Windows question?
Answers:
I am guessing when you say download you actually mean copy.
If you mean you want to copy the working operating system from the primary hard drive intact to a secondary drive, the short answer is no.
BUT, and I say this with prior knowledge that the essential files can be copied and the new computer may boot. But first the new machine will have serious problems in operating. In any case making a copy like this is illegal so even if it would turn out ok, I would not recomend it.
Now you might mean that you want to copy the source files from your install CD to your secondary hard drive. This is fine but one problem will hamper your ability to boot up the second machine. As only the install files are on the hard drive it may not have the ability to boot.
If you are decommissioning the first computer the legality of making the second computer with the same copy of Windows becomes a little hazy. It all depends upon if your computer licensing agreement came with restrictions for the specific computer which would be one from a major manufacturer such as Dell or HP. If you purchased an single computer license you should be able to decommission the first computer then begin the Windows install on the second computer.
Quite simply, no...not the way you're figuring to do it.
Yes, this can be done using Symantec's Ghost software. Ghost will clone your drive to take everything off the current drive and put it on a new drive. This is usually done to create a backup drive or to take an existing drive and move the entire contents to a larger drive. It will move everything, including the operating system, and any corrupt files, viruses, ect., to the new drive
I just picked up a brand new, sealed copy of Ghost 10.0 (not the newest version, but the last one) for $15 off EBay.
The answers post by the user, for information only, RunQA.com does not guarantee the right.
More Questions and Answers ...