How to copy all files including active W2K files?

[xcaddict]

I have installed a slave HDD in a removable drawer. When I tried to copy all the files from the primary drive to the slave I got messages that some could not be copied as they were in use. No doubt it is because I am trying to copy the system files that sre currently operating. But how can you copy these files when there is no simple dos to copy under in W2K.

 

[Pederv]

If there's nothing currently on the drawer drive, I'd use something like Norton Ghost. If I ever wanted to copy the whole WINNT folder and had some time on my hands, I'd replace my normal drive with a spare one. Setup a fresh Win2K, connect my old drive as a slave and copy from my old drive to the drawer drive, then make my old drive the primary again.

Why copy the whole WINNT folder? User profiles and data or in Documents and Settings.

 

[xcaddict]

I want the removable drive to be a complete copy of the main hard drive that I will refresh every now and then. It is an attempt to avoid making so many drink coasters from blank CD's.

I think I have a "Ghost" program on the Cd that came with the epox motherboard. I will see if that does the trick.

Thanks!

 

[Rallispec]

are you sure you were doing a copy of the files on the computer and not transferring the files? it might not let you transfer files from one disk to anohter if they are being used, but if you are just copying them over to the other drive i would imagine it should work... however, does copying the whole winNt folder still get all the data thats stored in the system registry?

 

[TheCorm]

Ghost is the best way of making a complete mirror copy of a drive. I am curious though, how does what you are attempting to do lower the chance of coasters?

Generally windows is very funny about open files, won't allow you to copy OR move files.

Corm

 

[xcaddict]

It reduces drink coasters because I do not have to burn a lot of CD's to archive the files. My CD burner is OK but when I start doing a lot of backing up it spits the dummy and stops writing to the CD's half way through. That is where the drink coasters come from, what else do you do with all those useless CD's. Copying the whole lot to a spare HDD is far quicker and reliable.

 

[xcaddict]

OK So much for the Norton Ghost copy that I had. It came with the epox board but is version 6 and will make a image file of the original HDD but for some reason it will not allow me to copy the drive directly. I know that Ghost is able to do this but perhaps this copy is limited in some way.

 

[TheCorm]

What CD Writer do you own? Does it have Burnproof or equivalent technology?

 

[brendan0]

Try Ghost with a removable HD bay (they're like $15-20) Makes a perfect image & you can go hide it upstairs under your bed. Works great for me!

 

[xcaddict]

This simple task of copying the HDD is looking decididely more complex. As I am using W2K and the HDD is NTFS formatted I can not use dos itself to copy the contents.

The Ghost I have will not recognise my second HDD as a potential drive to deposit the image copy of the c:\ drive, it only sees the A: (floppy).

I looked on the Cnet for some programs to use under W2K but they are just "backup" programs and will not copy the active W2K files.

The CD drive is a Ricoh MP7060a, it is a bit limited but I am not intending to fork out now for a new one when the price of DVD writers is dropping fast.

I can see that as good as W2K is, this copying of files is certainly a lot more difficult than under previous editions that had dos as an alternative with FAT and FAT32 drives.