Transfer Windows XP from EIDE to SATA. Is it possible?

  • Thread starter Thread starter StuLogan
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StuLogan

I have setup my WindowsXP on an EIDE hardrive which I want to replace. Can I
(within Windows) transfer my c: drive to a partition on my new SATA drive,
and have the system boot from the SATA after I remove the EIDE?

Please describe the steps, or if there is a link to the process, please post
it for me.

Thanks
 
No you cannot, at least not easily.

Usually the hd manufacturers web site has a free utility to clone a disk,
however since you are using a sata drive you may have to run a repair
installation to install sata/raid drivers using the F6 option, from floppy.
It very much depends on your motherboard and the raid controller
 
I have found this to work
leave the EIDE drive hooked
Hook up the SATA drive and under device manager load the required SATA
drivers for your mobo.
reboot and check to make sure you can access the SATA...
Then using the Clone tools from your HD manufacturers website Clone your
EIDE drive to the SATA drive.
When its done shut down...remove the EIDE and set the SATA drive in the boot
order
reboot and all should be well.........there are never any guarantees
peter
 
StuLogan said:
I have setup my WindowsXP on an EIDE hardrive which I want to replace. Can I
(within Windows) transfer my c: drive to a partition on my new SATA drive,
and have the system boot from the SATA after I remove the EIDE?
Click to expand...

Possible. Inject the S-ATA driver into the CriticalDeviceDatabase in the
registry, copy over the driver (inf and sys) into the corresponding
directories and make the necessary registry entries (Get them by looking
the inf file). Then make the image and copy it over. The system should
boot from S-ATA without problems.

All this machine cloning only works if the destination computer is
compatible to the installed HAL.
 
Here's an update.

I used Western Digital Data Lifeguard tools to clone the c: partition to my
SATA. I went into my bios and set the boot order to the desired disk, saved
bios, rebooted. There was a strange little text thing that asked me which
system to boot into. Oddly, both were the same, Windows(default1) I think. I
picked one and it booted into Windows.

The operation was a success. But, if the strange DOS text interferes with
booting, I'll just have to install XP all over again I suppose.

Thanks for the tips and Merry Christmas!

Stu
 
DL said:
No, you just use msconfig, and verify the boot, or edit boot ini to remove
the bad entry
Click to expand...

Uh, can you tell me how to do that, please? I know how to run msconfig, but
not how to edit boot.ini or 'verify' the boot. Those are new to me.

Thanks!!

Stu
 
Msconfig>boot.ini tab>check all boot paths

StuLogan said:
Uh, can you tell me how to do that, please? I know how to run msconfig,
but not how to edit boot.ini or 'verify' the boot. Those are new to me.

Thanks!!

Stu
Click to expand...
 
Before you proclaim success, I suggest you run Disk Management and
check the status of the boot, system, and paging partitions. Verify
that they all are on the SATA disk.
 
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