Best software for cloning your old HD to a new one?(and have it bootable)

[Svperstar]

Just finished my order at the egg for a 300 gig maxtor 16 meg.

Now usually when I upgrade HDs I just reinstall WinXp from scratch just as a form of spring cleaning, but this time around I don't feel like it.

I remember I downloaded some utility to help a friend clone his drive, and it said it made a 100% copy, then we switched it around, and it wouldn't boot up, all his data was there but the drive wouldn't boot, I can't recall how we fixed that.

Is there something I can use where I just select my old drive, and then my new drive, hit copy, then reboot and switch the new SATA drive to master and have it just boot up?

Thanks

 

[Stumps]

Norton Ghost

 

[LED]

Acronis True image...then Ghost IMO

 

[CreativeTom]

I like Norton Ghost as already stated, never really tried anything else out because Ghost has always done the job well for me.

 

[theMan]

acronis true image beats norton ghost by far. ive used both in bad situations, and acronis was way easier to use, and worked better.

 

[CreativeTom]

Originally posted by: theman
acronis true image beats norton ghost by far. ive used both in bad situations, and acronis was way easier to use, and worked better.

I will take a look at Acronis, like I said I have never had the need to use anything else, I have been using Ghost for years. I don't really know how you consider that "it worked better", if it does what it's supposed to then it worked, if it doesn't then it didn't work, I don't understand how it could work better though.

 

[teddyv]

I picked up a great little program called CopyCommander a while back and it has worked flawlessy through several backups and new drives. You boot with the CD - it formats, partitions (if you want that, I never have), and makes a mirror copy to the new drive.

I've gone from 40g to 80g to now 120g with CopyCommander without a hiccough yet. They have it listed online for $35 but I got mine at MicroCenter for only $14.99.

 

[newParadigm]

Ghost or Acronis as already stated, Ive used both before and I havent had problems with either.

~new