Changing boot hard drive

My computer is running Win98SE. My boot hard drive is a 6 gig drive.
I also have a 20 gig slave drive, which used to be a 10 gig. Changing
that slave was simply to plug in a 3rd drive and copy all the files to
it, then moving that drive to the second drive cable.

I have never changed that boot drive because I am not sure how. It
contains my boot stuff (Win98 and Dos). How can I copy all the boot
records to another (larger) drive? I have another 20 gigger that I'd
like to use to replace my 6 gig. I'm not worried about the other
directories on C: Those would just be a copy to the new drive. It's
just the boot records and the OS that puzzles me.

George

wrote in message
...
My computer is running Win98SE. My boot hard drive is a 6 gig drive.
I also have a 20 gig slave drive, which used to be a 10 gig. Changing
that slave was simply to plug in a 3rd drive and copy all the files to
it, then moving that drive to the second drive cable.

I have never changed that boot drive because I am not sure how. It
contains my boot stuff (Win98 and Dos). How can I copy all the boot
records to another (larger) drive? I have another 20 gigger that I'd
like to use to replace my 6 gig. I'm not worried about the other
directories on C: Those would just be a copy to the new drive. It's
just the boot records and the OS that puzzles me.

George

Acronis Trueimage is yer boy..............

wrote:

My computer is running Win98SE. My boot hard drive is a 6 gig
drive. I also have a 20 gig slave drive, which used to be a 10 gig.
Changing that slave was simply to plug in a 3rd drive and copy all
the files to it, then moving that drive to the second drive cable.

I have never changed that boot drive because I am not sure how. It
contains my boot stuff (Win98 and Dos). How can I copy all the boot
records to another (larger) drive? I have another 20 gigger that
I'd like to use to replace my 6 gig. I'm not worried about the
other directories on C: Those would just be a copy to the new
drive. It's just the boot records and the OS that puzzles me.

George


Do you have a removable media copy of important files from your hard
drives? If not, buy a USB flash drive and do it now.

Someone who does have copies probably won't hesitate to reinstall the
operating system on a new hard drive because he knows how to restore
backed up files. The typical user will find most of his important
files in the My Documents folder. Copy that folder to a flash drive.
Some programs allow backing up data files, so do that to the flash
drive also. If you are familiar with that process, installing a new
hard drive is easy.

.... copy out important files

.... swap the old hard drive for a new hard drive

.... boot to a floppy/CD and install Windows XP on the new hard drive

.... install programs and restore/copy back the important files

If you can, find a local techie to help you.

Good luck.

On Tue, 29 May 2007 13:20:52 -0500, put finger
to keyboard and composed:

My computer is running Win98SE. My boot hard drive is a 6 gig drive.
I also have a 20 gig slave drive, which used to be a 10 gig. Changing
that slave was simply to plug in a 3rd drive and copy all the files to
it, then moving that drive to the second drive cable.

I have never changed that boot drive because I am not sure how. It
contains my boot stuff (Win98 and Dos). How can I copy all the boot
records to another (larger) drive? I have another 20 gigger that I'd
like to use to replace my 6 gig. I'm not worried about the other
directories on C: Those would just be a copy to the new drive. It's
just the boot records and the OS that puzzles me.

George

Install the new 20GB HD as a slave. Use Fdisk to partition it and then
Format it.

If the drive has been used before, eg with Linux or Win XP, then
refresh the Master Boot Record with ...

fdisk /cmbr 2

To make the drive bootable, type ...

sys d: (or whatever drive letter is applicable)

.... or format it with the /s switch, ie ...

format d: /u /s

Make sure you have marked the partition as active (see the Fdisk
options).

Now use Xxcopy to transfer all files from your boot drive to your new
drive.

Subject: Cloning the Win9x system disk using XXCOPY.
http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy10.htm

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

On Wed, 30 May 2007 08:07:39 +1000, Franc Zabkar
wrote:

On Tue, 29 May 2007 13:20:52 -0500, put finger
to keyboard and composed:

My computer is running Win98SE. My boot hard drive is a 6 gig drive.
I also have a 20 gig slave drive, which used to be a 10 gig. Changing
that slave was simply to plug in a 3rd drive and copy all the files to
it, then moving that drive to the second drive cable.

I have never changed that boot drive because I am not sure how. It
contains my boot stuff (Win98 and Dos). How can I copy all the boot
records to another (larger) drive? I have another 20 gigger that I'd
like to use to replace my 6 gig. I'm not worried about the other
directories on C: Those would just be a copy to the new drive. It's
just the boot records and the OS that puzzles me.

George

Install the new 20GB HD as a slave. Use Fdisk to partition it and then
Format it.

