What measures to take to assure i can save Hard drive data??

[Bojax]

I'm upgrading my brother inlaw's computer. The motherboard fried the other day.He want's the data on his HD. He basically wants to keep everything as it was, only with a new motherboard and processor. I hate installing a HD with a pre-existing operating system onto a new Mobo. I told him that i could not garauntee that all would go smooth when putting his old HD with this new mobo,and there was a chance he would loose it. He seemed pretty upset at the thought of loosing some of this stuff. So i am asking for advice as to what precautions to take to help save this data if any.

I just know from limited experience and from what i read that it is uncertain that the new motherboard settings will install properly over the old MB.
I'll do what i can to save his files if i can.

Thank's, Bo

 

[Vegito]

take a ghost image of it, and save it...

in theory, if you pop the drive in, boot into dos mode and install w9x, it would save all the settings and just do a file refresher and driver search..

so chances are, all the setting will be there. Now if you run into problem, restore it from the ghost image.. or drive image software...

 

[bacillus]

you could consider using ghost to save an image of his hdd to cdr if his drive isn't too big!

 

[bacillus]

oops beaten to it!

 

[Bojax]

Ok, i think i have a ghost disk around somewhere from another software bundle that came with a motherboard. But i'm a confused, how can i take an image of his HD when i can't boot to his old system? Or is what you are saying forcesho that i can install his old HD with all the old files into the new system, boot to dos, then get the ghost image? Forgive my ignorance but i've never used ghost before. I always thought you had to take the image while in the operating system.

 

[NurseRN]

This is what you do?

Get the new mobo and CPU, install them and then boot off the old HD given that there isn?t anything corrupt. I?ve had the same thing happen to me a while ago?

During the first boot, the OS will recognize as most Windows versions would, hardware changes (new chipset, etct, etc). You should be able to boot into Windows using new configuration. Then you can back up and save whatever data your in-law whishes to have. I recommend a clean OS install after proper data backup has been done. Software can always be re-installed using original CD?s.

I have this trick? I always keep with me an extra HD (a cheap old drive with few gigabytes of space on it). I use it when I need to make a fast back up of data off another drive. I install that drive as a SALVE then back up anything I need. It beats any CDR , floppy etc? It?s fast, reliable and always easy to install under just about any onfiguration.

I hope this helps,

N