IT Queries: Computer problems answered

My HP laptop has an 80GB hard drive.  With photos etc it is getting very full,

I have ordered a 160GB 2.5in PATA drive to replace however I do not want to reload the world.

Is it possible to mirror the existing hard drive (using XP pro Backup), remove and install the new C drive and reload the software??

I have a 500GB USB external hard drive I can use for this.

If this will not work; what are my options without having to reload everything.

Thanks Howard.

Hi Howard,

There’s a couple of utilities that will mirror the old drive entirely to the new drive, but they aren’t for inexperienced players. Probably the best product is Acronis True Image.

The advantage with this is, if everything works, the new hard drive is identical to the old one except you have more space. It saves hours of reloading software and remembering settings.

You’d use the drive cloning software to create a file on the external drive, then install the new drive, run the cloning software again and recreate the system on the new, bigger drive.

Another option is to simply copy your profiles (a folder like c:\documents and settings\howard or c:\users\howard) to the new hard drive and then you can nstall windows. It’s possible to get all your settings across that way.

Another way is to use the built in Windows Backup (NTBackup) to create a full backup of your computer on the external drive, reinstall Windows on the new drive and then restore your system using NT Backup off the external drive.

All of these are time consuming and you will find the local computer shop should be able to do if for you for a couple of hundred dollars.

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