Can I format a hard drive on another computer

Vizy

New Member
I don't know how to say this correctly but please bear with me:

My Windows Vista on my custom built started crapping out on me, and after trying everything - save a reformat - it won't boot. Something with a registry corruption, but whatever.

Using drive image xml I saved a backup of that harddrive on my external. Can I take my C: drive from my custom built, slave it this computer, hook up the external and mirror the image back into it, and will it work? Cause it seems like a long process and i really can't afford to waste time.


Thanks guys.
 

El DJ

New Member
In theory, it sounds like it would work.
I don't know too much about this though; you might want to wait for more input before trying.
 

Vizy

New Member
Yea, that's what I was thinking. Thanks for replying anyways dude, I'm gonna go for t and do some other homework I guess in the meantime . Arggghhhhh been getting so lazy lately.

I'll let you guys know how t works, if it works.
 

JTM

New Member
If it can deploy an image similar to Norton Ghost then you'll be fine. If you are planning on installing it via that computer and then swapping the hdd, the OS isn't gonna like that. The hardware differences will mess it up to a degree.
 

Vizy

New Member
If it can deploy an image similar to Norton Ghost then you'll be fine. If you are planning on installing it via that computer and then swapping the hdd, the OS isn't gonna like that. The hardware differences will mess it up to a degree.



Yea, it's the poorman's norton ghost. I'm just using a computer to mirror the image onto the harddrive, the vista cd isn't gonna be used what so erver.

So an update, have like 29 gigs of downloads that are being transferred right now, after that is when I'll do the imaging. Keeping you guys updated.
 

Francisck

New Member
Vizy,

I can confirm that it works as I have done it before. I used drive image xml to make a copy of a drive and placed it in another machine to later restore it, then I just went ahead and put it back into the original machine and it booted up fine.

You should be all good as long as the drive image is better your registry got corrupted =)
 

Vizy

New Member
Vizy,

I can confirm that it works as I have done it before. I used drive image xml to make a copy of a drive and placed it in another machine to later restore it, then I just went ahead and put it back into the original machine and it booted up fine.

You should be all good as long as the drive image is better your registry got corrupted =)

definetely good to hear. I started the imaging process, it came with and error saying " could not lock destination drive" but I clicked ignore and went on with it.

Hope that error isn't bad... Lol
 

Vizy

New Member
Solved guys!

Feel's like I stepped back in time lol (with the different wallpaper and dock settings and theme.

After the imaging, I plugged it into my computer ( the custom built) and it said NO SYSTEM DISK INSERT DISK THEN PRESS ENTER.

Man you guys would of had a heart attack if you heard the string of words that came out of my mouth.


I just reset the sata plug and power and booted up again, said vista wasn't shut down properly and i clicked start it normally and voila, i am here guys.

Thanks for all the responses guys.

To summarize

IT WORKS
 
Top