How to transfer Windows install?

[92Sileighty]

I just bought a new SATA HD and I want to transfer my Windows XP install and all the programs from my current boot disk to the new drive.
My current windows xp install works fine and I just don't want to have to reinstall all my freaking programs(because there is a lot of them).

What is cheapest and easiest way to tranfer the files to the new drive?

 

[sturm]

look on the hard drive manufacturers website and see if they have a utility that will copy the hard drive for you. I know western digital had one, used it on a friends comp. Dont know for sure if they still do or if it will work on other brands.

 

[fattony]

you can try ghosting it, but i don't think it'll fly since it's a difference HD with variable disk space
you might have some issues with MBR and partitioning, best thing is a fresh install on the new HD

 

[Zoron]

Ghost will resize partitions automatically, or you can specify what sizes you want.

 

[pauloandre]

How about this:
Price: free (real freeware, not pirated)
Difficulty: in windows (no reboot), select source and destination driver, start and wait some time.

If that sounds good, try XXClone (http://www.xxclone.com/). The freeware version clones disk, but requires an additional step to clone the boot, so just download the pro trial and clone in one step. Also, you can clone the diskid, so that all software thinks this is the same disk. To make it work you only have to create a partition in the new drive that is equal or larger than the source partition.

 

[bacis]

hi.
i suggest you have a look at
www.acronis.com
true image is the program you looking for.