QUESTION: I have an HP computer with an IDE 80GB hard drive running Windows XP. I’d like to know how to upgrade my system to a 145GB IDE hard drive without having to re-install all my programs, drivers, etc. Is there an application or program (preferably free) that can transfer the data on the small drive to the larger one? Bob
PC CLUB: Let’s define some terms first. IDE hard drives are one of the two main types of drives found in PCs. Another type, which is the most popular these days, is the SATA or Serial ATA drive. SATA drives are more readily available and have larger capacities also.
Since you have an IDE drive, you obviously have to replace it with one. You can upgrade from IDE to SATA but the cost and effort are not worth it. For this process to work you doesn’t merely transfer the data but you must transfer every single file. This is performed by creating an image of your existing drive.
This process is similar to backing up your entire hard drive but instead of restoring the image to the same drive, you restore it to another drive. There are several programs for performing this task including Acronis True Image Home 2010, available at www.acronis.com for $39, Shadowprotect, available at www.storagetect.com for $89 and Macrium Reflect available at http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp for free.
The tools that you need for this include the following:
- One of the programs mentioned above. In my opinion, the easiest program to use by far is ShadowProtect. Acronis has become very fancy and Macruim is very “techy”. Read the on-line tutorials before deciding.
- An external hard drive
- Appropriate tools for replacing your hard drive.
Once you have everything that you need here are the steps:
- Download and run CCleaner available for free at www.ccleaner.com to remove all of the junk files from your existing drive
- Back up all of the data to the external drive. This should include your documents, pictures, music, e-mail, etc. This is in case anything goes wrong.
- Create a folder on the external hard drive to house the image file that you are about to create
- Make sure you know how to boot from a CD since that is what you will be doing. You may have to check with your PC’s manufacturer.
- Assuming you ordered the ShadowProtect CD, boot your PC from the CD and choose the Backup Wizard.
- Select the C drive to backup
- When asked where to store the image, select the folder you created in Step 3.
- Just accept the defaults in the remainder of the steps.
Now – replace the hard drive with your new one and restore the image you saved from the old one. Keep the old drive intact in case you need to reinstall it later. After you new drive is up and running for a while, you can dispose of the old drive.
To restore the image, boot from the ShadowProtect CD and choose the Restore wizard this time.