transferring all data from old harddrive to new one

[Bonnie]

I installed a new hard drive onto my computer and want to
use it as my primary and my old hardive as my secondary.
My computer rrecognizes both hard drives and I installed
XP onto the new harddrive even tho I already have it
installed on my old drive.

How can I transfer all my data and programs to the newer
harddrive?

 

[Ray at]

Just copy and paste. Or, if you want to do it from the command prompt
(cmd.exe) where C:\ is your new drive and D:\ is your old drive, try:

md C:\FromOldDrive
xcopy /C /H /E /F D:\ C:\FromOldDrive

See xcopy /? for info about the switches.

Ray at home

 

[Alex Nichol]

I installed a new hard drive onto my computer and want to
use it as my primary and my old hardive as my secondary.
My computer rrecognizes both hard drives and I installed
XP onto the new harddrive even tho I already have it
installed on my old drive.

What I use is BootIT NG, from http://www.BootitNG.com ($35 shareware -
30 day full functional trial)

Download, to its own folder, extract from the zip, run the bootitng to
make a boot floppy.

With the new drive plugged in as slave/secondary, boot the floppy,
Cancel Install, entering maintenance, then click on Partition work.
Highlight your C:,Copy, then on left select the new drive (HD1) and
Paste.

You might then consider a resize up a bit. Or highlight the free space
remaining beyond, click Create choosing Extended partition to use the
rest of the space, then similarly in that to make one or more volumes
in that (to become drives D:, etc)

Now click on 'View MBR' and in it highlight the entry for this new C
partition and click the 'Set Active' Click 'Write Standard MBR' and
Apply. Also make a check that this partition is in the same place in
the table as it was if you do a View MBR on the old one - if not use the
Up or down to correct it.

Close out, swap the disks to make the new one the one that boots, and
reboot into XP.

 

[Darrell]

Copy and paste won't work for many programs. They need to be "installed" so
pointers will know what's what. But you can copy/paste from your old drive
to the new and then, using the program's installation CD, re-install to the
new hard drive. Make sure your reinstall is using the same "address" that
you copy/pasted to. That will insure everything is setup correctly. (if
you have updated those programs since your initial install you would have to
get the updates again.)

Partition Magic will move the programs with all their required links. It is
simpler but you have to buy the program. If you have any master control
programs like GoBack you would need to deactivate them before using
Partition Magic.