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    use Vista complete restore to install new HD

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by clyde1, Aug 31, 2008.

  1. clyde1

    clyde1 Notebook Consultant

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    I just used the Vista Business complete PC backup utility, to create a backup file on an external HD connected to USB.

    Is there a simple way to use that backup file to install a new HD in my laptop (Lenovo T60)?

    Is there any way to avoid having to completely reinstall Vista first, without having to use 3rd party SW to do it?

    Somehow I thought that's what this utility was supposed to provide. A simple way to do a full recovery directly from the backed up file, without having to first reinstall Vista. Stupid of me.

    Not trying to do a clean install or anything. Just want to get back where I was, but now on the new HD.

    Any help would be appreciated.
     
    clyde1, Aug 31, 2008
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  2. kegobeer

    kegobeer 1 hr late but moving fast

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    kegobeer, Aug 31, 2008
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  3. Hep!

    Hep! sees beauty in everything

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    So you've changed the hard drive in your laptop and now want to have exactly what you had before on this new drive? Correct me if I misunderstood.

    What I do in situations like this is use Norton Ghost or Acronis TrueImage to clone the old drive to the new one, stretching the partitions to fill the new drive.
     
    Hep!, Aug 31, 2008
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  4. kegobeer

    kegobeer 1 hr late but moving fast

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    That's exactly what the Vista backup utility does. Check out the link I provided.
     
    kegobeer, Aug 31, 2008
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  5. Alexkass

    Alexkass Notebook Guru

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    use acronis true image.
     
    Alexkass, Aug 31, 2008
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  6. clyde1

    clyde1 Notebook Consultant

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    Thanks everyone. I ended up using my recovery disks to bring the T60 back to original, but now on the new drive. Next I'll do the full restore to get back where I was on old drive.

    I have another question now. I want to try hd encryption (apparently a feature available in the Hitachi 7k320). But before I did the basic recovery, I forgot to enable any type of drive password or encryption in the bios.

    Now I'm wondering if I need to start the whole recovery process all over again, this time with the bios set with a drive password.

    From what I've read, it sounds like the 7k320's encryption is always on, and it's a matter of having set the password or not in the bios. So I'm thinking that maybe I don't need to start over again. I just need to enable the password at any time, and everying on the drive will already be encrypted. Anybody know if this is correct? (fyi I posted a similar question on lenovo forum, but I'm kind of in a hurry and my previous post had gone unanswered, thanks for your help).
     
    clyde1, Sep 1, 2008
    #6