Newbie: Installing new hard drive and cloning from old.

[Michael1980]

I am a total newbie in this, I am afraid.
Can someone talk me through step by step?

-Have a new 80gb drive coming to me soon.
-Have a USB2 external hard drive case.
-Don't have any cloning software at all.

I want the new drive has exactly the same data as the old one including the hidden partition stuff (and that "access IBM" preboot stuff should I run into any problems with Windows). I don't want to go back to "factory default" because it has taken me days and days to install all the pesky stuff I need for work.

Can I do this with the IBM utility (R&R)?
Will it create a bootable cd and restore my software but ALSO build a new hidden partition?

Want to keep this as simple as possible. Any advice at all would be very welcome.

[GomJabbar]

If you want to go IBM all the way. Create the Recovery Disc set first. Go to Start > All Programs > Access IBM > Create Recovery Discs. You will need up to 7 CD/R's.

Next use IBM Rapid Restore Ultra to make a complete backup of your hard drive. Back up to CD/R's. It may take a dozen or more CD/R's to make this backup. Go to Start > All Programs > Access IBM > IBM Rapid Restore Ultra to launch the program.

Now remove your existing hard drive and put in the new one. Boot up with the Recovery Disc set and follow the prompts. As I understand it, after the hidden partition is created, the laptop will reboot, then the C: partition is restored after, with the Windows OS and software. This will bring you to the original 'Factory State'.

Lastly, reboot and press the blue Access IBM key at the beginning of the boot sequence. Choose restore from backup. Then restore your backup from your CD's.

EDIT: Cloning would be faster, but I am not sure if it will restore the hidden partition (and have it bootable).

[Michael1980]

Thanks for the response.
Incredibly clear even for me
Right then, I need 2 boxes of CDR's.

[hoya]

Acronis makes great cloning software if you want to go that route (you wouldn't need to burn any CD's). go to acronis.com.

[Michael1980]

I have another question if you don't mind.
How do you create another partition on the harddrive? I saw no option for this, unlike in all the other laptops I have had. Is it possible to do it?

[slagmi]

g4u is free and not much trickier to use than any other of this sort of software (hint: RTM, and don't play around with it unless you really are playing)

only downside there is if the new drive is bigger then the old the extra space will need to be setup as a new partiton. if XP there's no reason you couldn't map it to the My Documents folder or someplace else convenient tho.

[GomJabbar]

I have another question if you don't mind.
How do you create another partition on the harddrive? I saw no option for this, unlike in all the other laptops I have had. Is it possible to do it?

With a Windows Install CD, after booting up from the CD, you can exit to the command prompt, type in fdisk and press enter. Unfortunately if you use the Recovery Disc set, it will remove all existing partitions. Also, you can't use fdisk on a drive that has Windows installed. The only way I know of to create another partition on the Windows hard drive is to use a program like Partition Magic. It will let you create a partition on the existing Windows hard drive without destroying your Windows installation - at least that is what I've read. I actually haven't tried any programs like Partition Magic for myself.

[Michael1980]

I have got a slight double posting going on, sorry about that.

What really worries me is the apparent fact that you cannot restore without loosing all your partitions. This is really poor, because I am used to the backup on Sony's which are much easier (ie they let you create partitions and do not touch the second one, only the C drive is wiped).
And just generally, the IBM restore is very very raw with the command prompt being exposed and the lenghy weird file copying going on.

[pae77]

I am a total newbie in this, I am afraid.
Can someone talk me through step by step?

-Have a new 80gb drive coming to me soon.
-Have a USB2 external hard drive case.
-Don't have any cloning software at all.

I want the new drive has exactly the same data as the old one including the hidden partition stuff (and that "access IBM" preboot stuff should I run into any problems with Windows). I don't want to go back to "factory default" because it has taken me days and days to install all the pesky stuff I need for work.

Can I do this with the IBM utility (R&R)?
Will it create a bootable cd and restore my software but ALSO build a new hidden partition?

Want to keep this as simple as possible. Any advice at all would be very welcome.

If you want to keep this as simple as possible and create an exact clone of your current primary hard drive, with ALL partitions, files, programs, settings, etc. intact, the absolute easiest way, imo, is to purchase the appropriate second hdd ultrabay adapter for your Thinkpad from IBM/Lenovo for about $40 or $50 (even less via EPP). This adapter allows you to put your new hd directly in the ultrabay slot of your Thinkpad. It also ships with drive cloning software on a floppy disk. It is pretty idiot proof to make an exact clone of the primary hd over to the drive in the ultrabay using this software. Every sector on the original hd and all partitions will be copied to the hd in the 2nd hdd adapter. You just boot from this bundled cloning software with both hard drives connected to the system and follow the on screen prompts to make the clone.

There are just a couple of things (or limitations) you need to watch out for if you are using the cloning software that ships with the 2nd hdd adapter.

First, the target drive must be the same size or bigger than the drive you are copying (cloning).

Second, I haven't used the latest version of the software yet, but on my old version, you must be able to boot from the floppy that ships with the 2nd hdd adapter and you will have the ultrabay already occupied by the second hdd adapter. Therefore you will also require another way to connect a floppy drive to your Thinkpad, and if you don't have one, also a floppy drive. I use an ultrabay floppy drive attached to the Thinkpad via the IBM floppy drive cable adapter which connects to a port on the back of the Thinkpad.

Third, there is one poorly documented step in the cloning process that absolutely must be followed or you will have problems. This step is very simple but it must be done. After you complete the clone, you must shut down your computer, remove the newly cloned drive and reboot your system without the newly cloned drive connected. After this one reboot, you can then safely boot up with both drives connected. That said, howver, if you are intending to replace your original drive with the newly cloned drive, you can skip this step and just shut down and install the newly cloned drive into the primary hd bay of the Thinkpad and reboot with your newly cloned drive. Just remember on that first reboot after making the clone to not boot up with two hard drives connected to the Thinkpad.

Fourth, if the you do replace the original drive with the newly cloned drive, note that you will not be able to use the IBM/Lenovo bundled software to back up that new drive in the future unless you have a second hard drive to back up to that is the same size or bigger than the drive you are backing up from.

It all sounds complicated but, if you have the right equipment which is not very expensive, it really is very easy.

Acronis True Image drive cloning software also works well and requires less hardware and avoids some of the limitations listed above, but the bundled software is a pretty good deal when you consider that it comes free with the second hdd adapter which is pretty cheap to begin with.