I have a hard drive in the computer which is 40Gb. The drive haas a section on it where the backup files are on a hidden partition to do a restoration.
Can I put a laregr drive into PC and copy this partition over to new drive..?
Jim
What is a hidden partition?
Yes, you can image the disk and retain this system recovery partition if you want to.
It may be some hassle for you, though.
I did this with a dell box for someone a while back, and I used my Terrabyte Unlimited Image for DOS boot CD. I had both old and new disks present on the machine, and booted from the CD. You can copy over the main partition and extend it to the larger disk easily enough, but the recovery partition was a bit more hassle.
IIRC, the recovery partition had a FAT filesystem, but the filesystem identifier was non-standard, so it didn't *look* like FAT. The reason for this was to prevent windows from simply identifying it and mounting it as a drive letter.
So what I had to do ( support from Terrabyte NG ) was use the MBR utils to mark the partition as FAT, image it, and then mark it back to the custom type. Then image the main partition to the rest of the drive.
Alternatively, just ditch the recovery partition. Seriously. You don't need it. Re-install from a clean windows disk, not a recovery partition.
Particularly since it'll have all the outdated drivers and most likely all those lovely things that PC makers think you need, like AOL trials and Norton tasters.
If you are really cheap then download Seagate DiscWizard (free)
Discwizard clones your drive and resizes partitions but only if at least *one* of the drives is a Seagate drive. You can even let it do all this automatically. It's damn near idiot proof.
If you choose another manufacturers disc drive then either buy Acronis True Image (which is essentially the same as the Seagate offering) for about USD 50, or find someone with a bit of Linux experience and get them to copy it over for you.
If you have a clean windows disk... Got three releatively recent window boxes here, two Vista one Win 7, not an windows disc between 'em just a recovery partition and abilty to make a recovery media set from that, which will no doubt also include all the essential live dross.
That drives me insane all the crap you get that slows the machine down to even more of crawl.
I am sop glad I dont do windows any more except in a vitual machine..
1/. Build a decent computer, and install Linux 2/. Install virtual box 3/. Install Windows in a box, and all the windows programs you actually need that Linux can't do. In my case two only. 4/. Take a snapshot. 5/. Don't leave any data in the 'windows' area. Move 'my documents' etc to a networked drive on the Linux part of things. 6/. When windows chokes itself to death, or gets virus ridden, restore to snapshot. There. Takes 30 secs max. Clean install except all the work you did is elsewhere on another machine as far as windows is concerned.If for any reason virtual box is too slow, like real time games, dual boot the bloody thing.
The real issue is to NOT compromise real work and real data by letting windows anywhere nearer than you absolutely have to.
Because sure as eggs is eggs, one day it will crap on you big time.
In short, once you have gotten over playing with computers, and they are a serious thing you use, get over windows as well.
Or maxblast - also from seagate. Based on Acronis True Image, and very effective for partition and disk duplication.
or cheat ;-)
If you don't have a Seagate or Maxtor drive in the system (anywhere will do - it does not have to be the source or target drive), you get an error popup, and then normally it reboots when you ok this. However if you hold down ALT, and key t, then O ("t", "o" for Tech Override) it will let you carry on.
I've used Clonezilla to create disk images. Not as slick as True Image but it is free and can be used to create an automatic restore disc if need be.
Andrew
In theory yes, but I've seen hard drives that have been re-partitioned with
3rd party partitioning software, this moves the location of the recovery data, and the PC/Laptop won't recognise the recovery partition because it's not in the right place on the physical disk. Some manufacturers have a pre-installed program that allows you to copy the entire recovery partition onto DVDs, it's well worth doing that.On the other hand, sometimes it's really not worth keeping the recovery data... it's usually only a standard copy of Windows, along with a ton of branded junk that the PC maker decides you can't live without - crap like Norton AntiVirus, branded wallpapers, trials of programs etc. Personally, when I ever need to completely wipe and restore a PC or laptop, I wipe the disk and then run a standard Windows installation from a Windows DVD, your install code will be on a sticker somewhere on the machine. Anything else you need you can download later.
Easier said than done when such machines do not usually ship with a windows disk.
MBQ
Brilliant hack! I also didn't know that you could have a Seagate / Maxtor drive anywhere on the system to enable it to work
Compared to the grief I've had in the past with Partition Magic it's just so refreshing to find a bit of software that does what can be a critical task, quickly and for free.
My only complaint is the user interface when you do a manual resize and the checkbox with what initially seems reverse logic.
Many thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. Having read all the advice, I decided to add an external drive instead and to do a factory restore. Trouble was that there was a file missing but I did not know which one or if there was more than one,. I pressume the previous owners of the computer, BT, had wiped certain files for some reason. Anyway all sorted. Oh before I forget, it is a DELL Dimension 1100 should anyone be interested. JIm
Ouch you paid money for a Dell! You should have gone for a Mac. Seriously an external HDD is a good idea for anyone wanting to back up data. We have a Time Capsule which clones and backs up our internal drives daily, then I have a separate small Lacie 500Gb HDD to archive my business which then frees up hard drive space, it's cheap insurance at under =A350 from Amazon. AJ
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