If the drive has been used before, eg with Linux or Win XP, then
refresh the Master Boot Record with ...

fdisk /cmbr 2

To make the drive bootable, type ...

sys d: (or whatever drive letter is applicable)

... or format it with the /s switch, ie ...

format d: /u /s

Make sure you have marked the partition as active (see the Fdisk
options).

Now use Xxcopy to transfer all files from your boot drive to your new
drive.

Subject: Cloning the Win9x system disk using XXCOPY.
http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy10.htm

- Franc Zabkar

Thanks for the help. I guess I wasn't real clear judging from some of
the responses I got. I am not trying to reinstall windows, and
definately do not want XP. I just want to keep everything on my C:
partition the way it is, but on a different (larger) hard drive.

I do know how to fdisk, format, and install Windows. Actually I have
Partition Magic 8 and I use that. I already partitioned and formatted
the new drive using P.M.8, and I had it plugged into the 2nd IDE
cable. I am not sure if I got it right though, because I set it as a
logical partition and now that I think about it, it needs to be a
primary. Of course I cant run Partition Magic if I unplug my current
drive with Windows, Dos and P.M.8. I'm not sure if I can make it a
primary partition when its plugged into the second IDE cable.

Then comes the part about getting all of windows onto the new drive,
which means I need the registry and all of that copied over.

I am familiar with SYS C: (I used dos for years).
So, let me get this straight. After I get the partitions correct, and
the drive is formatted, I boot from a DOS disk, and type SYS C:.

Then what?

Do I plug the old hard drive in the secondary IDE cable and use XXXOPY
to copy all the files from that partition to the new drive? Or should
I plug the new drive into the secondary cable and xxcopy everything to
the new drive and then switch that drive to the first IDE cable as the
primary? This is where I get lost.

Sorry, I have never used xxcopy. I've used xcopy. But when I backup
my system, I just go to Windows Explorer, SELECT ALL (for example
drive D, then I go to the backup drive and click PASTE. This works
fine for partitions that contain only programs pictures and other
saved stuff. But to copy the OS, is a different matter.

George

wrote:
Thanks for the help. I guess I wasn't real clear judging from some of
the responses I got. I am not trying to reinstall windows, and
definately do not want XP. I just want to keep everything on my C:
partition the way it is, but on a different (larger) hard drive.

[snip]

[more snipped]
But to copy the OS, is a different matter.


What you meant to ask was "How can I clone the OS on
my C partition onto another larger hard drive?"

And the answers you would've gotten would've included
1) Use a utility that is downloadable from the website of the
manufacturer of the hard drive,
2) Use an cloning utility such as Symantec's Ghost, Acronis's
True Image, or Future Systems Solutions's Casper.

Any of these and several others will take the byte-for-byte
info on one hard drive (including the registry) and put it on
another larger hard drive. Casper can even take the byte-for-
byte info on one partition and put it on another hard drive
among other already existing partitions. If the moved contents
contain an OS and its boot files, the OS will be bootable from
the destination hard drive - which is what a clone does.

It doesn't matter if you are transferring from a Master to a Slave
on the same cable (i.e. IDE channel) or from a Slave to a Master
on the same cable, or from a Master to a Master on another cable,
or from a Slave to a Slave on another cable, or between any
SATA drive to any other SATA drive. Just direct the utility to
make the transfer from one partition/HD to another and (if it isn't
the default) to mark the cloned partition "active". If you don't
want to fiddle with the boot.ini file or readjust the HD Boot Order
in the BIOS, just plug the destination HD into the port previously
used by the source HD, and the clone will boot up instead of
the old OS.

One note of caution: If you are cloning WinNT/2K/XP, don't
let the clone see its "parent" OS when the clone is started up
for its very 1st run or it will get permanently confused to some
some degree that varies from inconsequential to catastrophic.
You can assure that the clone doesn't see its "parent" by
merely disconnecting the HD that contains the "parent" OS
before starting up the clone. Thereafter, the clone can start up
with its "parent" visible to it without any problems. Be also aware,
though, that the clone will call its own partition by the same name
as the "parent" OS did, and it will call the "parent's" partition by
some other name. That's OK as long as the OS had no shortcuts
to files on other partitions.

If you have further questions about cloning, please post them
with "clone" or "cloning" in the subject line so other readers will
recognize the subject matter.

*TimDaniels*

On Tue, 29 May 2007 22:40:58 -0500, put finger
to keyboard and composed:

I do know how to fdisk, format, and install Windows. Actually I have
Partition Magic 8 and I use that. I already partitioned and formatted
the new drive using P.M.8, and I had it plugged into the 2nd IDE
cable. I am not sure if I got it right though, because I set it as a
logical partition and now that I think about it, it needs to be a
primary. Of course I cant run Partition Magic if I unplug my current
drive with Windows, Dos and P.M.8. I'm not sure if I can make it a
primary partition when its plugged into the second IDE cable.

Then comes the part about getting all of windows onto the new drive,
which means I need the registry and all of that copied over.

