copying hard drives

i just bought a new hard drive and i want to copy my old hard drive to it. i want all the files exactly the same way on it, is there anyway i can do this? any help would be great

 

i googled and this is what i got...
A hard disk has to be partitioned and formatted before files can be copied to it. According to Microsoft, “xcopy32.exe is an internal helper program that is not designed to be run directly from the command line. It is designed only to be run as a helper by the main Xcopy.exe program.” Furthermore, one cannot successfully move Windows from one hard disk to another one with xcopy or xcopy32. Microsoft recommends a full backup or the old drive with Microsoft Backup (comes with Windows), installing Windows and Microsoft Backup on the new drive, and restoring from the backup of the old drive. I have found that this procedure often makes a mess of the Windows registry. The best way to copy stuff from an old drive is to copy an image of the old drive/partition to the new one. See our hard disk drive FAQs at http://duxcw.com/faq/hd/hd.htm and http://duxcw.com/dcforum/DCForumID7/104.html#7 for more info

 

There are programs out there that will do exactly what you are asking to do. I know cause I have done this successfully. Problem is, is that I can't remember what it is called.

When I bought a bigger HD, I transfered EVERYTHING from my 10gig HD to my 80gig.

basically it is disk cloning.

 

well if you remember it please post it

 

don't they have software...like clonedvd except it is for your HDD......also there is HHd copiers ypu can buy but they are expensive and if you have multiple HDD's

 

Norton Ghost and/or partition magic will let you clone your drive from one to another..

 

Norton Ghost (as SypherTek said), gwad I can't believe I didn't remember that.

However I didn't want to say it was ghosting.

 

Can't you also use raid?

 

a funny kawinkiedink today at lunch... I stop into a local computer shop to check somethings out and the techs are talking to somebody about cloning the HD to another...

 

You don't mention the make of your new drive. If your new drive is a maxtor then they have a great utility on their web site called Maxblast 4 that is a great disk set up utility. It will format and partion your new disk for you and it also allows you to clone your old hard drive to your new one.
Find it here
http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/M...tware Downloads/ATA Hard Drives&downloadID=57
good luck.

 

Casper XP is a great program with a free trial that will allow you to clone your drive easily and make it immediately bootable--no hassle whatsoever. google it