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- Re: Hard Drive IMMINENT Failure - Help want to replace to ke...

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04-27-2020 02:50 PM
I am getting imminent disc failure errors. I have run the short and long drive self tests. The short test passed, but the long test failed. I want to replace the hard drive but keep windows 7 and all my information. I need to know how to do this and what i need to buy to do it as well.
If i get a new hard drive and am able to transfer everything over, does that transfer my Windows 7 operating software and everything as well.
PLEASE ANSWER QUICKLY...I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE TIME I HAVE BEFORE THE DRIVE GOES DEAD!!!
04-28-2020 10:31 AM
First off, if the drive is failing, you have Already lost information and that is only going to get worse. So, while you MIGHT be able to do a full system backup image at this point, you still might have already lost some stuff.
Second, I personally prefer to use third-party Backup solutions as they tend to be both more flexible and more reliable than any built-in solutions.
Macrium Reflect (MR) provides a FREE version that can be used to image and restore partitions or entire drives.
What I recommend is the following:
1) Download and install Macrium Reflect (MR) from here: http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
2) Run MR and choose the option: "Create an image of the partition(s) required to backup and restore Windows" to write a full backup to an external drive or USB stick
3) Use the option to create a boot USB stick or CD
My experience is that MR, when using the High Compression option, typically can compress the saved image file to about 50% of the USED space in the OS partition. This means if you have an 80GB OS partition, and 40GB is used, MR only needs about 20GB to store the image file.
I use this all the time and it typically takes less than 15 minutes to do the image backup and about the same time or less to do a restore.
NOW, you have the means to restore a full working system from the external drive or USB stick in only a few minutes.
I am a volunteer and I do not work for, nor represent, HP