I am familiar with SYS C: (I used dos for years).
So, let me get this straight. After I get the partitions correct, and
the drive is formatted, I boot from a DOS disk, and type SYS C:.

Then what?

Do I plug the old hard drive in the secondary IDE cable and use XXXOPY
to copy all the files from that partition to the new drive? Or should
I plug the new drive into the secondary cable and xxcopy everything to
the new drive and then switch that drive to the first IDE cable as the
primary? This is where I get lost.

Leave the original drive as the master on the primary cable, and
install the new drive anywhere you like. Boot from the original drive
and then use XXCOPY to copy all your files to the new drive.

Sorry, I have never used xxcopy. I've used xcopy.

XXCOPY faithfully reproduces long file name associations whereas XCOPY
and Windows Explorer do not ... at least not always.

But when I backup
my system, I just go to Windows Explorer, SELECT ALL (for example
drive D, then I go to the backup drive and click PASTE. This works
fine for partitions that contain only programs pictures and other
saved stuff. But to copy the OS, is a different matter.

George

I used to do it this way until I became aware of this issue with long
file names:
http://www.pcguide.com/art/xcopyRichkey-c.html

What can go wrong:
http://www.pcguide.com/art/xcopyWrong-c.html

Reasons why existing short file name associations should be
maintained:
http://www.pcguide.com/art/xcopyCare-c.html

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

wrote:


Thanks for the help. I guess I wasn't real clear judging from some
of the responses I got.

Or, you were clear and you don't like the responses.

I am not trying to reinstall windows,

Just because you're not trying to do that doesn't mean it's not the
best path for you to take.

and definately do not want XP.

But maybe you need it. Windows XP is far superior to Windows 98.
Whether to upgrade or not is your judgment call. I figured since the
path you should take requires reinstalling the operating system, now
might be a very good time to upgrade to a relatively much more
reliable operating system over Windows 98SE.

I just want to keep everything on my C:
partition the way it is, but on a different (larger) hard drive.

I do know how to fdisk, format, and install Windows.

That's good, but the real question is this.

Do you have backups of your important files?

Besides the fact you can unintentionally misplace/destroy files while
doing disk gymnastics, are you aware that a hard drive can fail at any
time without notice and destroy all of your files?

Actually I have Partition Magic 8 and I use that... Of course I cant
run Partition Magic if I unplug my current drive with Windows, Dos
and P.M.8.

Yes you can.

I am familiar with SYS C: (I used dos for years).

Partition Magic can be run from a bootable CD or even DOS disks.

Copy important files to removable media immediately.

Then maybe consider doing disk gymnastics. Or, do it the easy way...
install Windows XP (or your current Windows if necessary), your
programs, and then restore your important files.

Good luck.











So, let me get this straight. After I get the partitions correct,
and the drive is formatted, I boot from a DOS disk, and type SYS C:.

Then what?

Do I plug the old hard drive in the secondary IDE cable and use
XXXOPY to copy all the files from that partition to the new drive?
Or should I plug the new drive into the secondary cable and xxcopy
everything to the new drive and then switch that drive to the first
IDE cable as the primary? This is where I get lost.

Sorry, I have never used xxcopy. I've used xcopy. But when I
backup my system, I just go to Windows Explorer, SELECT ALL (for
example drive D, then I go to the backup drive and click PASTE.
This works fine for partitions that contain only programs pictures
and other saved stuff. But to copy the OS, is a different matter.

George

On Tue, 29 May 2007 23:59:55 -0700, "Timothy Daniels"
wrote:

wrote:
Thanks for the help. I guess I wasn't real clear judging from some of
the responses I got. I am not trying to reinstall windows, and
definately do not want XP. I just want to keep everything on my C:
partition the way it is, but on a different (larger) hard drive.

[snip]

[more snipped]
But to copy the OS, is a different matter.


What you meant to ask was "How can I clone the OS on
my C partition onto another larger hard drive?"

And the answers you would've gotten would've included
1) Use a utility that is downloadable from the website of the
manufacturer of the hard drive,
2) Use an cloning utility such as Symantec's Ghost, Acronis's
True Image, or Future Systems Solutions's Casper.

Any of these and several others will take the byte-for-byte
info on one hard drive (including the registry) and put it on
another larger hard drive. Casper can even take the byte-for-
byte info on one partition and put it on another hard drive
among other already existing partitions. If the moved contents
contain an OS and its boot files, the OS will be bootable from
the destination hard drive - which is what a clone does.

It doesn't matter if you are transferring from a Master to a Slave
on the same cable (i.e. IDE channel) or from a Slave to a Master
on the same cable, or from a Master to a Master on another cable,
or from a Slave to a Slave on another cable, or between any
SATA drive to any other SATA drive. Just direct the utility to
make the transfer from one partition/HD to another and (if it isn't
the default) to mark the cloned partition "active". If you don't
want to fiddle with the boot.ini file or readjust the HD Boot Order
in the BIOS, just plug the destination HD into the port previously
used by the source HD, and the clone will boot up instead of
the old OS.

