Hard Drive Cloning

[Jim123]

Hello, all I need is confirmation I'm using this software correctly. What I plan on doing is use it to upgrade my bootable hard drive by copying it to the new drive and making it the bootable drive.

OK, here goes.
1-install PowerQuest Drive Image on the old drive (within Windows).
2-set jumpers on new drive (WD) to slave, and setting it up within the BIOS. (do not partion or format).
3-boot-up into Windows, open PQ DI and follow direction to copy disk to disk.
4-Not sure here, Hide old drive Partition, show new drive Partition.
5-shut system down, change jumper on new drive to master, install, boot.

At this point the PC will boot off of the new drive and run the OS that has been copyed onto it.

Is that it, will PQ DI see the unpartitioned and unformated drive within Windows? and can it copy files when in use?

Thank you
Jim

 

[LiLithTecH]

3 - You cannot clone a drive that is in use. You will need to boot with a boot disk.
Drive Image has a Create Bootdisk option.

4 - Not Needed

5 - Also, if you plan on using old drive, set it to slave if on same IDE channel.

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: Jim123
1-install PowerQuest Drive Image on the old drive (within Windows).
2-set jumpers on new drive (WD) to slave, and setting it up within the BIOS. (do not partion or format).
3-boot-up into Windows, open PQ DI and follow direction to copy disk to disk.
4-Not sure here, Hide old drive Partition, show new drive Partition.
5-shut system down, change jumper on new drive to master, install, boot. At this point the PC will boot off of the new drive and run the OS that has been copyed onto it. Is that it, will PQ DI see the unpartitioned and unformated drive within Windows? and can it copy files when in use? Thank you Jim

OK - the answer to 1 is NO! Instead, create a boot disk set. To clone you need to boot from them so both drives are subordinate to the program equally.

2 is OK - as long as both drives are seen in the POST.

3. No! Do not boot into Windows. Like the man said - boot from the floppies.

4. Select REPLACE and then go advanced and UNCHECK hide source or target. You want them both visible.

5. Let it do the cloning. When done - power down and disconnect the original drive and make your new drive the master or boot as a slave with no master present. Either way works in most systems. XP will require a reboot after it fingerprints the new drive. Then you have two ready to go.

I clone every week and to make it easy, I have the drives in mobile racks so I can turn them on and off by external key switches and leave the cables alonne. I set both drives to CS.

In essence, for this function, Drive Image operates exactly like Drive Copy - also Powerquest - only difference is it does other things and costs twice as much. 🙂

To make life nicer, I created a bootable CD with the drive copying files . It does every thing on the drive - partitions and all - bit by bit.