How-to copy Windows to another disk/partition

New hard disk or machine?

Terrified by dozens program re-installs?

Copy/Backup of completely working Windows environment
can be managed quickly and entirely,
now for NT/Windows2000 as well!

Warnings

• This page intended for those who know what the Windows Registry, hard disk partitions, drive mappings, and boot loaders are.

• Author is not responsible for any damage you can cause by following instructions below.

• Before you proceed with this pictionary, the first thing to do is ensuring that your target partition/disk has properly formatted, file system is error-free, in a good shape, and has enough free space to accommodate everything you planning to put there. Prepare target when required for example with PartitionMagic v5.01 or later.

Notes

• Why not to just use such utilities as Powerquest Disk Image, Drive Copy or Norton Ghost?
  Well, of course you can. These utilities are great disk-imaging tools that, for example, go a long way in helping administrators roll out multiple desktop machines. Such utilities will make large image files of disk or partition first. However, cloning an OS installation to multiple workstations is a more simple task than, for instance, connecting a new, bigger hard drive. With a brand new large drive,  you'll probably want to make more flexible system, say to create additional partitions for secondary OS for beta testing, yet another one (or maybe five) to try some Linux distribution(s), etc. Meaning you can't just transfer images or all files as is - it will likely cause drive letters mapping problems which in turn may cause the famous login loop effect - Login Okay, loading personal settings... then boom! - login dialog again... For example, in the case of Powerquest Disk Image, you will have to use additional utility for partitions re-mapping. The solution described here has been developed and successfully tested is more generic and just a little bit trickier. It can't be recommended for enterprise wide use but rather for single developer's workstations. The solution makes exact copy of working environment (either all files on system partition or just essential folders belonging to OS can be copied). Detailed, step-by-step pictionary provided below. As opposite to commercial utilities, the method suggested here does not require third-party utilities at all (well, except some kind of disk partitioning tool to prepare new drive, if you prefer not to use Win2000 Disk Management, fdisk, etc.). Moreover, OS copying as suggested sometimes works even when source disk (the old one which contains working OS partition) has severe errors or incompatibility problems, for instance, when the drive geometry is different (say partitioned with 255 heads vs. reported on new machine as 240 heads), in which case many disk utilities would simply not allow you to access the drive by simply stating something like 'Partition Error #108' (I got this message from PartitionMagic v5.01 - still no problems at all within Win2000, all disk partitions were accessible and reported as perfectly healthy!). Another advantage is that no intermediate large size images created (I'll still recommend to backup everything - so don't blame me - you were warned!), this will speed up the whole process considerably.
• Although the procedure described below has been developed by author primarily for MS Windows 2000, it can be used to transfer MS Windows NT installations as well. With some simplifications (no secure NTFS copying required), the same method can also be applicable for cloning MS Windows 9x/ME installations.

How-to copy MS Windows2000 system to another disk/partition

[ S t e p - b y - s t e p    p i c t i o n a r y ]

Step 1 - Preparation

    Connect the new hard disk to the computer (you can remove the old disk if you like after the whole thing is done).
In case of new disk, prepare it for example with PartitionMagic v5.01 or later. Make sure the target partition has enough free space. Boot into your main working OS and make sure your can see all your disks/partitions - open Administrative Tools, Computer Management Console, Disk Management and memorize/print drive letter mappings (resize the window to see all the disks, partitions and their order, type, size, labels, etc.).

    Copying working Windows2000 Operation System (OS) to another partition/disk is much easier if you have clean Windows2000 installation on a third partition. This partition can have size approx. 1 GB and should be dedicated for rescue purposes only. It contains just plain Windows2000 OS installation accessible via boot loader. No network or special drivers required. The only requirement is that you must have system administrator rights. This Rescue OS allows you login and backup your data in a case of main OS failure.

    Note that this procedure can be used as is or adapted for other MS Windows versions.

Step 2 - Copying files

    Boot into Rescue OS mentioned in step 1. The source partition is where your current, original, customized, fine-tuned and nicely working OS resides. The destination partition is the target where cloned OS will reside. Usually, the destination partition is bigger than the one containing original OS.

Note:    All these three partitions do essentially have the different drive letters mapped to them:

• System partition of Rescue OS that should be currently running
• Source partition where OS to be cloned resides
• Destination partition that is the copy target

    Please,  write down all the appropriate drive letters - no errors allowed here! Remember the fact that on currently running Rescue OS  the drive mappings will differ from your normally assumed as in everyday working environment (when running the original OS from the source partition).

    In the pictionary example here the source partition contains main customized working OS with all additional programs and is mapped (Note: that is, from the Rescue OS point of view - you should know exactly what drive mappings are for the main OS, - refer to step 1, -and take possible mapping changes into account - please, check twice!) as E: drive, destination as G:

    Secure copy program from Windows NT Resource Kit can be obtained here.

Step 3 - Editing boot.ini

    To be able to boot into new OS on destination partition, add this new OS in boot.ini file located on root of you boot drive (usually in C:\)

Step 4 - Editing Registry

    Follow pictures below to edit the new OS Registry via running Rescue OS with Regedt32 tool. Go on step-by-step, explanations are given in great details (maybe even too donnish). Actually, the whole process is very fast.

Step 5 - Reboot

    Reboot into new OS and you'll see that everything is just fine. At least I hope it's the case.

    After that, you should have an access to the old (on source partition) and the new (on destination partition) systems both - they will be like twins (and remember, the third was Rescue OS, keep it, just in case!). And now, you may also want to remove your old system at this stage - simply delete system files, or reformat the partition, or even remove the old hard disk. In the last case just disconnect hard disk power connector first and reboot to check that everything went okay.