Ok not sure if i have this in the right spot to post but here is my question to you pimps and pimpttes, i was looking at couple different programs for cloning a HD, such as Paragon Drive back up 7.0 and Norton Ghost , Acronis True Image 9.0 or any others i might not have mentioned and was wondering if anyone else here has ever clone there HD with such programs or others they might have used for cloning a HD and how accurate they work,

Norton Ghost has worked for me in the past with no hitches. Never used it to clone drives of a different size, so you might need to investigate that as your needs dictate...

I've used both Acronis and Norton, both are very good programs. Never actually tryed cloning diff size drives tho .......

Ghost will allow you to clone different size drives.

Thanks HTRN,Dex and joecoin for your reply to this i was not sure how good these programs would work,
can you also tell me if i was to use Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image 9.0 do these programs need stay on the drives once you clone the HD, The reason i was asking this if i was to install Win 2K onto a brand { 5 Maxtor ATA 133 new HD are 250GB all the same size} new HD would they exactly be all the same to clone it onto all 5 HD with out reinstalling Win2K.
Ok i will try to explain what i am asking,
i want to load one of the Maxtor ATA133 250GB with Win2K on it and want to use this drive to clone the other 4 drives i have left with having to go threw all the steps of loading Win2K would this be ok or would i have to install Win2k separate on each drive.

Ps, HTRN do you have a recommendation which program would better to use.

I like norton the most , only because i'm more familiar with it . As for loading Win2k , you can load it on to one drive then cloane a second drive, then use the cloned drive to clone a third and so on the image will be the exact image of the drive you are cloning from so for example

Drive one win2k only , clone to D-2 (drive 2 )
D-2 win2k, and you install NERO on it then clone to D-3
D-3 will be win2k and nero, then you install photoshop on D-3
D-3 will be W2K, Nero, Photoshop, then you use it to clone D-4
D-4 will be W2K,Nero,Photoshop,

ok I hope that kinda explains how it works. (or I just confused the hell outta you)

Quote: Originally Posted by HigHTecHReDNecK I like Norton the most , only because I'm more familiar with it . As for loading Win2k , you can load it on to one drive then close a second drive, then use the cloned drive to clone a third and so on the image will be the exact image of the drive you are cloning from so for example Drive one win2k only , clone to D-2 (drive 2 ) D-2 win2k, and you install NERO on it then clone to D-3 D-3 will be win2k and Nero, then you install photoshop on D-3 D-3 will be W2K, Nero, Photoshop, then you use it to clone D-4 D-4 will be W2K,Nero,Photoshop, ok I hope that kinda explains how it works. (or I just confused the hell outta you)

Thanks HTRN, you have been a great help and a great person to talk too i am very happy to have gotten to know you, you did confuse me a little bit i think LOL, but i think i understand what you are saying, so if i was to install say for {example Nero} onto 1st drive it would be cloned onto 2nd HD drive if i am understand you rite, so other words if i was to say keeping adding software programs to each drive i was to clone it means i be cloning that drive exactly the same with every software program i would add to it, Also do you know would i be able to uninstall Norton Ghost after i get all these drives done or would i have to leave it installed.
Ps, if you do not me asking what version of Norton Ghost do you use i see they have a new one out version 10.0

Yes you can remove ghost when you are done (but like most norton progarms it leaves behind some registery entrys, and some (hidden?) folders. but it might be worth keeping it on the master drive, in case you want to clone again.
I'm not quite sure why you want to clone 5 WIN2K installs, ghosts best use is when you need to move a complex set of multiple programs installed and patched, but it will do what you want.

Quote: Originally Posted by T-shirt Yes you can remove ghost when you are done (but like most Norton programs it leaves behind some registry entries, and some (hidden?) folders. but it might be worth keeping it on the master drive, in case you want to clone again. I'm not quite sure why you want to clone 5 WIN2K installs, ghosts best use is when you need to move a complex set of multiple programs installed and patched, but it will do what you want.

Hello T-shirt the reason behind me cloning 5 HD all the same with Win2k is to save me time on installing Win OS and all my other programs from start for everything that i have now is all the same such as MB,Memory,videocard and so on, i have 2 computers that are identically the same with same hardware in them,You can see these computers they are the UFO2 cases in my gallery here http://gallery.pcapex.com/showphoto....00/ppuser/8505, these drives will not be in use for they are only for backups in case my HD that are in my computer where to go bad i like to keep a lot of my stuff backup and not have to restart everything from scratch. These HD will be sealed in a antistatic bag suggested by HTRN, who has been very very helpful to me,Thanks HTRN

You can run Ghost from a bootable floppy. I don't think that it will leave registry junk behind if you do it that way.