Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Copy current information onto a backup drive???

Dec 29, 2004 5:50AM PST

I may have to replace my 160 GB hard disk because it is showing 25 GB of bad clusters. I REALLY, REALLY want to avoid having to reload all my programs, because that will take about 16 hours (which I learned from having to do it three times already!).

I have an external drive case that presently contains a 40 GB drive that I use for data backup.

My computer is an HP Pavilion a362n, which has a drive partitioned into C:\ and D:\. D:\ holds about 5 GB of System Restore Console stuff, while C:\ holds everything else.

Question: Can I get a new 160 GB driev, put it in the external drive case, format it (with partitions C: and D: ), copy everyhting from the present partitions into the new ones, and then put the new drive in place of the old one in the computer??

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Vince

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Vince, If You're Using Windows XP...
Dec 29, 2004 6:33AM PST

...on these drives and it's an HP computer, then I think you'll need to format and reinstall the new drive mainly because XP will probably recognize the hardware differently and have problems with "activation" if going back and forth between hard drive cases and the actual computer case/tower. Some third party programs like Symantec's "Ghost" etc..might do it, but I've never tried it with XP.

The 5 GB D drive is actually a "Recovery Partition" which should allow you to reinstall the factory software and settings. Most HP and Compaq systems allow you to create a Recovery CD set which should do the same thing. Have you tried doing that? Heck, it might be possible to place the new drive in the tower, then use the Recovery CDs to format and reinstall. But then again, I think you'll need to "activate" the new installation which shouldn't be too big an issue as long as you've got the authentication key numbers.

Still, although it may take longer, I think it's better to start from scratch and let Windows create it's own new registry during the reinsallation of all the files and programs.

Hope this helps.

Grif

- Collapse -
If using Win XP
Dec 29, 2004 7:28AM PST

Grif,

Yes I am using XP Home. I should have said that in the post.

I do understand that the D: drive contains the System Recovery Console. As I said, I had to do it three times already. In a nutshell, this computer is the fourth one that I had to get because of failures in the first three (Mother board, CPU, and a drive that sounded like a coffee grinder!). This one is working for 11 months.

I also have a set of ten System Recovery disks, which I guess I could use on a new drive to load the D: partition with the Recovery Console. (Plus, I have a single CD which purports to have the entire XO OS on it??!)

It's just that the prospect of reloading everything is so onerous!

I guess I can just wait to see if the drive deteriorates further. I do a backup of My Documnets every day now, so I'm confident I won't lose data. Should I back up other stuff, too? (Registry, I386, ... ?) Would any of that help ease the reloading (when the time comes)?

I just noticed that you are the forum Moderator. What a fabulous job you do. Congratulations!

Sincerely,

Vince

- Collapse -
Vince, Thanks....But, There's Not Much Reason To...
Dec 29, 2004 7:40AM PST

...save anything but your important documents..Then again, it depends on your particulr set up....In my case, in addition to "My Documents" which includes music and pictures, I also keep copies of all program installers like Acrobat Reader, Java, Antivirus programs, firewall programs, updated drivers, Windows Updates and Service Packs, and other odds and ends which help me recover and fix machines wherever I go. That way, when I need to install updates on a computer which has dial-up internet access or no access, I can still get the machine up and running with current installations.

Basically, I accumulate program installers and files which will make it easier to recover the entire computer should the hard drive die, which is exactly what you may be experiencing soon.

Hope this helps.

Grif

- Collapse -
There's not much reason ...
Dec 29, 2004 8:03AM PST

Grif,

Ooof! That sounds ominous, but it is what I am thinking, too. If this thing is in self-destruct mode it's probably only a matter of time.

Are the program installers found in "Program Files" I also download a lot from C/Net, but they are all in the My Downloads folder of My Documents.

Vince

- Collapse -
Program Installers...
Dec 29, 2004 11:31AM PST

...would be those files which you download from the internet and use to install programs such as those I mentioned earlier. I tend to save those downloaded installers to a CD instead of deleting them.

They will reside in the folder that you downloaded them to..In my case, I download most files to my desktop so I can get to them easily. Some folks download them to a "Temp" folder...some download to the "My Downloads" folder ...Wherever those installer files go, usually they are .exe or .zip files, I save them to a CD if I feel I'll ever need them again.

Hope this helps.

Grif

- Collapse -
Same here, Grif.
Dec 30, 2004 5:10AM PST

As you said, the reason becomes obvious the first time you have to recreate everything. I take the added step of, after burning program to the disc, I install from the disc instead of the computer to make sure it is right. Then I delete the program from the computer. chuck

- Collapse -
backup
Jan 1, 2005 4:40AM PST

I have compaq w/Windows 98. Can I back up to blank CD? Do I need specal disk for Zip drive? I have been unable to open backups of Quicken 99 to floppy since I went to FAT 32. It sounded like a good idea at the time & I only had to push one button. Am concerned about using Quicken w/out being able to backup. Anything I can do? Thank you.

- Collapse -
burn a blank CD, USB drive
Jan 1, 2005 4:55AM PST

You can always burn the data to a blank CD. The USB portable drives, you would need to install drivers since you are using Windows 98, are a great source for backups. They come in a variety or sizes and prices. I have one and I use for my Money backups. And I don't have the problems using the backup feature with Money like I would trying to send it to a CD. When I burn a CD for my other important files, I include it as I would any other file or folder.