in norton ghost.......copy the clone onto the new drive and boot right up with the same data and programs intact.........that were on the failing drive.

Not that hard really.......check the net.............for info

a short primer here

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=418

[Loosehorse]

Thanks so much for all the info. I am not sure what I will do, but you all have given me very good advice.

[Gibbon]

128GB Solid State hard drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820609245

[King Ritchie]

Do an Image backup.......NOW.

I have used Norton Ghost but I like Acronis True Image the best. It is quite painless and easy to use. Norton runs in DOS while Acronis runs in Windows. I have easily created and restored drives with this program. I would replace your drive with something of the same size, however, do NOT buy a Western Digital Drive. I have had several of these drives fail. I have had good luck with Maxtor and IBM.

[michiken]

Last year when I bought a new Seagate hard drive, it came with its own software to clone the original.

It only worked for my old Windows data, I had to use Linux DD command to clone my Arch Linux partition.....

[headhawg]

I would replace your drive with something of the same size, however, do NOT buy a Western Digital Drive. I have had several of these drives fail. I have had good luck with Maxtor and IBM.You can get bad drives from any manufacturer. I have had nothing but good luck with WD. IBM sold off it's drive division to Hitachi, but they had a class action lawsuit against them for their 75 GXP Deathstar (I mean Deskstar) drives that was settled a couple of years ago. I had one. It sucked.

[PaceAdvantage]

Do an Image backup.......NOW.

I have used Norton Ghost but I like Acronis True Image the best. It is quite painless and easy to use. Norton runs in DOS while Acronis runs in Windows. I have easily created and restored drives with this program. I would replace your drive with something of the same size, however, do NOT buy a Western Digital Drive. I have had several of these drives fail. I have had good luck with Maxtor and IBM.I like Acronis as well....plus I second Headhawg's WD recommendation. I use nothing but WD drives....

[delayjf]

Just to clarify if I use the Norton Ghost or Acronis, I will not need to re-install my programs or OS, it copies the entire drive?

[cj]

I like Acronis as well....plus I second Headhawg's WD recommendation. I use nothing but WD drives....

I'm using Acronis True Image 11. Works great.

As for the drives, I had a WD that worked great until I dropped it on the floor. User error, not a WD fault. I have several and they all seem to perform well, just KEEP THEM COOL.

[OTM Al]

WDs I've had before the bad ones came out and after have all worked fine, but do think my Maxtor drives (hey, I'm cheap I buy whichever of the 2 was on sale) have lasted longer. I've had 2 WDs that failed, but it was after a lot of use, so I wouldn't call them defective at all and in this day and age if you don't have a full physical backup then you are being foolish

[robert99]

Just to clarify if I use the Norton Ghost or Acronis, I will not need to re-install my programs or OS, it copies the entire drive?

delayjf,

That is correct - it makes series of exact byte by byte image files of each hard disk or its individual partitions. You can reinstall the image at any time and your PC is back to working as it did on the day of the imaging, and you can still extract individual files from the images if you need only them. Acronis is far more up to date and also has a single key F11 crash recovery reinstall of system files from hard disk, but both work well.