hard drive

[djellis]

whats the best way to copy all the contents of a hard drive including windows 7 and trainsimulator 2012 on to a new biger hard drive do some soft ware
can you tell me which one please or is there another way help needed with this one not done it before.

regards
Dave E

[Easilyconfused]

You might want to look at the free tools and tutorials available at http://www.partition-tool.com/easeus-pa ... torial.htm

Last night I fitted an additional 500GB drive alongside my existing 500GB. The original was partitioned into C: and D: so I renamed the D: to L: first. Then fitted the second drive and then copied the L: to D: on the new drive. Then after a careful test I deleted the L: partition and expanded C: to fill all the space. So now I have 500GB on C: for OS and applications and 500GB on D: for MSTS / Railworks / other Steam applications.

Not quite the same as what you are after but I believe the software can do that too.

<edit> it can in fact : http://www.partition-tool.com/easeus-pa ... k-copy.htm

[transadelaide]

If the original drive and/or the new larger one is a Western Digital, you can use a limited (not a full version, and won't work if no WD drive is present) copy of Acronis True Image for free which makes the process a lot simpler. You get it as a download from the WD website (here, click on your drive), install it and then use it create a bootable CD which you use to do the actual cloning process.

It's also apparently a pretty good program for regular backup use, but I can't vouch for that particular function myself.

[doncaster40]

Acronis all the way. I have used it on various pcs always worked very well for me.

[Easilyconfused]

Never used Acronis but I know some of the IT Support guys at work swear by it for their out of work support of friends and family.

I have used the products from the company in my first post since they came free on a Linux magazine for shrinking your Windows partition to install a linux dual boot. Since then I have always used them.

I guess it is a case of using what you feel comfortable with. Years ago I used the WD in-house utility to clone a Win 95 hard drive when I bought a bigger drive. Since then they appear to have gone out-sourced for their utilities.