Clone XP Pro

Cloning your existing XP Pro installation to a new hard disk can be done in one of two ways.

As described elsewhere on these pages, XP Pro offers automated system recovery

 http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/itpro/managing/asr.asp

You can use this method if you're planning to move your system to a new disk or even to a machine with a radically different architecture.  It is however, a lengthy process and involves reformatting of the destination disk before the system is reloaded. It also requires the key for the installation CD and reactivation of the product (unless you restore to an identical pc and hard disk)

If you have Norton Ghost (v8 or later) then there is a simpler procedure.....

Run the Microsoft system preparation tool (sysprep) which can be found on your installation CD in ...support\tools\deploy.cab  (if you have SP1 installed you will need the updated version of the tool)

Once you have run sysprep and powered down your PC, ON NO ACCOUNT re-start it with the same hard disk in place !!!

Install your new hard disk (as slave if necessary) and run GHOST from a floppy. Clone from the old hard disk to the new one.

Replace the old disk with the new one as master and boot up your PC. You will be taken through various setup procedures (possibly followed by activation). Your system should now run satisfactorily from the new hard disk.

Do not thereafter attempt to use the old hard disk as a system disk.

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