Need help to replace a physically C drive on several computer disks. I can't LOOSE the data on the secondary drive.

I got 2 hard drives, a small disc with XP Pro and a big drive for storage and memory intensive programs. The disc is dead - physically (he's grinding wheels), not because of software problems. I managed to boot from the XP disk and copied as much as possible on an external drive to install on a new hard drive. Externally will not take the backup file. After that I restarted depui the XP disc, my secondary drive is no longer recognized. I copy the contents of the C drive on an external drive. Here are my questions:
1. can I ghost the info on a new hard drive and skip the installation? Reason I have CS3 on drive F, but it components installed on the C drive (where CS2 was before I upgraded). I do not have my Adobe CS3 here records because it allowed multi, and my records are currently out of State with the other licensee.
2. If I install the new disk, starting from the old drive with XP disc, can I ghost? (I have a tour customized for several readers) When I started the drive C before - he tried to install on my F drive. I have not installed (I can't lose the files on drive F), and now the computer does not recognize the drive. I bought a Seagate drive and they have great software for installation - so I'd like to ghost it. The XP disk reduced to nothing the new drive hard as he did the F drive?
and finally, question 3. When the new drive, I get up and running, can I sign out the F drive, plug it back and Windows will see it? CS3 & Quark will still work if I have to do a fresh install?

1. can I ghost the info on a new hard drive and skip the installation? Reason I have CS3 on drive F, but it components installed on the C drive (where CS2 was before I upgraded). I do not have my Adobe CS3 here records because it allowed multi, and my records are currently out of State with the other licensee.

2. If I install the new disk, starting from the old drive with XP disc, can I ghost? (I have a tour customized for several readers) When I started the drive C before - he tried to install on my F drive. I have not installed (I can't lose the files on drive F), and now the computer does not recognize the drive. I bought a Seagate drive and they have great software for installation - so I'd like to ghost it. The XP disk reduced to nothing the new drive hard as he did the F drive?
and finally, question

3. when the new drive, I get up and running, can I sign out the F drive, plug it back and Windows will see it? CS3 & Quark will still work if I have to do a fresh install?

Hi jdohugh,

Thanks for posting. If I read your post correctly your hard drive with your operating system on it died, so you lost your operating system and do not have to reinstall but you try to get down the important data before the reinstall.

1 Q: can I ghost the info on a new hard drive and skip the installation? Reason I have CS3 on drive F, but it components installed on the C drive (where CS2 was before I upgraded). I do not have my Adobe CS3 here records because it allowed multi, and my records are currently out of State with the other licensee.

A. Si your drive with your operating system does not work, I do not think you can ghost it and reinstall as the image would not work. With Adobe CS3 disks, you will need to contact Adobe and get them to perform the installation of additional supports. Simply copy the files likely will not work to reisntall the application.

2. Q. If I install the new disk, starting from the old drive with XP disc, can I ghost? (I have a tour customized for several readers) When I started the drive C before - he tried to install on my F drive. I have not installed (I can't lose the files on drive F), and now the computer does not recognize the drive. I bought a Seagate drive and they have great software for installation - so I'd like to ghost it. The XP disk reduced to nothing the new drive hard as he did the F drive?

A: as I said in question 1 if your operating system drive does not an image would most likely fail or be corrupt. If read correctly the other part of the question you the system tried to start installation on your f:\ that matches your drive program and now you cannot access the files on it? With the last part of this question, you will need to contact Seagate to see what makes their software, I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish by using.

3. Q. When the new drive, I get up and running, can I sign out the F drive, plug it back and Windows will see it? CS3 & Quark will still work if I have to do a fresh install?
     
A. Si you reconnect an extra drive to XP, the operating system should see it regardless of what it was connected to previously. With regard to your programs, if it is a new operating system you load then Yes, you will need to reinstall these applications on the operating system, and they should work with no problems provided that the drive is working correctly.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any additional questions.
Shawn - Support Engineer - MCP, MCDST
Microsoft Answers Support Engineer
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Tags: Windows

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