I want to switch my hard drives

[hansberry]

I would like to switch hard drives in a Dell Dimension 2100 and an HP Pavilion 752n.  The Dell is a weak computer with a Celeron 1.1 GHz processor, 384 MB of RAM, Windows XP SP2, and a 40 GB hard drive.  The HP has a Pentium 4 2.0 GHz processor, 512MB of normal RAM or 1 GB of RAM that I cannot tell if it is the right kind or not, Windows XP SP2 hacked to look like Vista, and a ten GB hard drive.  I want to upgrade the HP's hard drive, keep it's data on it, and at the same time keep the Dell a working computer with an operating system.  Also, in the end, the Dell's hard drive must be restored to empty except for the OS.  I have the product key for the HP but not the Dell.  Thanks!

[Geek-9pm]

hansberry,
First of all, are you sure the two drives are the same type?
Why not borrow an external  HDD from a friend?
Or push your backup image to a CLOUD.
Top 10 Free Cloud Storage Services For You To Back Up And Sync Files

IMHO you are better off paying a few dollars for a good used laptop drive.

[hansberry]

What do you mean by 'type'?  I cannot borrow any hard drives, I don't know what the cloud is, and I have no money.

[Geek-9pm]

OK. Laptop drives are almost always 2.5 inch types. But older ones are IDE and newer ones are SATA. On eBay IDE is also called ATA pr PATA.



New laptop drives have the SATA connector.


Forget the Cloud.

Use a free program to backup the dell system to a DVD. Like this:
Macrium Reflect Free

You need one CD and maybe two DVDs to clone your Dell. You need to save at least the drivers. Preferable  to cone the whole system.

[hansberry]

Allright.  I downloaded the program and ran it.  Once in it, I clicked the Create Disk Image button.  I also installed a DVD/CD drive and told it to copy the Dell's hard drive to it.  Will this actually work?  My plan is to copy the Dell's hard drive to CDs (I have very few DVDs), format or delete it, copy the HP's hard drive to the Dell's, switch slave\master so that I am running on the Dell's, format or delete the HP's hard drive, and copy the files on the CDs to the HP's hard drive. Then, I plan to take the slaved hard drive out of the HP and put it in the Dell and have it work as usual.  And finally, I would put my right foot in, then put my right foot out, then put my right foot back in again, then shake it all about, and do the hokey-pokey, and turn myself around.  Will that really work?

[Geek-9pm]

A compressed image of Windows XP may take most of the space on a DVD.
Do you have the XP  install CD for the Dell?
Do you have the Install CD for the HP?

It is tough to get the already installed Dell XP to work on the HP. Near impossible. Not recommended.

[hansberry]

I do have the install CD for the HP.  I do not have the install CD for the Dell.  What I wish I could do is get a program where you hit the "switch hard drive contents" button and it does it.
     Perhaps I should use the HP's XP Install CD?

[Geek-9pm]

Too bad you don';t have some DVDs. Forget  Macrium .
Plan B.
OK. Here is a method that swill work.Be careful.
First, do some maintenance work on both machines. Use checkdsk to verify both drives have a clean file system. Use the derangement utility to more stuff to the start of the partitions.

Second, put  both drives into one desktop. The BIOS can select which drive to boot. Lets say you put them both in the HP. Do that and boot the HP drive.

Now get a suitable partition manager and shrink 40 GB GB drive and create a new primary partition in the free space. But do not destroy the  Dell OS, you don't have another copy.

Understand that an image is a compressed representation of a partition. A clone is an exact copy the works like the original. A clone can also, is some cases, wail expand  to use all free space.
Try to clone the HP system partition to the new partition you made o n the Dell drive. Set it as active.
Now reboot and make the BIOS boot the Dell drive. It should come up with a copy of what is still on the HP drive.
Make sure the new clone of the HP is working fine. If need be, do it again. It should work on the second of third try.
(You may need to edit boot.ini to get it to boot right)
Last, clone the Dell partition over to the small drive. You will wipe out the old HP partition.
Do not wipe out the original Dell system until you are sure.

For partition management. there are a number of programs you can use. Here is a free one:
EaseUSŪ Partition Master Home  - Free
Review:
1 Verify and def rag both drives
2. Shirk large drive and create new active primary partition.
3. Cross Clone the HP to new active partition. Test it.
4. Almost there. Cross Clone the Dell partition. Put it in the Dell and test it. This is important
5. Optional; Clear the old Dell partition. Use it for data, like music files.

If you follow the steps closely this is a non-destructive cross-clone method. There original partitions are still there until the last step.
You must set boot order in BIOS or use the BIOS boot menu, the HP has one.

That is the best I can do for you.

[hansberry]

Too bad you don't have some DVDs. Forget Macrium.


That is the best I can do for you.

Heh.  Too bad I can't get some nice cash.  Otherwise I would just get a hard drive that was actually nice.

[patio]

Bad  advice in my opinion,

[hansberry]

Bad  advice in my opinion,

What in the world do you mean?  Do you mean it is bad advice to get some cash?  Or to get a nice hard drive?  Or to forget Macrium?  Or to have DVDs?  Or Geek's partition idea?  And what is up with the comma at the end of your statement? 

I tried the thing with partitioning - it didn't work by a long shot.  All I got was the Dell refusing both hard drives.  So right now I am installing the HP's Operating System on the Dell so I can get it out of here.  I'll worry about the HP later.  We are fairly hard pressed for time because we plan to have a garage sale next week and I need to try to sell the Dell then.

[hansberry]

That is all.  "patio"'s last post was definitely confusing.  I just formatted both hard drives and reinstalled operating systems, and lost a ton of data.  Oh well.  Maybe I can get some helpful help some other time.

[Allan]

I believe patio was saying Geek's suggest to forget Macrium is bad advice.