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ed_mason

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Copying WINNT to second HDD - Sharing Violation

Currently I have a good WINNT set up on my C:drive. Ideally I would like to copy this to my second HDD (F:)and save it for a rainy day along with the various software I have loaded. Then if (when) my C:drive goes down I will simply and quickly replace it in a caddy with my clean-running F: drive including the essential software I need to get up and running quickly. Sounds simple but whatever I try to copy or xcopy WINNT from the c: to F: drive I keep getting the "sharing violation" message because files I want to copy are being used. How can I get around this?  
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jhance

Well, I'm assuming that your Windows NT system is currently booted off the C: drive when you try to copy.  As such, many files are locked by Windows and cannot be copied.

I've done this many times and it's a good technique but you need more than just Windows NT.  I use PowerQuest's DriveImage to make a duplicate of my C: drive.  DI boots a copy of MSDOS and then can have full access to the C: drive filesystem.

Another option is Symantec's GHOST.
Have you heard of an application called Ghost? This will allow you to make an exact image of your c:\drive and blow it to your F:\drive. This will only work if you have NOT formatted your c drive to NTFS, as it is a DOS program, and you can't boot to an NTFS drive.

The only other way that might work, might be to install windows 2000 to the f drive, and call it winnt1. Then boot to that directory (once installed). Then you would be able to copy the c:\winnt directory (the current directory you are in is F:\winnt1). Then boot to the original directory (c:\winnt) and remove the winnt1 directory. Before you do that you may have to make a registry changes so that it recognises the winnt directory from the winnt1 directory.

This is only a suggestion and I would ask for more help from other experts, if this will work.
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jatcan

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No third party software is needed.  Install the drive in the system to stay.  Set up a mirror on the second hard drive.  This way, the drive will be an exact copy up to the minute.  No third party software needed.

If you don't want to run with the second drive installed, make an emergency repair disk.  After the mirror has been established, remove the second drive, and store it allong with the disk.  When you boot again, Windows will see a broken mirror.  You can simply remove the mirror setup, and continue.

Ghost is a good tool as well.