Installing Windows XP on additional drive

I've got a gut feeling that my C: drive is about to crash. Every time I reboot my computer it automatically runs check disk. I've looked at the session manager registry entry and it has autocheck autochk * listed only once so the registry is correct.

Anyway, my question is can I install Windows XP on one of the other drives I have just in case my C: drive does crash? I'm currently running an Intel Pentium 4 processor with Windows XP fully updated and I also have HDD Health running and it says my drive is normal. All drives are NTFS. Am I being paranoid or should I be worried? Not sure if I provided all the system info needed to help me out so just let me know what info you need if I didn't. Thanks for the help.

 

The usual way of dealing with this sort of thing is to take an image of your system partition/disk and store it on a separate drive. If the drive does fail you boot with a rescue CD you have already created with the imaging software and that enables you to restore your system exactly as it was to the same or to a replacement drive.

Recommended free programs are Easeus Todo or Macrium Reflect

Installing a second copy of Windows on the same PC is a licence infringement, so not recommended. It also means you've got all the service packs and updates, and all your own software to install and configure. Ugh!

 

Once I backup my files with Easeus (for example) do I just use my cd burning software to make the rescue disk? How do I know what files need to be on the rescue disk so that it works when I need it? Are there instructions anywhere that I can use to make sure I get it right? Sorry for all the questions. This is all new territory for me. :cry

 

Once you initiate it the rescue disk creation is automatic, you don't have to make any choices at all or employ any other burning software. The image file it will restore contains absolutely everything your system has now, even the Master Boot Record. After restoring your image to a new drive the system and all your files will be exactly as they were when the image was created.

 

Awesome! I really appreciate your help. I don't know what I'd do without this website that's for sure. Keep up the great work! :clap

 

The only thing more important than an imaging program is your heartbeat That ain't original I'm afraid, but it's still worth repeating .... and repeating ....