How to use restore system on larger disk?

Help!

I recently had a Windows crash on my IBM T42 Thinkpad (Type 2379-DXU). I successfully restored the original Windows XP Pro and IBM system configuration with the IBM Rescue and Recovery with Rapid Restore disk set that I'd made, but I'm still concerned with some noise from my old hard disk. In addition, it's only 60GB and I'd like to upgrade to a larger disk.

The 160GB Western Digital WD1600BEVE is one that's recommended. Logic would say you could make an "Image" of the current drive on the new drive, then just install the new one and boot up, but apparently, that's not the case. Why? Are there hidden partitions or something that can't be imaged? How can I do this as someone who's someone who is moderately handy, but no techie? I'd need simple, step-by-step instructions, I'm afraid. Thanks for your time, Dan

 

Try the free trial of Acronis, it should work.

 

Pretty any backup program will work. They'll just restore the partition itself. At worst, the partition will be the former size and you can just extend it to fit the drive.

 

So, you're saying that I should download, say, Acronis, install it, then make an image of my 60MB disk on the 120MB disk via USB, even though it's larger, then install the new disk with that image and boot up? Is that the way it works? Or do you mean back up to separate disk (not the 120GB), then install the 120GB and somehow recover from the separate disk.

As you can see, I'm confused. I've never used a backup or image program or done anything like this, so please forgive my ignorance.

And you said, "extend the partition," what does that mean and how does one do that? With a program?

Thanks, Dan

 

Essentially yes. Actually, Acronis will extend the 60GB (I assume you meant GB and not MB) to fit the 120GB disk if you want. Then boot up the 120GB disk. Barring any previous disk errors, it will boot right up.

Extending a partition

Think of your harddrive as a house and partitions as rooms. You can have a house with one room (your current situation.) Lets say your house has two rooms. Well, this is the equivalent of two partitions. If say you want to consolidate everything into one room, you break down the sheet rock, then extend the carpeting to cover the rest of the house (extending a partition).

 

Can the rescue disk be used on a larger (or smaller, or just different) drive than the stock one?

 

Rescue disk?

When technicians refer to a rescue disk, they are referring to a bootable medium that has the software necessary to repair or restore a unbootable or inoperational system.

 

Any utility will not work once the recording has been made.

An image, is a picture of a system, not to be confused with the system itself. By and large, images have to be "reconstitued" by the same manufacturers software that put the image there.

"And you said, "extend the partition," what does that mean and how does one do that? With a program?"

What it means is to make the petition larger. It's usually done with the same program and the appropriate switches.

Renee

 

Apparently you haven't tested it. Ghost and TruImage work very nicely. Heck, even the Complete PC feature in some versions of Vista and Windows 7 works.

 

They are for NTFS aren't they? Apparently I have tested it and have written code for backup on other machines.

 

I think Renee is referring to situations where you move the disk to a different machine. That is not the case here.

 

I may be talking about that, but not necessarily.
Renee

 

You do know that you can use the recovery discs you have to install Windows(and all things that came with the original machine) on a new larger drive, right? Or do you specifically want to go the imaging route?

 

Hey, I'd much rather do what you said, use the recovery disks to install on a new larger disk, but is that possible specifically with a T42 Laptop and Windows XP Pro? I read somewhere there was a problem with hidden partitions or something that are on the original disk and not on any other. If the recovery disks don't need anything already on the drive, then maybe it would be possible? Dan

 

I am not sure specifically about a T42. But I did what you are trying to do on a T61p. I replaced the factory harddrive with an aftermarket one and dropped the recovery discs in and was able to restore the machine back to factory specs on the new drive(all original programs, files and drivers from Lenovo). I believe the hidden partitions are recreated by the recovery discs. I had vista x64 business. I am assuming the same will hold true with your machine. Why don't you:

1.) backup all your files on your original drive
2.) Don't erase anything on the old drive and just pull it out
3.) Drop your new drive in
4.) Put your recovery discs in and see if they can restore your new drive to look like the old one.
5.) If it can, you are all set
6.) If not then put your old drive in and research the imaging solution.

 

So, now I'm really confused. I don't know from the varied answers if what I need to do is even possible. Maybe I should restate the problem. I want to fit a larger hard disk in my laptop, but have only the set of restore disks I made to re-install Windows. First, is it possible to make an image of the current small disk on a remote disk, then copy or restore or reconstitute that image from the remote disk to a new larger disk installed in my laptop? Or simpler yet, put the image on the disk to be installed, then install and boot up? If either is true, what program is best to use? I looked at Acronis, but their free one is limited and will not work, as I understand it. If this isn't possible the way described above, how can I accomplish my task? I have only the original hard disk (too small) and the restore disks I made. Are there special hidden folders on the original disk that are required that preclude just installing the new disk and running the restore function from the restore disks I made? Surely, someone has experienced with this issue. What to do? Dan

 

Oops, somehow missed The Fire Snake post before writing the above. I'm still worried that the size of the original disk, 60GB, will present a problem with "restoring" partitions to a larger disk from the restore disks I made. Can the partition be "extended" somehow afterward? Dan

 

Yes, the partition can be extended after the fact.

 

Based on my experience you MAY not even have to expand.
When I did a similar thing a few years back on a T42 with the Windows XP Recovery Disks, it actually made the entire (larger) disk the C: drive.

In other words: it created the hidden partition, which is used when you click on the Blue Button at startup, and grabbed the rest of the drive for the regular partition without me doing anything.

In my case I actually wanted two partitions so ended up using a partitioning tool to get this done (in those days PartitionMagic was pretty much the standard, these days you can just download tools for free).

 

I am not sure why you are confused. Why don't try what I said? You won't lose anything.