Best way to copy one HD to another?

[Felecha]

My stepdaughter is inheriting a computer from her father. Hers has an 8gig HD full of programs and tons of downloaded music. His is fairly new, with a 40gig HD. She wants to be able to move it all onto the new computer, apps and files and all. I understand there's software like DriveCopy and Ghost. I have all the PC's at home networked, and I hoped to add a card to the new machine and do any transfers that way. Is this going to work, and which is the best software, and what do I need to know to make it go?

 

[4824guy]

Companies like WD, Maxtor, and Seagate include software for cloning HD's over to new ones in their retail packages. Or you can download them for free at their web sites.


There is also a free software at Russ's Compucheap.com called filecopy that does this.

 

[arod324]

You can also download Norton Ghost for free @www.tweakfiles.com. This is the program I used on my computer when I upgraded to a 30 gig harddrive.

 

[obenton]

I assume she's using win9x and that you're using win9x or winnt (including w2k). Quickest way would be to first boot her old computer and remove all hardware devices in device manager. Then, shut the computer down and remove the HD. Slave this old HD and the new HD into one of your computers (or each into a different computer and use the network for a slower transfer), boot, and copy the old HD onto the new HD. Then put her new HD into her new computer as the boot drive, boot up, and reinstall all the new hardware.

 

[Felecha]

Thanks all. I feel like a dumbell here. She wants to keep stuuf on her father's computer, and move hers over, so it's not a case for cloning. Far as I understand these things, she'll have to install whatever she wants to his, then move her files. I'm networked, so that should be doable

 

[overmars]

I just use Image Cast IC3 to copy my disk drives . . .