Hard Drive Image

Z

Zeno

Member
Hi,

I have a Compaq Presario CQ57 Laptop computer. It currently has a 250 GB hard drive. The drive is currently working and running just fine. But I would like to upgrade this computer with a new 500 GB drive.

My question:

Is there any way that I can create an image of my current drive on a CD or DVD disk and then use that to set up my new drive so that everything will be saved precisely as it currently is?

I'd like to change this drive out but I don't want to have to reinstall all my software, etc.

I'd like to be able to just replace the drive and have everything just exactly as it was before I changed the drive.

Is that possible? If so, how do I create the disk image?

Thank you.
 
johnb35

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
You will need to use cloning software that will actually clone the old drive to the new drive. Attach both drives to a desktop system and do it, much easier.

If you buy a western digital drive, you can use their version of acronis software that will clone the old to the new.
 
Last edited:
voyagerfan99

voyagerfan99

Master of Turning Things Off and Back On Again
Staff member
You don't make an image. You just install the new hard drive and attach the old drive via a USB adapter and clone it over.
 
Z

Zeno

Member
voyagerfan99 said:
You don't make an image. You just install the new hard drive and attach the old drive via a USB adapter and clone it over.
Click to expand...

Could I do this the other way around?

In other words, attach the new hard drive to the USB adapter and clone the old computer drive to it, then install it? Then it should just boot right up just like the old drive?

The reason I'm asking is because my old drive failed in a similar computer and I just replaced it. I had to reinstall all my programs and reconfigure them. It took me over a week and I'm still not back to where I was before. So I would like to make a back-up drive for that one too that has the whole system on it complete with installed and configured programs.

I don't want to have to reinstall and reconfigure programs ever again. Unless I absolutely have to.
 
voyagerfan99

voyagerfan99

Master of Turning Things Off and Back On Again
Staff member
You can do it either way. No matter which way you do it it'll clone over and be the same as the old drive was.
 
S.T.A.R.S.

S.T.A.R.S.

banned
Zeno said:
Could I do this the other way around?

In other words, attach the new hard drive to the USB adapter and clone the old computer drive to it, then install it? Then it should just boot right up just like the old drive?

The reason I'm asking is because my old drive failed in a similar computer and I just replaced it. I had to reinstall all my programs and reconfigure them. It took me over a week and I'm still not back to where I was before. So I would like to make a back-up drive for that one too that has the whole system on it complete with installed and configured programs.

I don't want to have to reinstall and reconfigure programs ever again. Unless I absolutely have to.
Click to expand...

DriveClone Pro is great and works perfectly with USB drives...

There IS one more FREE way which I use every time all the time and does not require any kind of cloning software,but it's a way I found myself and it can be a little bit tricky so I am not gonna write it down here.

So I would suggest you to just go with DriveClone Pro and simply clone the drive with it:
driveclone_pro.gif


Of course...there are dozens of other ways to do this thing.DriveClone Pro is just one of them...
 
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