New hard drive

Topic

New Reply

I would like to install a new (larger) hard drive in my computer. I would like to make it the main drive, with the old one as a data holder. How do I get all the ‘stuff’ that I have on the old one to the new one. Do I have to “install” windows all over and the rest of the programs. Or is there an easier way and/or program to make the whole process easy……

thanks

Reply | Quote

Replies

New hard drives ship with software to transfer all of your data from one drive to the next (old to new). This is a mirror, though, so it will move all of the existing items – you can then change the location of My Documents and other data to the previous drive once the transfer is complete and you’ve verified the new drive boots OK.

You’re also bound to hear recommendations for PartitionMagic and possible DriveCopy/DriveImage, but if this is a one-off thing, you’ll find everything you need in the box that the new drive comes in.

HTH,

Reply | Quote

Thanks Mark,
Costco, has a 120 gig for $102.00 so I thought it would be time to upgrade.

Reply | Quote

Weasterneagle–

Most of them have software or disks to help with this. but I put a few links to give you some background. Costco has some nice software/hardware savings–always a good place to check. They’re the cheapest bricks and mortar in my town besides the swap meets if they have it.

Tech TV’s Transfer from One Hard Drive to Another
Expert’s Exchange One HD to Another
Expert’s Exchange One HD to Another II
PC Relocator/Home Eisenworld
PC Relocator Support Answer Threads

SMBP

Reply | Quote

Thanks for the great links. If, like AL said there is NADA in the box . . . . . . .

Reply | Quote

One nice thing about PC Relocator/which many know by it’s original name Aloha Bob is that it does such a good job of moving all your programs and favorites over to the new PC, allows you to use ethernet, and will take all your apps and everything else on your hard drive and allow you to store a ghost-like image of everything on removable media as well as your hard drive as well as transfer you. If you were to use PC Relocator Ultra-Control 4.5.9.12 it would be pretty fast because it uses ethernet; it won’t copy executables unless you choose to which is good–it’s $70 retail. If you want to spend the money, and do this kind of thing often, it’s convenient and user friendly and lists all your settings and apps that are being transferred.

PC Magazine’s June 17, 2003 Comparative Review of Migration Utilities–the Plus and the Minuses.

SMBP

Reply | Quote

Are you sure they’re all doing that, Mark? I just recently bought a replacement HDD for my Win98 machine and it didn’t have ANYTHING in the box, nada! Not even a utility disk. It was a Maxtor, in a “normal” Maxtor package, not one of those plain-vanilla OEMs one might buy mail order or whatever. Of course, I wasn’t looking for anything fabulous since my Win98 machine is only around ’cause I’m too sentimental to kill it – this was a Maxtor 30 gig that may have been out of production by now. I bought it from the local CompUSA.

Reply | Quote

I had the same experience with a Maxtor removable drive at Fry’s Electronics. Nothing but instructions on how to install…& of course the HD.

Reply | Quote

Big Al,

The person ( or the machine ) who was packing your HD, just looked the other way and missed the box with your utilities.

But, you can always download them from their website. Maxtor still has the “Max Blast” version available, also Western Digital has their own version.

Bob

Reply | Quote

Oh, fer sure. I guess I just never did know that part of the HDD software was the ability to copy the “old” drive, since (as Mark knows) I’ve been a BIG supporter of Drive Image and Partition Magic for too many years and don’t ever even look at what the HDD makers offer unless I need the diagnostics. And, when that happens, I always download the latest from their web sites since HDD tech support people usually won’t talk to you unless you’ve run their VERY latest….. Anyway, good luck on the switchover!

Reply | Quote

Many drive manufacturers have software that can be downloaded.

Reply | Quote