I've been working to clone a drive for a client using DriveImage XML through the Ultimate Boot CD. I've had good luck backing up whole drives in the past with this utility but never actually used an image to transfer to a different/new hard drive. My first attempt has not gone well and I can't seem to get a working copy of the image on a new drive. Same partition sizes, same type (IDE), and I'm generating the image from the boot cd and copying to an external HD and back to a new drive. I've attempted this in every possible combination (and I've copied and applied the MBR using an MBR utility as well) but nothing makes the destination hard drive bootable. There is a recovery partition in the mix and I've been imaging and copying that as well to its own separate, properly size partition. So far I get a blinking cursor, or "please enter bootable device" but I never get close to a windows logo. Help?

I'm not sure if this would work, but you could try running fixboot and fixmbr from the recovery console. You would need an XP CD for that.

Thanks for the response. I've given that a run already.

Check to see if the partition you want to boot is being marked as active. The restore partition may be causing the problem.

"I've copied and applied the MBR" That shouldn't be necessary if you are imaging the complete drive. Are you?

Yes I'm copying the entire contents of the partition.

I am thinking that if you select the entire(old) drive in your imaging program, that it will clone the original drive, partions and all.Then when you copy back the image to new drive both original partions will be there.In others words dont clone the individual partions to a new partioned drive, do the entire old drive, then copy to entire new drive. The drive manufacturer will have cloning software available too. Be Good, Robert core2duo e8400@3.99w/Big Typhoon biostar tpower i45 w/chipset cooler 2X2GB mushkin ddr2 1066 WDC 74GB Raptor Enermax 485W PS 8800gts