slooooow computer

[dan-the-man]

I have a packard bell computer 3.2GHZ intel celeron D, 512mb of RAM, 2 hard drives, one has 30GB and the other has 130GB.

the 30GB one has all windows programs stored and the 130GB one has all user data, my documents etc

could I format the bigger hard drive in windows then run a complete system restore from the pacard bell screen (before windows starts up) as system restore files are kept on the smaller hard drive?

my computer is full of rubbish and the hard drive makes a weird clicking noise and it goes slow sometimes.

I used to know quite a bit about computers when I was at college but as soon as I left school i left my brain there

 

[Xen]

my computer is full of rubbish and the hard drive makes a weird clicking noise and it goes slow sometimes.

Clicking usually means the head servo is on its way out (the clicking is the head flicking back to its idle position) I'd backup everything you need from that drive ASAP incase it is the head cos otherwise one day it'll just die on you.

Could also explain the slowness if its struggling to read/write to that drive, especially its the system drive or contains the OS's page file.

 

[Hellcat]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click_of_death

Time to buy a new drive to replace the 30gb.. Then install windows and programmes to the new drive.

 

[dan-the-man]

right so a bit of advice on how to go about it.

could I copy all windows programs onto the bigger hard drive set it to boot up from that drive, fit the new HD and copy the files back over?

educated guess

 

[Trancendental]

It sounds straight forward but it depends on how windows is feeling at the time.

Theoretically, As long as the disk drive letter the files are copied to is renamed C: or the original drive letter windows was located on, everything should work.

However Windows XP does not like Hardware changes to be performed as so and might just Blue Screen on reboot. This is because somewhere in windows there is probably a record contain FAT (File Allocation Table) Records.

The physical area on the disk in which windows starts may also be recorded and if its moved windows may treat this as a security issue and Blue Screen to "Prevent Further Damage to the System"

Make sure you rearrange all the jumpers to their appropriate positions.

 

[Xen]

yeh windows would probly disagree. Also you need a MBR (boot record in the FAT) for the OS on the new drive if your copying the entire system, if your just copying installed programs, 99% of them wont run due to registry entrys missing on a new OS install. Only one way to do it tbh... Backup all your docs onto the working drive, buy a new drive, set that as primary master (keep the other disconnected for the moment) Partition, format and install windows (all done automatically by the XP installer) and then re-install all your progs. Then reconnect your old drive as a slave, and copy your docs onto the new drive. Do a full format the old drive and then you have a clean slate to organise your docs on

 

[dan-the-man]

right so after taking the cover off my computer (for the first time) I only have one hard drive. so it must be split into 2

I never got a windows CD when I bought the computer, so is ther a program which I can use to backup windows then reinstall it after I get a new hard drive?

 

[Hellcat]

Yes you have a partitioned 160Gb drive.

Did you buy the computer new? You should have some way of restoring the system. Do you have a genuine windows key? Obviously don't write it down here

Maybe with a copy of Norton Ghost you could make an image of your computer as it is, then transfer it to the new drive.

What model do you have? Is there any info here?

http://support.packardbell.com/uk/

 

[dan-the-man]

I have Packard Bell IMedia 1308, yes I got it from new and Xp home SP2 was already installed on the system but I got no recovery disc or anything...

 

[Hellcat]

I have Packard Bell IMedia 1308, yes I got it from new and Xp home SP2 was already installed on the system but I got no recovery disc or anything...

Contact who you bought it from (how long ago was it?) and ask for one! Is there a recovery partition (any options when you boot for recovery?).

 

[dan-the-man]

I got the computer about 2 years ago from PC world, yes I know

actually could you make back up cd/dvd's using the recovery program? :chin:

 

[Hellcat]

I got the computer about 2 years ago from PC world, yes I know

actually could you make back up cd/dvd's using the recovery program? :chin:

I dunno. You tell me. There no substitute for a Windows CD and a CD full of drivers for the specific hardware you bought

 

[dan-the-man]

well it wont let me go into windows system restore and Packard bell recovery only wants me to go back to factory settings pants!

 

[Hellcat]

The packard bell recovery is your 'recovery disk'.

restoring to factory settings will re-install the OS. You need someone to copy that partition and its data using a disk level copy (Norton Ghost) to the new disk. Shame you don't live closer.

 

[dan-the-man]

I'll have words with some peopole I know and see if they can do it for me thank anyway