Cloning a hard drive (Windows XP) but can't get it to run

Mad_Mike · 06-09-2016 05:15PM #1

Hi all
Sorry if this isn't the correct forum, but after a quick look, it seemed to be the best one I could see for help with this

Here is the situation

My dad has an old XP machine, possibly 10 years old, but it's running 2 pieces of software which can no longer be got as downloads or CD etc. After a similar aged PC packed up on him recently, he wanted to get a working copy of both softwares on another machine as a backup.

The pc in question has a 160GB HD, so I bought a new 500GB for him to clone to

I connected this to the PC using a usb-sata adapter and cloned the drive using Macrium Reflect. I have to stress here, I have NEVER cloned a drive before, but after a bit of googling (a dangerous thing!), I decided on using Macrium Reflect and it all seemed to go ok.

We then took that drive and placed it into 2 different old machines he has, but the furthest it goes is to the Windows XP startup screen and then just sits there indefinitely

I thought maybe if it's driver related I would get him to try boot into safe mode, but alas, no better!

At this stage, I am stumped and wondering if anybody can point me in the right direction from here, or even explain to me what I have done wrong and explain how to start again doing it differently etc???

bonzodog2 · 06-09-2016 05:47PM

Have you tried the clone drive on the same PC? I'd say you'd be lucky to get as far as an XP splash on another, unless very similar.
What is the software?

06-09-2016 05:49PM

Why not P 2 V it???

Or can the software be run in Win 7 lets say using XP compatibility mode....

unkel · 06-09-2016 06:28PM

It won't work on Windows XP, unless the hardware is identical or near identical. If you are desperate to get it to work and don't have / can't get an identical PC (try this first though!!!), here's what I would do:

1. Make 100% sure the cloned drive works. This is easy. Just replace the original hard disk with the cloned disk using the same cables. PC should boot up without issue. If not, the clone is not working. I use Acronis True Image for cloning all the time and it works very well

2. Upgrade XP to Vista

3. Upgrade Vista to Windows 7

4. Upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10

5. If all that works, take out the hard disk and stick it in a completely different PC. Chances are it will work. I have done this successfully in the past myself (not all the way from XP though, but from one W10 PC to another, even from a laptop to a PC)

This is obviously a lot of hassle and work and you might run into (severe) drivers issues throwing up brick walls. If the PC is about 9 or 10 years old, it will probably be able hardware wise to run W10, if it is a few years older than that, it probably won't

Best of luck and keep us posted

Mad_Mike · 06-09-2016 06:47PM

NoDrama wrote: »

Why not P 2 V it???

Or can the software be run in Win 7 lets say using XP compatibility mode....

P 2 V? Sorry I'm lost?

Mad_Mike · 06-09-2016 06:53PM

Cheers guys.
I think one of my biggest issues will be the age and spec of the machine (or both machines in fact) as they are probably too low to run W7 or W10 etc, but will go ahead and do what you are suggesting first - ie, replace the hard drive on host machine with the cloned drive and see will it even boot in that machine.

If it does, I suppose I know it's ok, but then the issue is moving to a totally different pc with different configuartion. Will double check both PC's and see if I can follow the upgrade path, but will these old software packages even run on W7 or W10? I know one of them is Autocad Lite 97, not sure what the other is.

I've tried him with other versions of Autocad and they are all "too much change" for him and he doesn't want to relearn at this stage and would prefer carry on using the version he knows (He is almost 70

)

Fysh · 06-09-2016 09:34PM

Trying to clone an existing XP image to work on a variety of hardware profiles without being able to first install all necessary drivers, etc, is just asking for trouble. It's not like 98 which would happily sit there and spend an hour rejigging itself to suit the new hardware profile.

A physical-to-virtual migration is the way to go, I'd say. See here for info on how to do it for free using VMWare Converter & VMWare Player (there are plenty of other tools you can use as well, I just like those as I've done XP P2V migrations with them in the past and had no trouble).

The Muppet · 06-09-2016 09:39PM

When restarting the pc with the cloned drive hold down the f8 key and try boot into safe mode. If it boots into that I'd remove the video driver in control panel and try restart.

unkel · 06-09-2016 10:03PM

Fysh wrote: »

A physical-to-virtual migration is the way to go

I didn't even think of that, LOL @ self

Gadgetman496 · 06-09-2016 11:28PM

Acronis has the option to create a clone specifically for use on a different machine with different hardware.

Mad_Mike · 06-09-2016 11:56PM

Fysh wrote: »

Trying to clone an existing XP image to work on a variety of hardware profiles without being able to first install all necessary drivers, etc, is just asking for trouble. It's not like 98 which would happily sit there and spend an hour rejigging itself to suit the new hardware profile.

