Copying across from old IDE drive

rulocal · 16 Feb 2008 at 10:51

I currently have an 80gb IDE drive that is about to be replaced by a WD5000AAKS. Can I leave the 80GB plugged in when I install the SATA and then copy my music library across. I am sure it can be done somehow but probably noy as easily as I have described. Do I need to change any jumpers etc.

Many thanks

Dogoid · 16 Feb 2008 at 11:10

no jumper switching requires as the 2nd disk is a sata which does not have any master/slave configuration. its a point to point interface.

it will be fine , your computer should automatically detect the new drive and you can then copy what you want across

madmanrizzla · 16 Feb 2008 at 11:33

yeah np, you could even leave it in, and give yourself 80Gb extra storage space for them files you dont really use a lot!

semi-pro waster · 16 Feb 2008 at 11:46

For simplicities sake if you are installing Windows onto the new drive I'd unplug the old one because Windows has a nasty habit of occasionally splitting the install across disks on what seems like a random basis. However once you have Windows install you can plug in as many hard drives as the motherboard allows, just remember that you might have to set the correct boot order in the bios.

rulocal · 16 Feb 2008 at 14:31

Thanks everyone. I will unplug my old one. Install new one then plug the old one in again.

rulocal · 16 Feb 2008 at 15:25

Hi

Thanks again for the hlp. Installation was a doddle and it is miles faster than my old drive. However, there is a problem. Windows is only seeing the drive as 127GB, wheras it should be 500Gb. Any ideas?

Da[]San · 16 Feb 2008 at 15:38

Are you running SP2?

rulocal · 16 Feb 2008 at 15:43

Nope. I have just done a fresh install of SP1. I haven't got round to installing SP2 yet. I have the upgrade somewhere. Will that explain it?

rpstewart · 16 Feb 2008 at 15:46

rulocal said:
Hi

Thanks again for the hlp. Installation was a doddle and it is miles faster than my old drive. However, there is a problem. Windows is only seeing the drive as 127GB, wheras it should be 500Gb. Any ideas?

Pre SP1 versions of XP don't support 48bit LBA for large HDDs so the maximum partition size you can create is 128GiB.

Once you install SP1 you've got a few options:

Create a second partition in the remaining free space as drive d:
Use a partitioning tool like Partition Magic, Diskpart or Gparted to extend the existing partition into the free space
Use nLite to slipstream SP2 into a new copy of the XP install CD and then reinstall.

rulocal · 16 Feb 2008 at 15:47

Thanks. i have just found this. Will come back if I have aby further questions.

rulocal · 16 Feb 2008 at 16:14

Is there any benefit haaving 2 partitions, say one for programs the other for data? Or am I better off merging the two?

C4EVA · 16 Feb 2008 at 17:23

rulocal said:
Is there any benefit haaving 2 partitions, say one for programs the other for data? Or am I better off merging the two?

Yep, for both performance and data integrity.

rulocal · 16 Feb 2008 at 18:13

Will Do. Do you have any recommendations for the split. I currently, by default, have 127 & 337. Seems sensible enough.

rulocal · 16 Feb 2008 at 19:52

One final question please. How do I set XP up so tha the Document/Media folders save to the non-system drive?

Cheers

Dogoid · 16 Feb 2008 at 19:57

you don't, they need to be on the system drive.

rulocal · 16 Feb 2008 at 20:07

So my meida files need to be in the same drive as my OS, with the other drive containing other apps?

Dogoid · 16 Feb 2008 at 20:22

you can put the files anywhere you want, but the folders need to stay on the system drive.

rpstewart · 16 Feb 2008 at 21:32

Dogoid said:
you don't, they need to be on the system drive.

Wrong, it's perfectly possible to move My Documents etc to wherever you want. It's a simple registry change to redirect the folders to a different path.

rulocal · 16 Feb 2008 at 21:44

rpstewart said:
Wrong, it's perfectly possible to move My Documents etc to wherever you want. It's a simple registry change to redirect the folders to a different path.

Care to share the registry entrys?

Dogoid · 17 Feb 2008 at 13:11

rpstewart said:
Wrong, it's perfectly possible to move My Documents etc to wherever you want. It's a simple registry change to redirect the folders to a different path.

i was never in doubt that you could do this via the registry but not knowing his level of experience with windows i assumed he was asking if there was a option in windows that does this, and there isn't.

{edit} i was wrong, if you go to start menu and right click my documents then properties, windows does have an option to 'move ' its location. no registry hack needed

i think i was getting mixed up with documents and settings.