Copying W2K partition

[2Turtles]

I can't believe after all the help I got here and what I thought was finally a successful install that I am here again - already

Last night after finally finishing the install of all drivers/software/programs/printer etc. onto our "new" W2K computer, today when I booted up there is a "boot sector..." blue screen thing happening now. This is, unfortunately, a used hard drive I bought and I should have known better after all the trouble I had with it to begin with (another thread here and greatfully solved by jaclaz). But I did run all the manufacture and other tests, and they did say the drive passed so I thought I was just being paranoid.

Apparently not because it lasted nicely for about 3 days on and off but now this. I think if I screw around with it long enough I can get it to come back 1 more time (hopefully) and so I want to copy it to a different smaller hdd I have. What I don't know is if I can copy a 10GB partition onto a 10GB drive (not partition) and if I can, how to do it. You see I made the W2K boot partition NTFS (10GB NTFS boot + 30GB Fat32 storage on a 40GB drive) but my only other working drive is this win98 I'm on right now and it can't see the NTFS partition...

Do I have to start installing all over from scratch again or is there a way to copy a partition only to a full hdd and have it boot up?

If this is a hardware thing and I'm in the wrong spot - my apologies.

[2Turtles]

Googling has suggested I might be able to use this clonezilla program - I am unsure however which option I should choose as I don't know what to call what it is I am trying to do, they all basically sound the same (at least to me) and the "disk to disk clone" one sounds right except I want to do the opposite ie: I want to clone a larger disk to a smaller one...

Save disk image

Description: Save 1st disk (hda) as an image on 2nd disk (hdb) (Step by step)

Restore disk image

Description: Restore an image on 2nd disk (hdb) to 1st disk (hda) (Step by step)

Disk to disk clone

Description: Clone small disk to larger disk (e.g. 8 GB to 12 GB) (Step by step)

jaclaz if your out here can you please tell me in ordinary language what I want to do and if this is the right program to use? You always seem to know the simple way to explain things to those like me who in all honesty don't understand technically what they're doing but can follow straight forward directions on faith!

Edited October 31, 2009 by 2Turtles

[jaclaz]

Well, the whole idea is to fix whatever you have in your hands BEFORE moving it somewhere else.

I mean, if you move "perfectly and successfully" a "botched" install, how do you expect it will work? By magic?

Besides, you have two basic errors in your approach:

there is a "boot sector..." blue screen thing happening

I think if I screw around with it long enough I can get it

You need to understand the REASON why the "blue screen thing" is happening AND you don't want to "screw around", you want to FIX it.

Start by properly describing the BSOD you are having and it's STOP ERROR CODE.

jaclaz

[2Turtles]

lol sorry, I should have phrased things better. I don't think the install is botched in any way, I think this used hdd is melting down so I wanted to get my install off of it if possible. It's likely the guy sold it for this exact reason - intermittent working. The drive itself is humming and it's lights have gone out (I have had the tower open for a week so I've been able to see it and the light until now has been on). It seems if I disconnect it, tilt it a little and reconnect it, it comes back on one out of every 5 times to the regular o/s as if nothing happened (that's what I meant by "screwing around with it" my apologies for the language).

I can't remember the whole thing about the boot sector at the moment, it was about reading it and I assumed it was because the drive was getting power but not spinning - anyway I will try to get it to bring the message up again and post the full comment. I just wanted to avoid doing it too many times without being able to copy the drive in some way for fear that it will cease spinning permanently instead of just intermittently.

Added info: my cables and mobo are all okay as all other drives work without problems, I have swapped each into every position and everyone is happy regardless of the slot/cable/position they are allotted. I have 3 hdds (10, 40, 160), 1 cd burner and 1 cd/dvd burner - the machine is arranged to run 2 drives and 1 burner, but I have tried them all in all positions just to be sure.

I'll try to get that blue screen to come up again and write down everything it says, thanks for the reply I'll report back

[jaclaz]

So, you are convinced that it is a hardware originated (intermittent) error and that the install is allright?

Good.

Which OS are you planning to use?

I mean you cannot use that 2K install, right?

I guess that a Live CD would be advisable.

This could be a quick and easy solution:

http://clonezilla.org/

jaclaz

[2Turtles]

I guess that a Live CD would be advisable.

This could be a quick and easy solution:

http://clonezilla.org/

jaclaz

You'll note that in my second post I had already found clonezilla (I have in fact learned a few things from you here already) what I was asking for was help as to which method to choose to use the program.

Anyway the point is now moot as I just finished installing everything from scratch again - it's on the 10 gig now.