Casper will not let you select the system drive as a destination when you attempt to copy a drive in Windows XP

PROBLEM:
When attempting to restore a backup from an external USB drive, the original system drive does not appear as a destination. If you select the option to view all drives, the original system drive appears in the list. When you attempt to select it, Casper displays the following message:

This drive contains paging files currently in use by Windows.
CAUSE:
Windows is using the desired destination drive for virtual memory. Casper will not let you select as a destination any drive that is being used by Windows. This includes any drive on which Windows is running or contains an active Windows paging file.
RESOLUTION:
To permit the original system drive to be selected as a destination, you must remove the paging file from it while the computer is running from the USB backup drive.

Follow this procedure:
 
  1. Click Start
  2. Right-click My Computer and select Properties
  3. Click the Advanced tab
  4. In the Performance group, click Settings to open the Performance Options dialog
  5. Click the Advanced tab on the Performance Options dialog
  6. Within the Virtual memory group, click Change to open the Virtual Memory dialog
  7. Select drive C: (or whichever drive contains the paging file you need to remove) in the list that appears
  8. Select No paging file and then click the Set button
  9. Click OK to close the Virtual Memory dialog
  10. Click OK to close the Performance Options dialog
  11. Click OK to close the System Properties dialog
You will need to restart the computer from the external USB drive to affect the change. After the system has restarted, you should be able to use Casper to copy the external USB drive to the internal drive. Once the copy has been completed and you restart the computer from the internal drive, you will need to re-enable the paging on the internal drive.

Follow this procedure:
 
  1. Click Start
  2. Right-click My Computer and select Properties
  3. Click the Advanced tab
  4. In the Performance group, click Settings to open the Performance Options dialog
  5. Click the Advanced tab on the Performance Options dialog
  6. Within the Virtual memory group, click Change to open the Virtual Memory dialog
  7. Select drive C: (or whichever drive should contain the paging file) in the list that appears
  8. Select System managed size and then click the Set button
  9. Click OK to close the Virtual Memory dialog
  10. Click OK to close the Performance Options dialog
  11. Click OK to close the System Properties dialog
THIS ARTICLE APPLIES TO:
  • Windows XP

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