OS transfer...

Sacrinyellow5

New Member
Ok, So I'm thinking about upgrading my HD on an older computer. The computer was bought 2nd hand with win 2000 already installed on it and I do not have the recovery or original OS CD. What's the easiest way to transfer all the 20 GB HD and OS onto the new drive which I'm planning on purchasing?
Can I copy the entire drive to the new drive and switch them? or is there more to it than that?

Thanks for your help!
 
You would have to get a program that copies every file, not just the ones you can see.
 
:-(

Bellow -- Thanks Omega, I might just go with a fresh install of 98 on the comp then if I change out drives.
 
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As far as I know that cant be done, unless the hard drives are the same, because some file indexes, file format, as well as other things are drive specific.
 
try norton ghost

As I said, it's useful if your using an identical, or at least similar HD. If your using completely different drives, most likely you will receive errors or BSoD's when you try to boot up the computer.
 
No

[-0MEGA-];495353 said:
As far as I know that cant be done, unless the hard drives are the same, because some file indexes, file format, as well as other things are drive specific.

IT SHOULD WORK JUST FINE I have actually done exactly what he wants using a program called Acronis Partition Expert 2003. Anyway, I migrated the OS from an ancient 20GB HDD along with all its accompanying files onto the new 80GB drive. Here I am typing to you two years later. If I were you, I would copy the contents and test them out prior to getting rid of the old HDD in order to make sure it's ok.
 
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if you don't buy oem, the new drive will probably come with a utility disk for moving everything over. my wd drive did.
 
IT SHOULD WORK JUST FINE I have actually done exactly what he wants using a program called Acronis Partition Expert 2003. Anyway, I migrated the OS from an ancient 20GB HDD along with all its accompanying files onto the new 80GB drive. Here I am typing to you two years later. If I were you, I would copy the contents and test them out prior to getting rid of the old HDD in order to make sure it's ok.

Well it is possible that Acronis is specially designed to move the OS and create new file structures and such, because I tried using Ghost for one drive to another, but the OS didnt load sucessfully on the new drive.
 
[-0MEGA-];495859 said:
Well it is possible that Acronis is specially designed to move the OS and create new file structures and such, because I tried using Ghost for one drive to another, but the OS didnt load sucessfully on the new drive.

it will work, althogh you might have to reghost from drive to drive. you can copy from bigger drive to smaller drive, smaller drive to bigger drive wit hno problems. you probably screwed up somewhere
 
it will work, althogh you might have to reghost from drive to drive. you can copy from bigger drive to smaller drive, smaller drive to bigger drive wit hno problems. you probably screwed up somewhere

lol, thanks for suggesting that :P

I did that many years ago, so I didn't have much experience with Ghost.
 
It would be almost impossible because you have to copy the registry, the programs and coping over you have like 1persent chance it dosent say acces denied on a folder.
 
It would be almost impossible because you have to copy the registry, the programs and coping over you have like 1persent chance it dosent say acces denied on a folder.

What? No offense, but did you read what we have posted above? It is possible. You just need specialised software that copies THE ENTIRE contents from ONE HDD to ANOTHER (including the registry, file structure, MBR etc. etc.)

JAN :D
 
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