How to Copy Windows From One Hard Drive to Another Hard Drive
Since Windows 7 has been released, many computer users are wanting to update from Windows Vista or XP to the new OS. However, because certain problems can occur when updating operating systems, you may want to copy your old OS to a new drive to keep in case anything goes wrong. In order to copy your Windows operating system from one computer to another, however, you will need to clone the contents of the entire drive and transfer that data to the new drive. This is because system and registry files cannot simply be copied and pasted to a different hard drive.
While the actual cloning process in-and-of-itself is not too difficult (software does it for you), the hardest part is installing the new drive into the old computer (of course, this is only the case if you are not using an external drive).
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Power down your computer completely. Remove the monitor, the power cords, the mouse and keyboard, and any other peripheral devices.
-
2
Remove the case from the computer. Some cases cannot be removed without a screwdriver; others can be popped or slid off without any extra tools.
-
-
3
Touch the computer chassis to ground yourself, since static electricity can damage a computer. Or you can wear an anti-static wrist-strap.
-
4
Connect to the back of the new hard drive to the appropriate cables. If your drive is SATA, you will need to connect to it a SATA power cable; if your drive is IDE, you will need to connect to it a power cable and a ribbon cable. Check your documentation if you are not sure what type of drive you own.
-
5
Slide the drive into an available drive bay. Screw the drive into place. Confirm all connections are secure, then put the case back on the computer.
-
6
Plug the power cords and computer peripherals back into the computer, then power on the PC. Follow the instructions in your new hard drive's manual to format and configure the drive. The way to do this will vary depending on the hard drive's manufacturer.
-
7
Restart your computer and boot up to the main drive's OS. Download and install hard drive cloning software, such as Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image.
-
8
Run the cloning software. Designate your "Source" drive (the drive to be copied) as the drive that has your Windows OS on it. Designate your "Destination" drive as the new hard drive. If you are not sure which drive is which, use Windows Explorer to determine the manufacturer. Right-click "Start," then click "Explorer." Right-click each drive and click "Properties" to find out more information on the drive.
-
9
Confirm your drive information is correct, then follow the software's cloning wizard to clone the drives. Allow the cloning software to complete the cloning process in full; do not power off the computer while this process is taking place.
-
10
After the process is complete, review the contents of the drive in Windows Explorer and confirm that the files and folders have properly carried over.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you are not mechanically inclined, you can instead easily convert your internal hard drive to an external drive using a USB hard drive kit.
If you are using an external hard drive, you only need to plug it into an available USB or FireWire slot to use it.
Contact Windows support if your new drive requires an reactivation key for Windows.
Do not clone Windows' OS to another hard drive unless you own a licensed copy of that OS.
Make sure the jumpers are set correctly on your IDE drive prior to installation.
