The HDD in the machine is obviously dying -- very slow, noises, etc. I have a new, larger HDD and there is an empty 3.5 slot. Can I install the new drive and then clone the old drive to the new and be able to boot from the new one?
If your new drive is dying, then you may well find an attempt to clone it fails.
You can check the state of your disk using e.g. HD Tune, Crystal Diskinfo (portable versions available if you don't want to install more on your dodgy disk).
There are at least the following scenarios.
a. Your clone is successful because the drive can be correctly read. In that case you will be fortunate.
b. An attempt to clone it fails, e.g. with CRC errors because of corruption.
c. You do a forensic (literal) copy and include all defects.
In this case you don't know what errors you are carrying over which might suddenly become apparent in the future.
That would not be recommended.
Apart from this, cloning would be fine, assuming HDD to HDD. (if HDD to SSD another factor arises- the use of AHCI vs IDE protocol)
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/275898-32-ahci
How do you prepare for this situation (in general)?
a. Run disk monitoring software such as Crystal Diskinfo, Hard Disk Sentinel... which gives a indication of progressive failure.
b. Use disk imaging routinely. The act of imaging itself checks the disk, and you then have a copy you can restore when things go badly wrong (virus, ransomware, disk failure). Some of us constantly urge users to use disk imaging routinely (e,g, Macrium Reflect (free) + large external storage for disk image sets).
Note: there are many threads on this topic of cloning.
I do run a daily MR backup image of the drive as well as another weekly backup. I will check the disk with monitoring software.
Ok, that's excellent news, and as you have imaged your disk successfully, suggests it at least can be read with no CRC errors.
Now to check your current disk, Hard Disk Sentinel (albeit trial) is really handy. It gives a very clear immediate indication, and if you have a license, provides monitoring. Like the others, it offers a surface scan, and shows the SMART parameters.
You can then decide the fate of your current disk.
I've used Macrium Reflect for two years making twice weekly full image backups. I can't count the number of times MR has saved my butt by being able to restore the full backup to the original or a new drive.
Well worth the purchase!
I checked the drive with a HD scanner and everything came back OK, so I presume the drive isn't on its death bed. I think it would be best to replace it now rather than later.
What did you use? Did it display the SMART data from the drive? If not, use something like CrystalDisk Info to read the SMART data. A reallocated sector count of anything other than zero is a sign that the drive is on its way out. Reallocated sectors are ones that cannot be read and have been mapped to use spare sectors.
I used Crystal. There were no reallocated sectors and it said health was good.
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