Forum Home
Press F1
 
Thread ID: 95906 2008-12-21 00:58:00 cloning a boot HDD Mike (15) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
731311 2008-12-21 00:58:00 I have a 80gb drive with 2 40gb partitions, one of them has Vista installed on it, the other partition is empty (just a spare files drive)

I have a 40gb HDD I want to swap with the 80gb drive... is it possible to 'clone' the Vista drive onto the 40gb drive and swap the drives? If so, how?

I then want to remove the 80gb, replace it with the 40gb, and boot off that as if nothing had changed (or little ;))

I need the 80gb for a different PC.

Thanks,
Mike.
Mike (15)
731312 2008-12-21 02:07:00 As long as one of the drives is a Seagate - ( this program sometimes doesn't like it if no Seagate drives) download and install Seagate disk wizard (www.seagate.com) - make a bootable CD from it.

The current Vista Drive, make sure its set to Master - set the other drive to Slave - ( this is assuming they are IDE - if SATA then it will sort its self out) boot from the CD - select the current Vista Drive as source Drive - then select the other drive as destination drive - where it says resize drive - agree - clone the current vista to the other drive.

Turn off the PC. Disconnect the original Vista Drive - attached the newly cloned drive - start the PC - make sure you have the Vista DVD in the optical drive and make sure it boots from that DVD - Follow these instructions (www.vistax64.com) - METHOD TWO - select Startup Repair - when finished Vista should now boot fine on the new drive.

You normally have to repair the startup files after cloning a drive - something goes screwy during the clone, but startup repair usually fixes it.
wainuitech (129)
731313 2008-12-21 03:23:00 thanks wainuitech, downloading discwizard now...

Mike.
Mike (15)
731314 2008-12-21 04:34:00 Well :D

The 80gb drive is sitting on the desk :) So I'm guessing it worked lol

(and I didn't do the whole repair option... I figured I'll try without and see if it works, if it didn't I'll do it lol)

Thanks wainuitech :D

Cheers,
Mike.
Mike (15)
731315 2008-12-21 05:17:00 :thumbs: Glad it went smooth first time - Sometimes you're lucky and the clone doesn't need to have the startup repaired.

I Thought better to add that in than have you wondering why it was not working if it all turned to custard.
wainuitech (129)
731316 2008-12-21 05:22:00 I Thought better to add that in than have you wondering why it was not working if it all turned to custard.very wise, thanks for that :) I would have been wondering what to do next if it had, so cheers :D

Mike.
Mike (15)
1