New hard drive and recover disc

My hard drive is corrupt and the PC shop can't get it right to my satisfaction. I would like to upgrade to a larger (160 GB) drive. Can this disc be used to reinstall the OS? A Seagate is what I'm looking at.
TIA :huh2:

It depends, really. Some recovery CDs will make a partition (or two) on your harddrive, hidden or otherwise, and I'd bet that those CDs would ruin your partition. Something you could try if you have two hard drives is to copy over all the files from one to the other after you use the recovery CD on the first one. I remember that working on Win9x but I don't know if it works on later versions.

My preferred method is to obtain (borrow from a friend) a copy of the installation CD (not recovery) and use the license key printed on a sticker on your box. In my opinion, it is not a crime to 'pirate' a copy of the genuine install CD (there are modified, slipstreamed versions) on the internet if you use your valid license key, since the key gives you the rights to one installation of (presumably) Windows, but IANAL.

For some reason, computer companies don't like to make upgrades or reinstallations easy for customers. Some computer manufacturers will supply you the OEM OS CD for free, or for a fee if you ask. Others will flat-out refuse.

Don't use a recovery disc. Chances are, there'll be a lot of random crap on there that you really really don't want.

I would go with Carrot's advice and get a real installation disk/copied one and use your CD key. It shouldn't be a problem legally. (and frankly, you can find copied XP CD installations if you vaguely look for it. Ask around at work or something). Just don't use a cracked CD key and you'll be fine. Probably make your computer run faster/better too.

If I read the original post correctly, this recovery CD is for a new hard drive replacement, not for two hard drives. If this is correct, the recovery CD should work just fine to install the operating system and all the original software. The software added to the computer after purchase will then need to be installed.

Sam

I was thinking of buying XP Pro (sp2) but at $100 for the OS I thought I could get off cheaper using the recover disc. I am not a good computer person so I have to keep it simple.

Sam.
You are right. This is a replcement drive. So, you think it will work okay? I don't mind reloading all the other stuff.

That recovery disk that originally came with the computer is just to reinstall windows from the recovery partition on the original hard disk drive, If you have not made installation recovery CD's from the original HDD then this disk alone will not suffice, It may contain drivers needed for your particular model if you use a generic windows installation disk. If the computer still runs with the original HDD see if you can burn the recovery CD so that you can install the OS to the new drive without the partition. That would be the best case scenerio.

You guys are thinking too much. This disk should work just fine with any hard drive, as long as it's in the right model computer. Depending on how the disk is set up it's either just a normal XP disk with some extras, or an image of the original way the hard drive was set up.

99% of the time Dell XP CDs are coded to the BIOS so you don't need to use the ID keys provided.

I am under the impression that if he uses a recovery disk designed to just re-image the hard drive, that he will be unable to make use of the "extra" space that he gains over his old hard drive. I have never tried to re-image a drive with a different size than the original image, though.

I have a pile of OEM Dell disks here somewhere, if I could find them I'd go into more detail. I don't think it's a recovery image disk. Most Dells ship with a set of reinstallation CDs--Windows, drivers, applications, and accessory drivers. It's up to you to install them all. The disks tell you what's in them. Sunspot didn't show that part of the disk but it looks like a basic Windows CD.

Even if it was a recovery image it shouldn't limit drive size. Like when you put a small Ghost image on a larger drive, works fine. The computer models a given disk supports probably were available with a dozen different drives.

sunspot said:

My hard drive is corrupt and the PC shop can't get it right to my satisfaction. I would like to upgrade to a larger (160 GB) drive. Can this disc be used to reinstall the OS? A Seagate is what I'm looking at.
TIA :huh2:

Click to expand...

Sure that disk will work. Also, too bad you don't have SpinRite 6 (a Steve Gibson invention). It's a must have utility for any PC tech. I'm sure it would recover your corrupt hard drive.

I also have a ResourseCD that has drivers, diagnostics and utilities, computor documentation. They are the Dell CD's that came with my computor.

Dell stopped shipping disks. If you want one, you have to back up your own.

Sunspot, I'd just try using that disk. You won't have the drivers of your newer components, but it should be fine. If there's something DRASTICALLY wrong (ie, not seeing ~160 GB on your drive), then try re-installing a copied one. Other than some tools you probably won't need, there shouldn't be that much junk on the XP disk...

I stopped in at the local putor shop to ask and the guy told me they reinstall the OS from recover discs all the time......For $175. :thumbsdow
It's a collage town and they must like to charge high.
I'll go ahead and buy the drive now and I'll try to do the install myself.

Okay, what drive to buy? I went into the case and whats there is a WD. Model 400EB-75CPF0-Ultra ATA. Would a SATA work? Looking on Ebay, I see some Ultras listed as SATA. Can they be interchanged? Is one better than the other?
:thanks:

From what I've heard SATA drives have a MUCH faster seek time than standard ATA drives, but your motherboard has to have the connector for it in order to work. I believe it's a 3 or 4 pin rectangular connector.

Sent PM about your XP issue.

You can get a 2nd hard drive, put it in, and disconnect your exsisting one. This way when you use the CD to re-install windows you won't accidently write over your old HD. The cd will contain windows and all the other junk that the manuf. puts on there from the factory.

Then you can plug back in your old HD (might want to jumper it to slave). Then verify you booted to the new HD, and then use explorer or whatever to pull your old data files off of the old HD.

Before doign that though get all the windows updates and make sure virus software is installed and up to date.

It takes time but that's all there is to it. Afterwards you can re-format your old hd and use it for secondary storage/back up unless it is physically bad itself and needs to be trashed. Not sure what kind of corruption you are experinecing.

You can use any hard drive that will plug in to your motherboard.

If your computer was built since early 2003 you may have SATA ports. Otherwise you need PATA, which is also known as IDE.

Here's pictures:
http://www.directron.com/patasata.html