New HD,in older system

[1st Sgt. Burke]

Okay Im lazy. I want to get a new hd and install everything fresh and use the old hard drive for extra storage. Currently the old harddrive has everyhting i need on it. If I install the new hard drive as the master and put the old hard drive (with XP) still on it. Then install XP on the new harddrive, when its all up and running can I access the old hardrive to get all my stuff from it? Then format the old drive? Does that make sense?


O, also can anyone suggest a Good sata HD for around $60 shipped with as much space as possible. Ive always ahd maxtor....

 

[sabregen]

Sounds like what you're going for is a hard drive replacement, for sure. You've always had Maxtor. In your price range (and a Maxtor) is this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822144456

Now, I am not suggestiing that you don't consider other drives. There are quite a few other options, but you stated that Maxtor is the name that you've trusted. Other drives in that price range are here:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...E&N=2010150014+1035915133+4026&name=$50+-+$75

Here is what I would suggest that you do:

1.) open your computer and remove the old drive
2.) install the new drive
3.) install your operating system
4.) download the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit to you new installation
5.) install the Server 2k3 Resource Kit
6.) power down computer
7.) install old hard drive, in addition to the new one
8.) boot the computer, and go into BIOS
9.) ensure that the boot order listed for the BIOS show the new hard drive as the first boot hard drive, otherwise, you'll boot back into you previous hard drives OS installation
10.) Boot into your OS
11.) go to a command prompt
12.) anything from here on out that is in quotes...don't type the quotes
13.) type "robocopy /?"
14.) anything on the screen, other than "Command Not Found" is good, it means Robocopy installed as part fo the Server 2k3 Resource Kit

If your new hard drive is seen in Windows as Drive C, and the old hard drive is Drive D, follow this scenario, below. We are going to create a temporary directory on your new hard drive, and copy the entire contents of the old hard drive into it. This way, you can move things around at your discretion.

1.) At the command prompt still, type: "md c:\old_drive"
2.) type "robocopy /r:1 /w:1 /e d:\ c:\old_drive"
3.) Sit back and wait. Robocopy gives progress per file as a percentage, of how far it has gotten. If a file is locked by the OS, the /r:1 command tells robocopy to retry the file copy once. The /w:1 specifies a wait of 1 second.
4.) Once robocopy is completed (which is determined by system speed, disk speed, and amount of data to be copied), you can do as you like with the old drive.

What you'll have accomplished, is getting the data off of the old hard drive, and moving it to the new one. From there on out, you can wipe the old one, and use it as MP3 storage, a swap file drive, general working directory files (for web design, graphic design, or large file transfers and copies). It is up to you. Hope this helps.

Oh, also...I just left a contracting position at Kirtland AFB because the contract was not renewed (my company dropped the proposal ball...anyways...). Just curious if you really are a 1st Sgt Burke. I knew a good guy at AFOTEC who had the same title, although he did not seem like the computer type. Leroy...that you?

 

[1st Sgt. Burke]

No, its my gaming tag....taken from 101st airborne band of brothers fame.

I really appreciate all that. That will help big time. Is there a way to do it without a direct copy tho? Im afraid that this HD may have spyware and maybe a virus...

 

[iqwertyi]

I apologize for the hijack, but how do you set up a second drive as a swap file drive in XP?
Thanks