Before I start, this is not a pirating thing. I am the legitamate licence holder with an OEM ME problem.

I have Windows ME OEM installed on my present hard drive. However this drive has a hardware fault and even though still usable is slowly dying.

I have bought a brand spanking new 120 Gb drive and want to use it to replace my present one. However I do not have a full windows ME CD as my computer when newly bought came only with the OEM version pre-installed and a Restore CD and floppy.

Would it be possible to format the new drive and use the CAB files on the present hard drive to install ME on the new one?

Or any other ideas to install ME on a new drive from an old drive and a restore CD much appreciated cos I'll be buggered if I have to buy a new Windows CD when buying a new hd!!!

1)partition the new drive and format.
2)copie in smal peaces c: to d:(your new drive)in dos with diskette
(you don't have to copy the swapfile)
3)go in the bios and switch the drives
or switch the pins so that your new hd gets master
4)boot

if it does not, boot start with a diskette and c:\fdisk /mbr

let me know if it worked cause it will ;-)

Copy 40 Gig by Diskette? Why not just drive to drive?

Even if master and slave are switched won't they still have the same drive letters?

Norton Ghost is a good way to image your HDD to another HDD.

Cheers

The hard drive manufacture should have a utility that will copy the old drive onto the new.
What brand is the new hard drive?

Mesich

IBM Deskstar 120GXP

I believe what you need is Disk Manager 2000.

IBM HARD DRIVE INSTALL

Mesich

I am not that familiar with the IBM Hard drive utilies.
I use the Western Digital and Maxtor utility quite often and have had no problem imaging their drives.

If the above link is not the utility used to copy your old hard drive to your new I would use ghost or something similar to image the drive as Spoonter stated. I was unable to find any others on IBM's site.

Mesich

I think I'll give Disk Manager 2000 a go when I get home tonite.

I was hoping to just install windows on the new hdd and sort of start with a clean slate, only copying over stuff I needed.

However I should think that cloning the hdd wouldn't be all that different.

I have also read somewhere that its possible to do it with xcopy fdisk and a floppy boot disk.

Another interesting thing to try is http://www.easydesksoftware.com/recovery.htm Its how to make a windows disk, sort of from a restore disk.

I was able to make an Me installation cd by copying the cab files to a blank cd. As long as the cab has a file calles Setup, it should work. You also need to look in the registry to find the product ID that needs to be entered during the installation, although sometimes it is automatically entered from information installed in the cab files.

Format the new drive.

boot up the PC and use the good old DOS command Xcopy.

start --- run --- xcopy c:\*.* d:\ /c /h /e /k /v

Walk away for a bit..... Come back. Remove the old drive. boot with a boot disk. Set the new drive active. reboot.

WOW! so many interesting but long winded answers.
Get hold of a copy of drive image 5 available on the net.
1.Create a boot disk from driveimage.
2.plug the new hard (unformatted) drive into the 2nd ide channel. Leave your old drive in the ide channel 1.
3.Boot with the drive image disk.
4. Follow the prompts to do a drive copy.

You get an exact replica on your new drive of the old drive.

The other answers would have worked but this one is probably the easiest.
Feel free to e-mail if you have any problems.
Oh and remember to let drive image partition the rest of the drive, i'm sure you'll manage though. The program is very easy to follow. good luck.

Copy 40 Gig by Diskette? Why not just drive to drive---------------------
---------
no i did not mean by diskette ,but boot with diskette. sorry

------------------
Format the new drive.

boot up the PC and use the good old DOS command Xcopy.

start --- run --- xcopy c:\*.* d:\ /c /h /e /k /v

Walk away for a bit..... Come back. Remove the old drive. boot with a boot disk. Set the new drive active. re-
-------------------

this is what i mean ,pure ,easy simple and free ,unlike ghost and driveimage (if you realy want something like that try "partimage" ,it's free but not easy ;-) )

------------------

Even if master and slave are switched won't they still have the same drive letters?-------
-------------------
no ,they switch

there are some other tools to copy the drive, as long as you do it in dos you're ok.

succes

there are other tools to copy

get youreself a copy of prog called :--Drive image 4.
Use the ribbon from cd drive to new hdd and transfer the lot over to new drive.
This will keep settings /win me /the lot ( total copy of original disc ).
I have just done this and its great i will sell you my copy for £20 + P&P.( save you £10 )