[periwinkle]

I've seen that someone else has also just installed a new hard drive (Kateryan). I, too, have just done this. At first, my computer recognized the existence of the new hard drive, but it wasn't shown with all the other drives on the "My Computer" window. So, I ran the Seagate DiscWizard to help me to make the drive known to the computer, so I can clone my failing hard drive. I chose the option to create a bootable disk, and I guess I copied almost everything from the original hard drive. I say almost everything because the new hard drive now contains 74.7 GB of info, while the old one has 81.4 GB. So I'm trying to figure out what is the missing 6.7 GB?? I thought I was just creating a bootable disk because the options were to a) make the drive extra storage b) to create a bootable drive and c) I can't remember what that option was. Apparently, I copied most of the drive, which is what I intended to do (just thought I'd have to do another step), but obviously some part of it is missing. Is there some way to figure out what's missing without going through every single file? Please tell me there is

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The 3 options were 1) make the drive additional storage 2) make the drive a boot drive and keep the old drive material on it or 3) make the drive a boot drive, but remove the old hard drive info from it. I chose the second option, and it copied most of the disk. I'm still trying to figure out what the missing 6.7 gigs are from??? Perhaps system stuff?

[periwinkle]

The 3 options were 1) make the drive additional storage 2) make the drive a boot drive and keep the old drive material on it or 3) make the drive a boot drive, but remove the old hard drive info from it. I chose the second option, and it copied most of the disk. I'm still trying to figure out what the missing 6.7 gigs are from??? Perhaps system stuff?

[DeSade]

I am not sure about this but I "think" all your missing are the restore files.

They don't transfer no matter what you do and that should be about 6gig worth.

[Neil Jones]

The Seagate wizard won't see the hidden recovery console partition and won't be able to do anything with it.

If you can lay your hands on a copy of Norton Ghost, this will mirror absolutely everything - recovery partition and all - to your new drive.

[periwinkle]

Bosso, Neil Jones! I just happen to have a brand spanking new Norton Ghost that I was going to use, except that when I was putting in the new hard drive, I also put in a new DVD burner. I had to unplug the CD ribbon cable in order to install it, and now the computer doesn't recognize either the CD or the DVD burner. It shows that I have a CD drive, but it says that it cannot be accessed due to an I/O error. IN fact, every time I put a CD in the drive, it locks up my whole computer. In order to unlock it, I have to open the drive again and take out the CD!!! This is really annoying, as I don't believe I've changed anything, but apparently, I must have. The only thing that is different is that I changed the DVD burner/player out. The computer does not recognize the DVD burner at all.

Any ideas?

Also, thank you DeSade, as I think you're right about those 6.7 GBs being restore files. I want to make this new hard drive the master, but I can't do that until absolutely everything is cloned to it. It will be my new master drive, and I will throw out the old failing hd. I also plan to install a second hd, however, I have to get this problem with the CD fixed first. I tried entering the BIOS when I started up, but I didn't know what to do. I tried a suggestion I read somewhere to autoenable devices, but I don't see where I can do that. I have Windows XP, and know very very little about the BIOS/CMOS. How do I get my DVD & CD drives back???

[periwinkle]

Okay (with a sheepish grin), when all else fails, read the instructions for installation to the new DVD burner. It says to install this drive as a Master. I didn't do that. Could be the source of the problem, ya think? I'll try it, and let y'all know.

[periwinkle]

So, in order to make this new DVD burner the master (as the mfg. says I must do), I have had to thusfar 1) remove both hard drives and their casing 2) remove the DVD burner, and now I'm trying to remove the CD in order to make it a slave. Why don't I just change the cable? Because it says in the instructions that if the computer is set for cable select, that I should keep it that way. The only thing that I'm unable to do is remove one screw in a God-knows-how-they-got-it-in-there place. What could they have been thinking? I would need a Phillips screwdriver with a right angle to it in order to reach this screw!! This is like a bad computer horror story. I have some tiny screwdrivers somewhere - where oh where are they??? Still, I don't think they're short enough to fit in the 1 1/2 inch space they've provided. Who the freaking [bleep] puts a screw in a place you can't access? The only other option (besides just changing the jumper settings - which the mfg. doesn't recommend) is to remove another metal casing with I-have-no-idea what it is inside of it...The screws for this one appear to be hex screws or something like that. The good news is that I have those tools. The scary news is--do I use them? Will I be able to assemble this computer again and -- make it work?? Who knows what evil lurks in my computer?

Any thoughts out there, oh friendly geeks?

[periwinkle]

Think: the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Halle-lu-jah!!

Think: I Feel Good (do do do do do do), like I knew that I would (do do do do do do do) so good (do do) so good (do do) I got you (do do do do do)! Does that tell ya anything?

I decided to look at those helpful installation instructions again and I reread the part about setting it to cable select. Then, I noticed that they had set the new DVD burner to Master. Well, I have no idea what the CD was set to, since it was completely different looking than the picture, but I chose the cable select for the new drive, left the old one alone, and voila, I have two drives that now are recognized. I even put in a CD. Next, I will try the DVD player. Soon, I will attempt to burn some movies. Yahoo! It feels good to have solved this! (: