[colm54]

Recently my son's XP machine went on the blink. I got a new harddrive for it and he installed the XP Operating system on it but before he registered the program the system crashed. This happened many times and in the end we suspected the mo/bo was defective. We decided to build another computer using other parts. However I decided to use this new harddrive in my aging XP computer.
When I start my computer with the new H/D installed it opens at the log in screen under my son's name, I click that and then the instructions are to register the software before being able to access the computer. I can't get past this point. Will I have to register this software first and then wipe the H/D before cloning my old drive to it? How would you recommend wiping it.

I have XP, my original Samsung h/d is about five years old and I am installing a WD320 gig in it's place.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Old Rich]

and welcome to the Forum

You can boot from the XP install CD and delete the partitions . . set a new one ( or more ) . . turn off the pc and remove the XP CD, then you can do the cloning

 

[colm54]

Thank you simpswr,
I tried that, and I set it to boot from that cd/dvd drive in the bios but to no avail! Perhaps I should get his Windows CD and try it again in case there is something on the disc preventing it's recognition.

 

[grimx133]

If you're still having no luck, try erasing the drive with Active Killdisk, I've had success on difficult installs by doing a good wipe. Specially if there was an OS on the drive.
http://www.killdisk.com/

 

[colm54]

Thanks grimx133, I downloaded Killdisk and it wouldn't load, so I registered the Windows XP's software, then wiped the drive using Killdisk. I had some difficulty getting the computer to recognise the original C drive, as whenever I started it with both drives connected, the blank G appeared but not the C; drive, but that was cured with changing the jumpers. HD Clone wouldn't open at startup, so I opened it from the file folder on my desktop but it didn't allow access to the C: drive. So I shut it down and then F'd 8 on startup again and chose to start it in the cdr/dvdr drive and it started correctly. Even though I had adjusted the bios to boot from the cdrom drive, it reverted to the floppy drive. Once started HD Clone it went through it's paces. It was then I discovered then that it would take around 8.5 hours to copy the old drive. So I'll do that another time when I can do it overnight.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions, sometimes a little guidance and a push here and there is sufficient to find the correct path.

 

[kodi]

Have a read of this article, this is the easiest and Fastest way to clone a hard drive.

http://www.techsupportforum.com/content/Hardware/Articles/47.html

 

[colm54]

Thanks Kodi, I printed off the instructions and will download XXClone as the instructions are more accessible than HD Clone. Although that manual is comprehensive at 70 odd pages it is in PDF form and I'd have to read it on another computer while cloning this one.

When all is said and done and the old drive is connected to the system with the newer drive, how can you access old drive? Can XP be left on there and all the fixin's? How do you add to it, is it added to the save menu? When updating XP from M/S do both drives get updated?

Could the new drive be loaded with a fresh install with XP 1, 2, and 3 and then the goodies transported over or is that too much for the program? Perhaps I should backup stuff to DVD and CDR before screwing about too much with this new H/D
Just a few things that came to mind.

Thanks again, Colm54

 

[colm54]

I tried three times to download XX Clone but failed each time, but the downside, and it may not be connected I got a lot of spam at least 60 since yesterday.