Home News Reviews Forums Shop


transferring data from one hard drive to another,,advice?

CPU's? Motherboards? Video cards? Talk about it here.

transferring data from one hard drive to another,,advice?

Postby coadman on Sat Dec 13, 2003 12:33 pm

In another thread I mentioned I was upgrading my computer system. When I do so, how do I transfer the information from my currant computers hard drive to my new computers hard drive?
thanks,
coadman
coadman
CD-RW Thug
 
Posts: 89
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2003 11:44 pm

Postby CDRecorder on Sat Dec 13, 2003 4:01 pm

Probably, the easiest way to copy information from your old computer to your new computer would be to burn your files to CDs and then copy the files onto the new computer from those CDs. You could also set up a simple network to copy the information from the old computer to the new computer, but it would be more trouble than it is worth, in my opinion.
CDRecorder
CD-RW Recorder
 
Posts: 2335
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 9:28 pm

Postby dodecahedron on Sat Dec 13, 2003 4:21 pm

the next simplest thing to burning data to CD or DVD media on one computer and copying to another, is to physically remove the hard drive from the target computer, install it in the source computer and do the transfer from one hard drive to the other while they're in the same computer.
this method is probably the "safest" (as far as data integrity is concerned).

just be careful to set the jumpers correctly.

if possible, put the hard drives on separate IDE channels.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie
-- JRRT
M.C. Escher - Reptilien
User avatar
dodecahedron
DVD Polygon
 
Posts: 6865
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2002 12:04 am
Location: Israel

If I install the old hard drive into the new computer....

Postby coadman on Sat Dec 13, 2003 5:18 pm

and make the copy this way, will it also copy the program files or only data files?
thanks,
coadman

quote="dodecahedron"]the next simplest thing to burning data to CD or DVD media on one computer and copying to another, is to physically remove the hard drive from the target computer, install it in the source computer and do the transfer from one hard drive to the other while they're in the same computer.
this method is probably the "safest" (as far as data integrity is concerned).

just be careful to set the jumpers correctly.

if possible, put the hard drives on separate IDE channels.[/quote]
coadman
CD-RW Thug
 
Posts: 89
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2003 11:44 pm

Postby CDRecorder on Sat Dec 13, 2003 5:31 pm

You should only transfer your data. You'll need to install your programs on your new computer, not just copy over the files.
CDRecorder
CD-RW Recorder
 
Posts: 2335
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 9:28 pm

Care to give me more of an "in-depth" explanation

Postby coadman on Fri Jan 09, 2004 6:54 pm

I will have no problem installing my old hard drive in the same case with my new one, but I do have some questions.....
(1)Put one on IDE1 and the other on IDE2?(so both jumpers would be set to primary master?)
(2) If I cannot do this for some unknown reason, can I hook them both to IDE1, and have one as primary and one as slave, and still function correctly?
(3)Once I do have both hard drives installed, exactly how do I start the transfering of "data"? I am using WinXP Pro.(just got it, so am very unfamiliar with how it operates)
(4) I can always re-install "programs" but I have numerous pictures, email addresses, and "favorite" websites on file, and it sure would take a long time to burn them all to CD, so if I could get the whole harddrive to be copied, I think it would be alot easier. Keep in mind my old computer was using Windows 98(I dont know if that has any bearing or not, but thought I would include it for everybodys information if needed)
Hopefully a few of you, will find the time to give me a little helpful information.
thanks,
coadman




dodecahedron wrote:the next simplest thing to burning data to CD or DVD media on one computer and copying to another, is to physically remove the hard drive from the target computer, install it in the source computer and do the transfer from one hard drive to the other while they're in the same computer.
this method is probably the "safest" (as far as data integrity is concerned).

just be careful to set the jumpers correctly.

if possible, put the hard drives on separate IDE channels.
coadman
CD-RW Thug
 
Posts: 89
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2003 11:44 pm

Postby CDRecorder on Fri Jan 09, 2004 8:12 pm

I'd recommend that you put the old hard drive as slave on IDE1 with the new hard drive as master on IDE1.

You'll just transfer your data through Windows Explorer, which works in the same way as it did back in Windows 98. Just copy over the folders containing your documents. Favorites and e-mail addresses are a little different.

Assuming you're using Internet Explorer, your favorites are in the "x:\windows\favorites" folder on your old hard drive (replace x with the actual letter of the drive). On the new computer, the favorites are stored in "c:\documents and settings\username\favorites" where "username" is the name with which you log in to the computer. To transfer your favorites, just copy the files from the favorites folder on the old drive to the favorites folder on the new drive.

I'm not exactly sure how you transfer your e-mail addresses, but I think this will work if you were using Outlook Express for your e-mail. Using the Windows Search feature, search the old hard drive for files called "*.wab". You'll probably find only one file. Double-click it, and a window should appear. Close that window, and the e-mail address should have been copied into the Outlook Express address book on the new hard drive.
CDRecorder
CD-RW Recorder
 
Posts: 2335
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 9:28 pm

Postby dodecahedron on Sat Jan 10, 2004 4:54 am

@coadman:
CDRecorder has given some good advice.

my suggestions:
(1) preferable to have them on separate IDE channels, transfer will be quicker that way.
(2) yes, no problem, things will just go slower.
(3) "regular" data file you just copy over fron one Windows Explorer window to another like CDRecorder said.
open one window to (old drive): D:\<whereever your files are>
another one to (new drive): C:\Documents and Settings\<your username>\My Documents\OLDSTUFF for example. or if you like better C:\OLDSTUFF. now just copy by dragNdrop.

IMPORTANT: i suggest you verify whatever file you copy. i like CDCheck. do a Compare operation to make sure files are copied over identically with no errors. it takes time but definitely worth it IMO.

you do not want to copy over all of the hard drive. you don't want to copy the Windows files and folders and installed programs. those you'll have to reinstall anyway. just whatever data files you want to keep.

as for Favorites, i don't know where they are on your old hard drive (depends on the version of Windows you have). however i suggest you copy them to C:\Documents and Settings\<your username>\OLD FAVORITES\ so as to differentiate them from ones already on the new drive. you can always Organize Favorites to your liking.

as for copying over stuff related to Outlook Express (mail folders, contacts, mail accounts), direct copying isn't recommended.
check out Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 270670
http://support.microsoft.com/default.as ... -US;270670
(note: even though it doesn't say it's for WinXP, the instructions there works for me on XP too).
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie
-- JRRT
M.C. Escher - Reptilien
User avatar
dodecahedron
DVD Polygon
 
Posts: 6865
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2002 12:04 am
Location: Israel

thanks GUYS!!!!

Postby coadman on Sat Jan 10, 2004 11:17 am

I'll try this out, hopefully this weekend some time. I was using windows 98 on my old computer, and will be using WinXP Pro on the new one(I think one of you might have been curious)
thanks again,
coadman
coadman
CD-RW Thug
 
Posts: 89
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2003 11:44 pm


Return to General Hardware Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests

All Content is Copyright (c) 2001-2024 CDRLabs Inc.