Xp install on new drive

[murdockman]

Hi
Wanted to ask if it's possible to transfer an old XP operating system and files from a laptop with a failing hard drive to an external enclosure with a clean/new hard drive then fit that new hard drive back into laptop with system and files as before, it's for someone who cannot use windows 7-8 they do not want to use it much for internet but want to use the files that are on the old XP system. They have asked at some shops but they all seem to want to sell them a new laptop can anyone help please
I'm no tech myself but can follow instructions and just wanted to help this person who cannot see very well

 

[kanewolf]

The easiest way to do this, is to use disk imaging software (Clonezilla for a free alternative or Acronis for a paid). Pull the failing hard drive from the laptop and use a fully healthy computer to do all the work. Connect the failing drive and create the image file on the good computer. Then hook the new drive to the good computer, write the image file and verify that it worked. If so then you can delete the image file.

 

[rhysiam]

There are external docks like this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0VN-0003-000N7
which will close a drive onto a fresh disk. If the drive can successfully read the entire volume, it could be as simple as that. I'd highly recommend you connect the drive to another computer first and at least copy the important files to a separate drive (not the one you're going to attempt to clone to). If the original drive is truly failing, there's a decent likelihood that the sustained reads involved in cloning the drive will push it too hard and kill it for good.

My advice:
- Remove the failing drive from the laptop
- Use an enclosure like the one linked above to try and copy the critical files to another computer
- Purchase a replacement HDD for the laptop and attempt to clone the drives using the external enclosure - if it works, just install the new drive into the laptop and you should be good to go
- If the clone fails, install the (blank) new HDD into the laptop, do a fresh XP install on the new drive and then copy back the critical data from the backup you made in step 2

This all assumes that the HDD is SATA... which unless the laptop is really really really old should be the case.