The rescue or emergency disk provided by many backup programs is useful for more than most people realize.
hard disk
Can I restore an image backup of one computer onto another and have it work?
The concept seems simple: take a system image of one machine, restore it to another, and avoid lengthy setup time. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
How do I create a new partition on my hard drive?
Multiple partitions can be useful at times. I’ll show you how to create a new partition by “splitting” an existing C: partition.
How do I transfer my system to a replacement drive?
Transferring to a replacement drive needn’t be difficult. In fact, prepping for a transfer can be as simple as a side effect of backing up regularly.
What does “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process” mean?
Chkdsk checks your disk for errors at a low level, requiring exclusive access to the disk to do so. “Chkdsk cannot run…” means that it doesn’t have the exclusive access it needs. I’ll review what to do.
How do I secure a hard drive before sending it in for repair?
When sending your computer out for repair, you’re handing over everything on it, including your data. Options to secure a hard drive are limited.
How Do I Get Data Off of the Hard Drive in a Dead Computer?
Extracting data from hard drive in a dead computer isn’t typically all that hard – unless it’s the drive itself that caused the problem.
Should I Partition My Hard Disk?
Partitioning, or splitting a single physical hard drive into multiple logical drives, has pros and cons. I’ll look at those, and make a recommendation.
What’s the difference between memory and hard disk space?
The difference between the various types of things we might call “memory” is a fundamental concept that’s often confused. I’ll review the basics.
Can I stop an “idle” computer from hitting the hard disk at all?
I’ll show you how to reduce the last little bit of disk activity happening on your computer, but is that really going to help?
Why am I getting “Open Block” errors from my photo program?
This feels like a hard drive failure to me. There are several things that you can check, but the most urgent thing to do is back up!
Checking and Repairing a Disk with CHKDSK
The Windows system utility CHKDSK is a powerful and useful tool in diagnosing and repairing certain types of disk problems. I’ll review several ways to run it, and try and describe what it does.
How hard is it to change a laptop hard disk?
It ‘s impossible to say how hard it may be for any one person, but, let me go down a list of things that you need to think about it when it’s time to replace a hard drive in a laptop.
How do I fix errors on my hard disk?
Hard disk errors come from several different sources, and as a result there are several different approaches to resolving them.