A physical-to-virtual migration is the way to go, I'd say. See here for info on how to do it for free using VMWare Converter & VMWare Player (there are plenty of other tools you can use as well, I just like those as I've done XP P2V migrations with them in the past and had no trouble).

Cheers. Had no idea what P 2 V meant earlier, but Googled it, and although I have never done so, I feel it should be within my capabilities...I HOPE!

The Muppet wrote: »

When restarting the pc with the cloned drive hold down the f8 key and try boot into safe mode. If it boots into that I'd remove the video driver in control panel and try restart.

Yeah unfortunately. This was the first thing I got him to try when he told me it was hanging at the main startup screen, but afraid it still didn't work

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

Acronis has the option to create a clone specifically for use on a different machine with different hardware.

Interesting! Must check this also and the P2V option too

Thanks again guys for all the replies. Will keep you posted

whizbang · 07-09-2016 12:08AM

Selfimage is my favourite program for this.
You install it on the old XP machine and use it to clone itself to the new hdd.

However, before you do this, install XP on the new PC, using a spare or the new hdd.
Note all important hardware and drivers used from Device manager, particularly hard disk chipset listed as ATA/ATAPI controllers. Also network controllers.
Make a copy of the new Windows directory on USb or whatever.

Clone the new hdd, then copy the windows directory back to the new hdd, but do not overwrite. this will copy all needed files, without killing existing ones.

You can theoretically install the drivers on the old pc before moving the hdd. Then you can skip the windows copy.
Make sure you only do this to the new hdd installed on the old machine.

Fysh · 07-09-2016 06:59AM

I've read very good things about Acronis Universal Restore, but had limited chances to try it out. It's worth a look, though. If you do go for it, just make sure you have fully activated your licence before you create the bootable media you'll use for the restore. When in trial mode, some versions of True Image (the software package that includes Universal Restore as an optional paid-for extra) will let you create bootable media - but if you use this media you'll get to the point of starting the restore (after selecting all your options), only to then be told it's a trial licence and you have to create new media with a licenced version...

unkel · 07-09-2016 08:57AM

Looks like Acronis copped on so

I'm pretty sure that with True Image 2015, you could still create a fully working boot USB from a trial installation. The boot USB does not expire either. The boot USB is more reliable in my experience than running the windows program, particularly for cloning a live OS partition / disk

Fysh · 07-09-2016 10:51AM

unkel wrote: »

Looks like Acronis copped on so

I'm pretty sure that with True Image 2015, you could still create a fully working boot USB from a trial installation. The boot USB does not expire either. The boot USB is more reliable in my experience than running the windows program, particularly for cloning a live OS partition / disk

I don't know about that, in every version of TIH I've seen the trial mode lets you create "working" boot media - it's only when you hit the final "commit" point that it then refuses to work because it's a trial tool. Bit of a douchey move on their part, assuming it's deliberate (I say that because their support is...eh...inconsistent and they're pretty bad about documenting things like the Windows version of TIH not being supported if it's installed within a Bootcamp partition).

For cloning a disk, I've never been able to get it to work from within the OS on any version - the software inevitably throws a wobbly and falls over at the point where it's supposed to trigger the reboot. The bootable media's always been pretty reliable for me, though.

unkel · 07-09-2016 11:21AM

Maybe I remember wrong and did I generate my boot USB from a registered version? All I know is that it works very well, I've done dozens of clones with it!

I used to do clones successfully from within the OS for many, many years with Acronis, at least 10 years, maybe even 15, but like yourself started to have wobblies from maybe about 5 or 6 years ago and have been using bootable USB since...

Mad_Mike · 17-09-2016 10:47PM

OK, so.....this is how it all panned out.........

Believe it or not, I opened C:\Program Files\Autocad LT 97 and copied the contents, pasted onto desktop on another XP machine, then ran the main executable file and got a missing dll message. Located that in windows\system32 and copied and pasted, tried again and got a missing font related message, also stored in windows\system32. Copied and pasted that also and then ran the executable and away we go!!!

Now, only issue is, my dad has only got a working Windows 7 machine (W7 Professional) and not an XP pc.

Downloaded Windows Virtual PC from Microsoft and Windows XP mode from their site also. Installed both files and pasted the folder from Autocad to the "virtual" desktop, and the 2 other files to the XP system32 folder and he is back in action again

unkel · 17-09-2016 11:04PM

Good man, fair play

Gadgetman496 · 17-09-2016 11:24PM

Sweet when a plan comes together, isn't it?

Mad_Mike · 17-09-2016 11:33PM

I don't know HOW long I spent telling my father that you can't JUST COPY the contents of a folder!!!!

You HAVE to install it as it writes files to so many different parts of Windows etc

So he kept insisting I try it, and the rest is history! Haha

Cloning a hard drive (Windows XP) but can't get it to run

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