Send in the clones!

Cloning a drive makes an exact copy of a hard drive, and is a very useful way to extend the life of a PC. We recommend having this procedure done when a drive hits the 3 year mark. The advantage of cloning, over a simple backup, is that the entire drive - data files, software, settings, and Windows itself - is completely copied, usually to a larger drive. The old drive is swapped out for the new drive, and Windows boots up as usual. You end up with a PC that has a new lease on life, more storage capacity thanks to the larger drive, and, as a bonus, you have a complete backup in the form of the old drive. Most PCs will support 2 internal drives, so in many cases the old drive can be used as secondary storage if needed. Keep in mind that nothing critical should be stored on the old drive, otherwise it negates the effects of cloning the drive in the first place.

Some software, as an anti-piracy measure, will notice that the drive has been replaced, and will require re-activation or re-registration. If you have the activation or registration code, simply enter it when prompted. If not, a call to the vendor, with an explanation of the cloning mechanism that has been done, will allow them to provide you with a new activation code.

If you want to give it a try, I recommend Partition Magic from Symantec or True Image from Acronis .