How to migrate XP, Vista, Linux, BSD and Solaris to a bigger hard disk

[saikee]

The main point of my thread is there is no need to reactivate XP or Vista again.

edited 21/7/07 - On Vista my experience is mixed as the copy I have is an early free downloadable version. Its behaviour is erratic. The cloned copy said "activated" but gave out warning "activation expired" later.

I assume the original copy has been activated. When the carbon copy is booted either XP or Vista will find its recorded hard disk serial number no longer matches the one in the new home and a message will be displayed demanding an immediate reboot, otherwise the new disk is not ready.

Once rebooted the record is updated and the new cloned copy is as good as the original.

A hard disk can fail and so both XP and Vista permit the hard disk the OS resides in to be changed. The original copy is hardware specific and cannot be used outside the PC from which it was installed. Since only one OS can be booted at any one time the arrangement is legal if the original is used for the backup purpose.

Many Raid systems do have two identical XP or Vista running on two separate disks permanently.

I do believe the procedure in spirit and substance does not violate the vendor's right because the cloned copy can never used elsewhere except on the original PC. What it gives is the flexibility to the users to have bootable backup copy 100% mirror image of the original at time of cloning. The backed up copy, with all the installed programs and data, is good for something to fall back on should the cloned disk be virus-infested, suffer a hardware failure or the system become unrepairable.

I want to put up this thread because that is a good example demonstrating how simple, useful and yet powerful Linux is. Every user will have a need to migrate to a bigger hard disk some times and this can be achieved by one of oldest terminal command in Linux, a Live CD and a reliable resizing tool in the form of gaparted or Parted Magic. The author of the latter is of course a member of JL. He is the one that did the hard work. I only tell others how it can be used.