One note of caution: If you are cloning WinNT/2K/XP, don't
let the clone see its "parent" OS when the clone is started up
for its very 1st run or it will get permanently confused to some
some degree that varies from inconsequential to catastrophic.
You can assure that the clone doesn't see its "parent" by
merely disconnecting the HD that contains the "parent" OS
before starting up the clone. Thereafter, the clone can start up
with its "parent" visible to it without any problems. Be also aware,
though, that the clone will call its own partition by the same name
as the "parent" OS did, and it will call the "parent's" partition by
some other name. That's OK as long as the OS had no shortcuts
to files on other partitions.

If you have further questions about cloning, please post them
with "clone" or "cloning" in the subject line so other readers will
recognize the subject matter.

*TimDaniels*




Is there any sort of freeware disk cloning software. These programs
are pricey, and for a one time operation I am not willing to pay that
much. I might use the software again in a year or two if I want an
even larger hard drive, but this is not some software that is going to
get used much at all. I dont need backup software, since I just copy
my data to my spare hard drives, and I really dont need anything more.

George

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt wrote:

On Tue, 29 May 2007 23:59:55 -0700, "Timothy Daniels"
wrote:

wrote:
Thanks for the help. I guess I wasn't real clear judging from some of
the responses I got. I am not trying to reinstall windows, and
definately do not want XP. I just want to keep everything on my C:
partition the way it is, but on a different (larger) hard drive.

[snip]

[more snipped]
But to copy the OS, is a different matter.


What you meant to ask was "How can I clone the OS on
my C partition onto another larger hard drive?"

And the answers you would've gotten would've included
1) Use a utility that is downloadable from the website of the
manufacturer of the hard drive,
2) Use an cloning utility such as Symantec's Ghost, Acronis's
True Image, or Future Systems Solutions's Casper.

Any of these and several others will take the byte-for-byte
info on one hard drive (including the registry) and put it on
another larger hard drive. Casper can even take the byte-for-
byte info on one partition and put it on another hard drive
among other already existing partitions. If the moved contents
contain an OS and its boot files, the OS will be bootable from
the destination hard drive - which is what a clone does.

It doesn't matter if you are transferring from a Master to a Slave
on the same cable (i.e. IDE channel) or from a Slave to a Master
on the same cable, or from a Master to a Master on another cable,
or from a Slave to a Slave on another cable, or between any
SATA drive to any other SATA drive. Just direct the utility to
make the transfer from one partition/HD to another and (if it isn't
the default) to mark the cloned partition "active". If you don't
want to fiddle with the boot.ini file or readjust the HD Boot Order
in the BIOS, just plug the destination HD into the port previously
used by the source HD, and the clone will boot up instead of
the old OS.

One note of caution: If you are cloning WinNT/2K/XP, don't
let the clone see its "parent" OS when the clone is started up
for its very 1st run or it will get permanently confused to some
some degree that varies from inconsequential to catastrophic.
You can assure that the clone doesn't see its "parent" by
merely disconnecting the HD that contains the "parent" OS
before starting up the clone. Thereafter, the clone can start up
with its "parent" visible to it without any problems. Be also aware,
though, that the clone will call its own partition by the same name
as the "parent" OS did, and it will call the "parent's" partition by
some other name. That's OK as long as the OS had no shortcuts
to files on other partitions.

If you have further questions about cloning, please post them
with "clone" or "cloning" in the subject line so other readers will
recognize the subject matter.

*TimDaniels*




Is there any sort of freeware disk cloning software. These programs
are pricey, and for a one time operation I am not willing to pay that
much. I might use the software again in a year or two if I want an
even larger hard drive, but this is not some software that is going to
get used much at all. I dont need backup software, since I just copy
my data to my spare hard drives, and I really dont need anything more.

If you buy a Western Digital Drive, it comes with decent copy software
for moving your system over to a new drive.

*IF* however, you're using Windows XP, then:
A. Just cloning the drive doesn't work. ;-{
B. Some files *will not copy*; and you have to do work-arounds to get
them over to the new drive. There are ways to do this; but they're
hairy indeed.
C. Their "Data Lifeguard" disk-copy system that comes with most larger
drives just doesn't work for NTFS file systems past about 130 gigabytes
or so; as WIN-XP ****s up the drive so that it doesn't *look* externally
like a single drive; and their copy software doesn't know what to do
about that when copying system files over.

It works OK though, if your old files are on a FAT based system and your
new drive is the same size or larger.

It works a *lot* better for Win-95 and Win-98 systems though.
Just run the thing in "Safe Mode"; and you'll transfer almost all files.

--
_____
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