Need to install new Hard drive Help!

I own a HP Compaq That James helped me pick out and it is still under warranty so when I started having problems with it I called HP and they walked me thru some tests and determined that I had a problem with my hard drive. So Now I have a new one that I need to install. I don't want to have to reinstall all of my programs. I am on dial-up and I would be forever redoing all of the updates ext.
So my question is how do I transfer all of my data onto the new Hard drive?
I have 2 hard drives can I take out the one that is used as a back-up and use that slot to install the new one and transfer my files or what do you all suggest I do?


Here is some info on my PC.
OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation

System Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard
System Model HP Compaq dc7100 CMT(DX438AV)
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 1 GenuineIntel ~3593 Mhz
Processor x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 1 GenuineIntel ~3593 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date Hewlett-Packard 786C1 v01.05, 6/16/2004
SMBIOS Version 2.3
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-215"


Total Physical Memory 1,024.50 MB
Available Physical Memory 489.25 MB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
Page File Space 2.39 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

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Lifes A H00T.

It is highly recommended that you start fresh and format (low-level format, not the quick option) and install XP anew on your new drive. You can replace your current system drive with your new one, format & install XP, and temporarily replace the backup drive with the failing drive until you have all your precious data copied over. Or you can copy the data onto your backup drive in the first place, if it fits.

Only other way to go in my book is to use Ghost to make an image of your failing HD and try to restore it onto the new drive, but I don't really recommend this, and wouldn't know how to advise you to go about doing it while being confident that no data will be lost, or problems won't exhibit later on. Failing HDs often have physical errors which can cause some data loss, therefore you might not be able to successfully back everything up in that image file anyway.

There simply is no equivalent for a fresh install.

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Hello, World!

Check out this thread, everyone has some good information on how to image your current disk to your new disk. Keep in mind that if you have any physical bad clusters than it may not work.

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