How do I create a bootable image of hard drive without a CD?

How do I create a bootable image of one hard drive to another hard drive without a cd or flash drive? I have set the new hard drive in the place where the "read only" cd drive would be to use it as a slave drive. Im not even sure if Im using the right term for that. I don't have my Windows XP setup disc anymore and I can't write to a CD. Is this even possible or do I need to instal something like Ubuntu?

 

This will create a bootable image?

Thanks for the suggestion but I just want to be sure. This will create a bootable image? Also, is there a reliable freeware software that will do the same thing as Norton Ghost? I don't have the money to purchase that right now. This also means that I'm trying to work with Ubuntu...may the computer gods help me!!!... until I get a workable image.

 

There are a lots of free utitlities that would create image, but as TonyT asked & I am rephrasing thayt - What are you trying to do ?

Are you creating an image of your hard disk or copying all the data onto a new hard disk? How does Ubuntu gets into the picture ?

Check out EaseUS Disk Copy 2.3.1. It can almost do whatever Ghost can & its free, but first be very clear what you want to accomplish.

 

Sorry for butting in here, this is what I found:

If you want to clone your harddrive, go to WD and download this tool

http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en

they used to have what was called Data Lifeguard tools. but no more. They now a version from acronis made for WD. I don't know if this will work on harddrives other then WD. It is free, so give it a try.

Sven

 

The rest of the story...

OK, this is what happened and what I'm trying to do. For some reason by hard drive stopped allowing me to boot and I have lost the disks for my ms xp os... yes I have a valid license I just lost the disks... So, I went and purchased a new hd. Now, since I lost the disks and I don't have the money to purchase a new os I was going to use my mothers computer and just make a copy of her working os but I don't know how to make a working bootable copy of her hd. Does this help? Please, if it does and you have any good ideas please let me know. Thanks!!!

Oh yea, and as to how Ubuntu comes into play. That's the os I've now got installed on the new hd so I can access the net and receive these ideas. I am not liking Ubuntu. Not because it is a bad idea, I just don't have the time to mess with all the updates and searches I have to do just to get one simple program working, or, my printer... which I still haven't been able to figure out how to get working.

 

You just can't make a copy of your mother's hard disk & expect it to work in your computer. The drivers would be different for starters & MS would complain very loudly of it being a Pirated/Non Genuine copy.

If you still have your serial no. with you it would be much better to borrow the WinXP media from one of your friends & install it fresh on your computer.

No cloning utility is going to create a bootable system from an unbootable hard disk.

 

One last question...

Am I right that they make boot cd's that I can purchase so that I can boot the image of my mother's hd? If so, would that be cheaper then purchasing a whole new os or would you suggestion just gritting my teeth through Ubuntu until I can afford to purchase a new OS?

 

Original HD problem

When I boot the original hd I get a black screen with a flashing courser on the upper left hand side of the screen. Nothing else happens. I even waited for over an hour to see if the os was just taking longer then usual to boot, but, no.

Now for more of the story:
Ok, I got it, I cannot boot an image of a hd. Sorry, I was just listening to someone I thought was a professional. (I went to Fryes Electronics and the youngster I was talking to said that I could buy a "bootdisc" to get it to start (that's where I got that idea) but he thought the hd was dying and it was just a matter of time before it died. I asked him about making a bootable image and he went to pull a program off the shelf saying that it would work (that's where I got the other idea). My funds being extremely low I had to make a choice and I decided to get a new hd and try and find some free ware to create a bootable image. My bad decision.)

 

I don't have a floppy drive. Can I download "xp setup boot floopy" to a cd, or could I add the drive as a slave to my mother's computer and download it from there? I am able to access the drive when I connect it to her computer by switching out her cdr drive for the problem hd.

By the way, I really do appreciate your help.

 

Unfortunately, you can't fix the mbr/boot record by booting from other hard disk. Since there can only be one active partition, all the commands would effect the other good hard disk & not the bad one.

 

XP setup boot floppies-Can I use a CD instead?

OK, thank you. Another question: Am I able to burn it to a RW Disk and use that instead of a floppy or do I have to use a floppy?

 

First let's get your data off the old drive.

Attach your old hard drive in the computer, boot into Ubuntu & see if you can access the data in your old hard disk. If you can, copy everything you need onto a USB disk or DVD. If you can't, there is a major problem with your old hard disk.