How to completely copy a hard drive?

[Looneybomber]

Hey guys, I built a computer before Christmas, ran a version of windows that eventually quit working...if you know what I mean.

Well I have a computer that works, and I want my new computer to be exactly like my old computer. How can I completely copy (including the restore info on the D: drive) the entire HDD over to my new computer's HDD?

What I've done is used a 3rd computer plug my old comp's HDD into an external HDD, then copied that info into a folder in the 3rd computer. I then drug that info from the 3rd computer onto a different external HDD. I then put the old HDD back in the old computerI plugged the new HDD into the old comp (not master)I plugged in the external HDD into the old computer and copied the data over to the new computer's HDD.I put the new HDD back in the new computer, turn it on and Window's does not load.If I put the old HDD in the new computer, everything loads just fine.

The old computer uses Windows XP MCE with the SP3 update. That's the operating system I'd like to use; I don't want to use XP pro (which is what I first installed on the new computer that expired) and I don't want Vista.

Any idea's?
Modified by Looneybomber at 10:29 PM 5/14/2009

[MinisterofDOOM]

Make a disc image. Google "ISO hard drive backup" and you should find lots of programs that'll do it. The ISO disc image will be an EXACT copy of the hard drive you're "snapping" the image of, not just a copied and pasted file directory structure. It'll retain the restore info, too.

[Looneybomber]

Make a disc image. Google "ISO hard drive backup" and you should find lots of programs that'll do it. The ISO disc image will be an EXACT copy of the hard drive you're "snapping" the image of, not just a copied and pasted file directory structure. It'll retain the restore info, too.

Really? Both the info on the C: drive and restore info on D: drive? Will it save it as a single ISO file which I can put on the new HDD's C: drive? The new HDD is not partitioned.

[nnorton44]

Norton ghost

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

You can easily partition a hard-drive with any computer able to run command prompt...(Which is anything made after 1981)And yeah..I learned the hard way when I tried to copy the data from my old 20gig hard drive to my newer 160gig. All I did was what you were suggesting. I gave the old hard drive away and then tried to run my computer for the first time. No windows nuthin..I was not pleased.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Command Prompt is just the fill-in for a proper DOS prompt since Windows doesn't operate on top of DOS anymore. It's a crappy fill-in, too, since it's not really DOS, just access to the Windows command line.Anyway, if you have "command prompt" you have windows since it's a "feature" of windows, so you can just make the partition through Windows' disk management.

Really? Both the info on the C: drive and restore info on D: drive? Will it save it as a single ISO file which I can put on the new HDD's C: drive? The new HDD is not partitioned.

Oh, I didn't notice the drive distinction there. No, it won't do both. You can do them both separately, though, then just partition the new drive into C: and D: and manipulate the files from there...even delete the partition once you've got everything where you want it if that leaves D: empty.