Is it possible to clone an hdd that will no longer boot

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MR079

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Jul 24, 2016
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Is it possible to clone an hdd that won't boot into windows 7 at all, or do i need to get a new windows licence and drivers installed on a new hdd to replace the"defective" drive?
There isnt really anything too important on this hard drive, i just don't feel like getting a new windows licence when i already have windows 7 on my laptop because i dont have the installation disk that came with it anymore.
 
Solution
USAFRet


Yes, you need to do a new install on a new drive.

A physically broken drive won't read enough to finish the clone.
A borked up OS install would just be dragging the borked up part to a new drive.
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Grobe

Grobe

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Jan 22, 2009
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Yes it is possible, you can use Clonezilla for that purpose. However, your request doesn't make much sense so I assume that you really want to copy files from a HDD inside a computer that doesn't boot.
For that, you need an offline Linux distro (runs directly from a CD/DVD or a USB stick) and an external disk.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Mar 16, 2013
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This depends on why it does not boot.
Is the physical drive broken?
Or is the OS install broken?
 
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M

MR079

Commendable
Jul 24, 2016
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1,510

The laptop boots it just needs a new hard drive because the current one will not load the os.
 
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M

MR079

Commendable
Jul 24, 2016
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1,510


The computer boots, the hdd just doesn't load the os completely anymore.
I already looked up the error code an it says it is a hard drive failure, so do i need a new hard drive and windows installation disk.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Mar 16, 2013
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Yes, you need to do a new install on a new drive.

A physically broken drive won't read enough to finish the clone.
A borked up OS install would just be dragging the borked up part to a new drive.
 
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Solution
M

MR079

Commendable
Jul 24, 2016
7
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1,510

any suggestions for a new hdd and could i use the oem dell product code to install the new disk.
 
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M

MR079

Commendable
Jul 24, 2016
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currently running a seagate momentus 5400.6 500gb drive, and i was already looking at the samsung 850 evo sata/msata 500 gb but i could get a msata 850 evo 120gb for $70. So would that be good in an inspiron 17r 5720. Budget around $100-$150
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Mar 16, 2013
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I'd look at a 250 or 500GB SATA drive.
 
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