[dba-Tech] Format hard drive and start over

Jim Lawrence accessd at shaw.ca
Sat Oct 31 13:54:40 CDT 2009


Hi Tina:

Hard drives are really cheap now considering the capacity you can get for
less than $200... 2TB for $189. Then as you are considering just throw out
the old drive and pop a new one in and it a done deal. If you want to stay
on the cheap I have seen secondhand 100GB drives selling for $40.00.

Glad you can use the info I sent.

Good luck. 
Jim


-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Tina Norris
Fields
Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2009 11:20 AM
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] Format hard drive and start over

Hi Jim,

Thanks for all this good information.  Some of it I already know and 
have done before. Some of it I know intellectually but have never 
actually done before.  I'm printing this off and putting it in my "how 
to" book.  Thanks again.

This computer comes from friends who have already replaced it with a 
newer model.  And, no, of course they don't know where the original XP 
disk is.  I count it a major success to have convinced them that the set 
of disks that came with the new computer must be put in a safe place 
where they can find them "just in case."  However, I do have a working 
registered copy of WinXP Pro that I can use.

There is nothing on this used computer that I want to keep.  I had 
thought to just format the hard drive and install WinXP Pro from my 
disk. I have set the boot sequence to 1) floppy drive, 2) CD drive, 3) 
hard drive.

There is reason to believe that this hard drive is truly going bad, so I 
may be simply replacing it after all.  I will keep you posted.

Thanks,
T


 

Jim Lawrence wrote:
> Hi Tina:
>
> 1. Number one question, do you have the original XP disk or a similar
media.
>
> 2. If the answer is yes and you would like to do a totally new install go
to
> section 4 and follow items a to c, then put the XP disk in the CDROM drive
> format and install.
>
> 3. You will need to make a complete copy of the current OS by doing a
> complete image backup of the hard drive. You can either use Clonezilla or
a
> properly prepared Barts PE disk. To do this type of image backup you will
> need to a new CD disk and a CD drive that will allow you to write to it.
>
> How to decide which image application you need.
> a. If you have a portable hard drive with sufficient capacity that you can
> attach to your ailing computer, Clonezilla is your best choice:
> http://clonezilla.org/download/sourceforge (the 'live' iso) 
>
> b. If you have a network and computers on that LAN with sufficient space
> Barts PE disk with DriveImageXML is your choice. If you need it I will
send
> you a link to a prebuilt ISO disk.
>
> c. When you have the copies of Clonezilla or/and Barts PE DriveImage ISO
use
> either to build yourself a CD. The resultant CD disk will be self booting.
I
> will assume you have products like Nero/ImgBurn/latest Window (Vista/7)
that
> will provide the capability to burn an ISO to the CDROM.
>
> d. If your old computer does not boot to the CD drive initially you are
> going to have to set that first. Depending on the computer, in most cases
> pressing the <delete> key just after rebooting will set you into the
> hardware system mode. From there you can select the Boot order section and
> if the CDROM is not the first item in the boot order list set it so. That
is
> usually accomplished by navigating, with the cursor keys and by pressing
the
> PgUp and PgDwn keys to choose and set the option. When satisfied press
<F10>
> to exit and 'Y' and <enter> to accept and reboot.
>
> e. When the newly created CD, boots up you will be immediately prompted as
> to which drive to backup and subsequently the destination of the backup;
if
> you are using Clonezilla or if Barts PE, you will have set the networking
> option affirmatively, input the appropriate workgroup/domain and then
> navigate to the DriveImageXML menu option. Then you will be prompted to
> select the source and destination. Either process, depending on the size
of
> the drive to be backedup/imaged can take a fair amount of time.
>
> 4. You will have purchased a new hard drive and wish to replace to current
> one. 
> a. This can be accomplished by removing the left side panel on your
computer
> by removing the two Phillips or thumb screws at the back of the computer
and
> sliding the panel off revealing the computers contents. (This assumes a
> standard computer box layout) Smaller desktop box varieties may require
the
> entire top to be removed. Again this is accomplished by removing the
> Phillips screws at the back of the case and sliding off the top.
>
> b. Remove the old hard drive. Depending on the type of drive it will be
> either IDE (a wide flat multi-pin cable) or a SATA (thin red cable).
Remove
> the cables from the old hard drive, both data and power. (There should be
no
> concern about taking them off as they will only go back on in one way.)
>
> c. There will be two or four Phillips screws to be removed so the old hard
> drive can be slid out and the new one slid in. Replace the screws into the
> new drive and attach the data and power supply cables. Make sure all
cables
> are again secure as unrelated cables may have become loosened because of
the
> replacement process. Now replace the side panel, secure and turn on the
> computer.
>
> d. Boot again via the CDROM and as explained in section 3 item e but in
this
> case reverse the process. Browse to the saved directory, in the case of
> Clonezilla or browse to the saved directory and select the XML file in the
> case of DriveImageXML.
>
> If the process proceeds unimpaired the new hard drive should now boot up
> appropriately once the CD have been removed.
>
> That is the quick and simple... It is not too simple but I assume little
> knowledge on either imaging drives or replacing them.
>
> This was typed very fast so there may be gram/sp errors but HTH
> Jim        
>        
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Tina Norris
> Fields
> Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 5:06 PM
> To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
> Subject: [dba-Tech] Format hard drive and start over
>
> Hi,
>
> Please hold my hand while I do this for the first time.  I've been given 
> a used Win XP machine, with a 60GB hard drive that is failing.  I would 
> like to reformat this hard drive and reinstall the operating system and 
> see if I can get some good out of the machine - for teaching kids and 
> others, and for playing around; this is not a production machine for 
> me.  Before I dive into this for the first time, I would like a little 
> guidance.  Okay?  I'm listening.
>
> Thanks,
> T
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