This set of instructions assumes that you already have a second hard drive correctly installed in your computer. For instructions on how to do this, see the section earlier in this guide about installing a hard drive in the same computer, or a new computer, as appropriate.

After downloading Ranish Partition Manager, extract the 'part242' compressed file to a directory. From the command prompt ('start\run and type 'cmd') navigate to the directory and type 'part242'.

You will be prompted for a 1.44MB floppy which will have the necessary files created on it. Reboot your system with the floppy in the drive to launch Ranish partition manager.

By default, the master hard drive on your first IDE controller is selected. You can press 'F5' to switch between the hard disks installed on your system. Once the screen shows the hard disk you wish to copy from, press 'd' to copy that disk.

You will be prompted for the target disk. Make sure your choices are correct and then start the operation.

Once you have finished, exit the program with the 'ESC' key and power off.

By now you should have been able to fully copy your existing install of Windows XP over to a new drive or computer, utilizing the extra space without an excruciating re-install. Remember to check back at Part 1A or Part 1B of this Beginners Guide for a reminder of what to do once the program has finished the cloning process.

We hope that you found this guide useful and informative. As a good follow up to this article, why not make sure that your Windows XP installation (as well as your PC) is in tip-top shape by checking out our Annual PC Maintenance Guide.

If you have any comments or questions, please post them in the PCSTATS Forums. Find out about this and many other reviews by joining the Weekly PCstats.com Newsletter today! Catch all of PCSTATS latest hardware reviews right here.

-Dual OS Installation of WindowsXP 32-bit/64-bit -RSS Feed Setup & Subscriptions - Windows XP Service Pack 2 - Firewall Setup and Configuration -Eliminating Spyware and Hijacker Software - Diagnosing Bad Memory - 101 Tips and Tweaks for WindowsXP - Burning CDs and DVDs - Optical Drives & Recording Formats - Securing Your Wireless Network - Little Known Features of WindowsXP - Ergonomics & Computers - Annual PC Checkup - Installing WindowsXP - Encryption and Online Privacy - Home Networking and File Sharing - Forgotten Passwords & Recovery Methods - Preventing Data Theft from a Stolen Laptop - Creating a Weblog / Blog - Installing RAID on Desktop PCs - RAM, Memory and Upgrading - Ten Steps to a Secure PC - Flashing A Motherboard BIOS - Windows XP Safe Mode Explained - Upgrading Win98 to Windows XP - USB Memory Drive Projects - 104 Great Tech Tips for Windows XP - Unattended Windows 2000/XP Installations - Linux Part 2: Installing a PC - Understanding and Tweaking WindowsXP Services - Linux Part 3: Installing New Software

- The Registry: Backups, Repairs, and Protection - Diagnosing Bad Hard Drives - Decrypting Document & Zipped File Passwords - Spyware protection and Removal - Wireless home networking - Internet Connection Sharing - Remote Access to Computers - Hard Drive Data Recovery - Firewalls and Internet Security - Back up and Restore Data in WinXP - Assembling Your Own PC - VPNs and Internet Connection Security - Legally Copying Software and Music - Setting up a FTP Server in WinXP - Creating MP3 Music Files - Stopping Spam - Cloning WindowsXP - Browser Hijacking and How to Stop It - Printer Sharing on a Home Network - Converting Videotape Into Video Files - Creating a WindowsXP Install CD with Service Pack 2 - Creating a Flashing a Video Card BIOS - Making DVD Movies from Video Files - Synchronizing Files and Folders - Crash Recovery and the Blue Screen of Death - Most Common Ways to Kill a PC - WindowsXP Command Prompt - Linux Part 1: Getting Familiar - Understanding and Creating Batch Files - Website Hosting From A Home PC - Formatting and Partitioning a Hard Drive - Website Hosting With Apache