copying & replacing hd
 

i wanted to replace my int. hd, what would be the best way of doing it, without having to re-set my reg. ( i have all the hoster downloads to a back-up cd )

:) I would do a Disk Clone with Acronis True Image. Someone else could tell you how to do it with Norton Ghost.

i had a norton ghost for 6 months as a trial, came with the laptop when i bought it but i never really subscribe to it till it expired , my back-up internal hardrive only has 7 gb on it , i'm not really sure if that is enough to clone my other drive..

:) You could create an image on an external hard drive. Include creating a bootable cd and then put the new internal in your machine and boot from the cd to restore the image to the new hard drive. I know you can do this with Acronis. I have done it before.

If you would clone it instead of creating an image you would have a fully working back up and not need a bootable cd.

Then you could clone the back up to the new drive.

Norton Ghost does cloning as well as imaging, but I know nothing about Acronis.

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i been reading about norton ghost, seems easy enough, but from what i read, i still need to re-install my operating system..and in acronis i dont have to, my problem is they both sounds easy enough to do if you have a pc, but i have a laptop, my question is 1. ) if i wanted to clone my laptop how do i go about doing it, i dont wanna use an ext. drive to clone my laptop drive,i would like to replace my int. drive with a bigger storage space ( reason why i wanted to clone )..( 2. ) and when i got done cloning do i still have to re-set my registration.?

I think this solution would get you where you need to go. First you create an image of your current C:\ drive on an external USB drive. Then you create a bootable CD (I imagine this function is built into Acronis) which allows you to boot up into the Acronis application. Then you replace your c:\ drive with the new one and boot off of the CD. At that point you restore the image from your USB drive onto your new C:\ drive. For a Notebook PC this would seem to be the steps needed to replace the internal C:\ drive without reloading the operating systems etc.

Short of taking it to a shop and having it done for you, I don't see any way getting around using an external drive, using cloning, but then I'm not a tech.

You should not have to reset any installations, cloning, I never do, and I clone weekly to keep by back up drive current, (Windows updates, new files, etc), and fully operational.

I've heard some say that they create an image on the same drive, make a bootable disc to open the image file, and rely on that to restore and get them out of a jam.

That may be fine for a system failure, but I fail to see how that helps if the drive bearings fry, which is the most common cause of hard drive failure. At least that's what my techs have told me.

I'll take full cloning to another drive any day of the week, but if you prefer imaging, do it on an external drive..

Each to his own, it's all a matter of choice.

i am new to this.. so please bear with me..( clonning ) i dont really understand or know how to clone a hd.i am trying to picture this on my mind..and i always get the same question, cloning is making an exact copy of a hd right ?, i could understand if i have a pc, where i could install an extra hd on an empty bay and i will have a destination to where the hd clone will be, but i have a laptop and i wanted to clone the hd to an int. drive that will replaced the old drive..how do i do that..

Yes, cloning makes a fully functional working back up without the need for boot discs....much simpler in my estimation.

With a laptop, you would have to use an external drive.

You would clone your present drive to the external drive, operating system and all, install your new larger drive in the laptop, then clone the external drive back to the new internal drive.

ok i think i'll go with your suggestion, cloning instead of image,but i'll do all that after the holiday, cant risk doing anything right now, thank you...

thanks for your help..i think i'll go with george suggestion,ill do a clone instead of creating an image..but i do appreciate everbodys help and suggestions..

Since you are talking about a laptop with one internal drive you can't use George's cloning method because there is no way to hook the new drive up as an external. His method is great for a desktop with capability to hook up multiple internal drives but not for a laptop.
What Upnext said is the only way you can do this on a laptop. Norton and Acronis can both create images which is a compressed save of the drive and does not require resetting any registrations. I have used drive image files to load thousands of like computers for the Air Force to set them up identical for classroom use. Believe me it works great.
Norton and Acronis will both create bootable CD for installing the program to load the image file and you don't have to load Windows first.

Read my post. I never said to hook the new drive up as an external.

The back up drive is the external and will remain the back up drive.

What I proposed is no different than using a USB drive as a back up, so don't say it won't work. You may have your preferred method regarding clone vs imaging. Like I said earlier it's a matter of choice.

The whole object was to reolace the laptop hd to begin with, not just to backip.

I could care less which method he selects, but please don't insult my intelligence by saying what I posted won't work.

I got busy with other things and edit time ran out. That comment was an uncalled for knee jerk reaction. I apologize.

George if he clones the drive to an external drive, how is he going to reload it to the new internal drive? Keep in mind that laptop internal drives do not use the same connectors as the larger (physically) drives for desktop and external use.

Are you saying you cannot clone a USB drive to an internal drive?

How are you getting the program to start if it is a brand new unformatted disk? With the clone does it create a Boot CD as well?

Yes, I've never used it, but Ghost will create a boot disc to load DOS and driver files.

thanks for your help/suggestions..didnt mean to caused anything..just trying to find some help..i may have to wait after the holidays, i'm booked till after the holiday, dont wanna risk anything..but again thanks for all your suggestions