Nick Actually, this is simple. I've done it several times. You need a drive dock (I have one) and the right software. I've used Acronis software, which costs about $20 - 40, but there may be free stuff available to do this on the web. You plug the drive dock with your new drive into a USB port, start the software, and a few hours later replace your old drive with your new one. All your software, files, and probably viruses and malware are right there, ready to go. However this may also transfer over any errors, etc. You can run CHKDSK to find out if there are any disk errors you need worry about. Also, there are free or trial versions of disk checking software you can get to test. I've used Hard Disk Sentinel.
Alternatively, if you have your OS disks you can (maybe, with some manufacturers) do a clean install on the new drive, download the OS upgrades, copy over the files you want and reinstall the applications you want. This is a pain, but gives you a cleaner, faster system without worries about errors, malware, etc. Good luck. I can lend you my drive dock if you want, and help you with the transfer. Jack -----Original Message----- From: Friam [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2016 10:00 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Friam Digest, Vol 154, Issue 18 Send Friam mailing list submissions to [email protected] To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to [email protected] You can reach the person managing the list at [email protected] When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Friam digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Sober, clear advice needed (Nick Thompson) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2016 12:17:38 -0600 From: "Nick Thompson" <[email protected]> To: "Friam" <[email protected]> Subject: [FRIAM] Sober, clear advice needed Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi, everybody, A substantial family calamity occurred in Massachusetts on Friday, on the same day that a technician who replaced my motherboard here warned me that my hard drive is on its last legs. I have a new hard drive sitting on my desk from HP and HP will come install it, but under my circumstances I cannot afford any break in my communication with My People in Massachusetts. Here is where I need your advice. I keep being told that it is possible to make an "image" of one's hard drive. I imagine this means, I pay a hundred bucks for a black box, I plug the black box into my computer, I let it whir for a night, and then there is a copy of my hard drive on the black box. Then, when my present hard drive dies, I have HP replace it, I plug the black box into the computer again, let it whir for another night, and when I wake up in the morning, resume my life exactly as it was. Is such a thing possible? Could it be done by a "citizen" (as Owen calls us) who is much distracted by other things. Can you recommend a particular black box. One problem that DotFoil has suggested is that my old hard drive may have errors on it, and that transferring an "image" (if such a thing is possible) will transfer those errors, with possibly fatal consequences. Should I perhaps run error correction software somewhere in that process. Please advise, Nick P.S. Everybody's safe. Nicholas S. Thompson Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology Clark University http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/attachments/20160425/17d1edf f/attachment-0001.html> ------------------------------ Subject: Digest Footer _______________________________________________ Friam mailing list [email protected] http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com ------------------------------ End of Friam Digest, Vol 154, Issue 18 ************************************** ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2016.0.7539 / Virus Database: 4563/12108 - Release Date: 04/26/16 ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
