Quote:
Originally Posted by RGD.
For the future:
Remove hard drive.
Install new hard drive, format and install OS.
Install old drive as a slave or external.
Copy old files over to new drive.
If the old drive has no physical errors - after you are sure nothing is left on it - then reformat it and save in case something happens in the future or use as a slave/USB for daily backups.
Ron
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Great advice. As long as the drive is readable, you should never reformat if you have important files on the drive, rescue them first.
Another option is to have a linux live cd around that you can boot to and use as a rescue disk. Boot to cd, copy important HD files to usb, verify them, and only then do the fdisk/format.
What I also do is to clone the hard drive after all of the software and updates are installed on a clean installation. That way you can quickly get the computer up and running with very little work. I clone to an HD in an external enclosure, so a simple swap will get the computer running again.
File backups are something else, I backup modified files daily and take a backup home weekly. Old school, I run xcopy as a scheduled task or manually for the external.
I also have a portable at home that has the same software installed so if my desktop burned I would be able to work.