Upgrading a laptops hard drive

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timestyles

424 posts

Ultimate Geek

#15253 12-Aug-2007 13:57

Most laptops these days have a hidden partition where the operating system is stored for reinstallation. I want to upgrade my laptops hard drive and transfer the hidden partition as well so that when I eventually sell it the next user can reinstall Windows (XP) as needed. There are a million different ways to shift the data, my question is if you have successfully done this what method did you use? Thanks.

heavenlywild

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#82645 16-Aug-2007 20:07

The OS is stored on your recovery CD. Some laptops come with a CD, and a few asks you to burn them yourself using the Recovery CD application in your Windows OS system.

Once you have the CDs, simply install the OS on the new hard drive.

timestyles

424 posts

Ultimate Geek

#82711 17-Aug-2007 13:38

Most laptops don't come with a recovery DVD, and my laptop does not have the facility to burn a DVD to transfer the data, that is the crux of the problem.

rscole86

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#82712 17-Aug-2007 13:45

The best way to shift data, is to clone the HDD.

timestyles

424 posts

Ultimate Geek

#82714 17-Aug-2007 13:55

rscole86: The best way to shift data, is to clone the HDD.

Have you ever used this method?

heavenlywild

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#82715 17-Aug-2007 14:07

timestyles: Most laptops don't come with a recovery DVD, and my laptop does not have the facility to burn a DVD to transfer the data, that is the crux of the problem.

What? That is a scam really if they don't give you the ability to reinstall the OS!

rscole86

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#82718 17-Aug-2007 14:28

The laptop should have come with the ability to create a factory restore disc. normally it is one dvd or 5cds.

What brand/model laptop do you have?

When you turn the laptop on for the first time, some will prompt you do create the disc. If you clicked on no, and do not show me again, then you may have hidden the option.

Yes I have done a few clones in the past. The problem I can see is that the recovery disc's that you create will not work with a bigger HDD. They may have been designed to check the HDD capacity, and if it is not the same as the factory default, then you may not be able to do a restore onto that larger HDD.

timestyles

424 posts

Ultimate Geek

#82722 17-Aug-2007 15:25

heavenly_wild:
timestyles: Most laptops don't come with a recovery DVD, and my laptop does not have the facility to burn a DVD to transfer the data, that is the crux of the problem.

What? That is a scam really if they don't give you the ability to reinstall the OS!

You can certainly reinstall the OS but the issue is wanting to move the hidden partition elsewhere, and for it to be usable. By that I mean the BIOS will load the installation program.

The easiest solution would be to boot up a Linux live CD, copy the hidden partition files to a USB drive, install the new hard drive, partition and set the mbr etc, then copy the files from the USB drive onto the hidden partition of the new drive, then test that it all works. This is beyond me, unfortunately (the Linux work, that is).