If I copy my windows directory to a new HDD will it work?

[Grey]

I am going to buy a new harddrive today (seagate 80GB) and I was wondering if I could just copy over the windows folder from the old harddrive?

 

[Grey]

OH nevermind..I forgot about having to do that activation thing again. We get two installs before they charge us for a new windows right?

 

[oldfart]

Usually the drive will come with a utility to copy the drive to the new one, or it can be downloaded. A "drag and drop" copy will not work.

 

[Slogun]

Originally posted by: Grey
OH nevermind..I forgot about having to do that activation thing again. We get two installs before they charge us for a new windows right?

Two installs, not really. According to your microsoft agreement you can only installl windows into one machine. And you are certainly entitled to install it into that one machine as many times as you like or is necessary.

Fact is that after 3 months since the last install, Microsoft treats it as a new install anyway, meaning that you simply activate it normally.

I'm not sure how cloning the installation works regarding activation. I think it depends on the extent of the system changes, but microsoft should not give you a hard time if you need to reactivate.

 

[tweeve2002]

and if you do have to call them up just tell them you are installing a new hard drive and they will reactivate it over the phone

 

[GitarooMan]

I have a similar question to the original one posted...
I have Windows XP Pro running on my old computer right now. The computer came with the OS already installed with no external copy of the OS, only a system restore option in XP itself.
If I wanted to put XP on the new drive I bought, how would I go about doing it? I dont remember seeing any software relating to that with the new drive... its a WD 250Gb.
"Hypothetically, if I were able to copy the OS over to the new drive, would I be able to then put that drive into another computer and be able to use it?"

 

[LASTGUY2GETPS2]

I have no idea but you would have to take into account different drivers for different hardware...

 

[Sideswipe001]

Originally posted by: GitarooMan
I have a similar question to the original one posted...
I have Windows XP Pro running on my old computer right now. The computer came with the OS already installed with no external copy of the OS, only a system restore option in XP itself.
If I wanted to put XP on the new drive I bought, how would I go about doing it? I dont remember seeing any software relating to that with the new drive... its a WD 250Gb.
"Hypothetically, if I were able to copy the OS over to the new drive, would I be able to then put that drive into another computer and be able to use it?"

No. You need to copy the MBR (Master Boot Record) as well, or else it won't even know an OS is on the new HD.

The program you're looking for is Norton Ghost. It will make an exact copy of EVERYTHING on the hard disk (including the MBR) and then you can restore that Image to a different drive. It will then work to boot from.

IF the computer you do the restore to is drastically different, you might run into problems (Activation, motherboard drives, etc) but if you're just switching HDs in the same computer, it would be seamless.

 

[biostud]

I've just got a new harddrive, and after trying to copy the partition either with Partition Magic 7 and MaxBlast I found that it would only work with a total re-install on a new partition. Might be that I didn't tried hard enough, but a clean install also has its benefits.

 

[Sureshot324]

Originally posted by: Sideswipe001

Originally posted by: GitarooMan
I have a similar question to the original one posted...
I have Windows XP Pro running on my old computer right now. The computer came with the OS already installed with no external copy of the OS, only a system restore option in XP itself.
If I wanted to put XP on the new drive I bought, how would I go about doing it? I dont remember seeing any software relating to that with the new drive... its a WD 250Gb.
"Hypothetically, if I were able to copy the OS over to the new drive, would I be able to then put that drive into another computer and be able to use it?"

No. You need to copy the MBR (Master Boot Record) as well, or else it won't even know an OS is on the new HD.

The program you're looking for is Norton Ghost. It will make an exact copy of EVERYTHING on the hard disk (including the MBR) and then you can restore that Image to a different drive. It will then work to boot from.

IF the computer you do the restore to is drastically different, you might run into problems (Activation, motherboard drives, etc) but if you're just switching HDs in the same computer, it would be seamless.

Couldn't you just copy the windows intallation to the new drive, insert a windows xp cd (assuming you can get one), and use the fixmbr command to create the mbr?

 

[Harvey]

Format the new drive, and Ghost the old one to it. It will work. I've done it any number of times. If you do it often enough, the system may recognize new hardware and require a new activation. Even that doesn't become an issue if you use a matched pair of drives, for example when you Ghost to a matching drive for backup.

 

[EeyoreX]

I agree with the earlier post that has you using the utilities that come with the hard drive (assuming it's a retail boxed drive). Otherwise, it's a free download from the manufacturer. I do think Ghost is a great program, but if this is going to be a one-shot deal, why spend money when the free tools will work?

\Dan

 

[Harvey]

Ghost comes with System Works Pro, which also includes NAV, so it's no biggie if you need AV, anyhow. Also, I always buy pairs of drives and a mobile rack. I use Ghost as my backup system. It takes minutes to copy a whole drive, and if your drive smokes, you're out a piece of relatively cheap hardware, but not your data and your installation. You're always as good as your last Ghost.

 

[Sideswipe001]

Originally posted by: Sureshot324

Originally posted by: Sideswipe001

Originally posted by: GitarooMan
I have a similar question to the original one posted...
I have Windows XP Pro running on my old computer right now. The computer came with the OS already installed with no external copy of the OS, only a system restore option in XP itself.
If I wanted to put XP on the new drive I bought, how would I go about doing it? I dont remember seeing any software relating to that with the new drive... its a WD 250Gb.
"Hypothetically, if I were able to copy the OS over to the new drive, would I be able to then put that drive into another computer and be able to use it?"

No. You need to copy the MBR (Master Boot Record) as well, or else it won't even know an OS is on the new HD.

The program you're looking for is Norton Ghost. It will make an exact copy of EVERYTHING on the hard disk (including the MBR) and then you can restore that Image to a different drive. It will then work to boot from.

IF the computer you do the restore to is drastically different, you might run into problems (Activation, motherboard drives, etc) but if you're just switching HDs in the same computer, it would be seamless.

Couldn't you just copy the windows intallation to the new drive, insert a windows xp cd (assuming you can get one), and use the fixmbr command to create the mbr?

I never tried it. It might work. A repair of windows might work too, after copying it. I wouldn't count on it though.

 

[CraigRT]

Norton Ghost... put both drives in...Old drive =A, New drive =B. clone drive A to drive B, set drive B as master, boot, and enjoy.