Changing Drives

[Sag2734]

I have two harddrives an older 10GB 5400 rpm than came with my PC and a Maxtor 15GB 7200 rpm that I installed. How can I move all system files to the new drive and make it the master drive

[Burke]

Do you mean move Windows to the new drive?

You can't just copy it over I don't think, but you could make a disk image and restore it to the new drive. Short of that, I think it's a format situation.

[morbidpete]

ghost the first drive switch the cables or change the drive letter for the boot in the bios then re ghost the first image onto the second one

[downhill]

Your new drive should have came with software to do just what your asking. If it was OEM you can find that software on Maxtors site. At least you used to be able too. Let me take a lookie..

[downhill]

http://www.maxtor.com/en/support/downloads/maxblast_plus_ii.htm

But it looks like you would only be able to copy one drive...

If you don't have programs loaded on the second drive, you could probably just copy and past mp3 folders, movies, text files ect ect.

[Sag2734]

What I would like to do is copy or move all files from drive C: (10G 5400rpm) to drive D: (15G 7200rpm), then switch cables to make what used to be D:, the master drive and format C:. then later of course change the drive letters. Any ideas or is this even possible? BTW I installed the second drive a year or two ago when I didn't know what I know now.

[cyberskye]

Yes.

http://www.maxtor.com/en/support/do...ast_plus_ii.htm

But it looks like you would only be able to copy one drive...

If you don't have programs loaded on the second drive, you could probably just copy and past mp3 folders, movies, text files ect ect.

[UnitedWeStand]

I would just partition the second drive... only if I had your computer...
I would partition it to about 5/10 then I would format the partitions...
then put everything I want to save like My Documents, My Music, My Pictures, My Ezines.. etc.. etc.. Onto the second partition of that drive.
then In deed I would just reformat the the slow drive..
then I would switch the cables inside the case move the jumpers..
then install os on the First partition of the Maxtor..
reinstall all hardware, all tweaks back to normal.. yep. A clean install of any OS is really a good way to go..
then I would just use the Old Slow 10GB just for paging temp TIF maybe a few thousand Mp3z.
Thats what I would do..
I'm down for a clean install once and a while. Do what you want to do..
I've done the ghost image to the second drive after switching the cables and jumpers.. but I just ended up clean installing later, I could have just skipped a few steps and saved me 2 hours, oh well live and learn.

[Norm]

Originally posted by morbidpete
ghost the first drive switch the cables or change the drive letter for the boot in the bios then re ghost the first image onto the second one

Norton Ghost as suggested. No need to make an image file and restore it to the second drive though. Just image one drive to the other.

When you finished the Ghost solution, you need to reset the jumper on each HD. Switch them around. Make the master the slave, and the slave the master.

Or,
as suggested, change the boot order in the BIOS to boot to the new drive.
Once that's done, all you need to do is delete all the files off the drive you want to cleanup.

Note: Whatever drive you boot into becomes C: drive.
Don't be fooled by drive letters.

[Sid]

Note: Whatever drive you boot into becomes C: drive.

In the NT world the boot disk holds the system files and the sytem disk holds the boot files. Not sure what MS was thinking when they did this but that's the way it is.

[Sag2734]

THANKS NORM, I got the drive files changed with Ghost and the master- slave connections fixed. Now how do I format, it won't let me do it from MY COMPUTER, I guess it is still booting from the original drive C. Also I want it to boot using the newer drive--there is no option to change this in my settings menu

[Norm]

Are you saying there is no option in the BIOS to change the boot order to IDE 1 from IDE 0?
(or as in my own BIOS setup, it actually names the drive by it's manufacturers serial#)
Can you get into the BIOS setup?

Hard to tell what's going on, or if you are familiar with these kinds of changes.

[Sag2734]

yes there no option in bios setup to make change----and yes I am fairly familiar with making changes

[Norm]

In that case, just change the jumpers on the drives.

Make the one with the OS (new drive) 'master' and put it at the end of the cable.
Make the one you want to format (old drive) 'slave' and put it in the middle of the cable.

For testing, leave the 'old' drive disconnected.
Does it boot into windows with it disconnected?

[Sag2734]

I had already changed the jumpers, but I didn't move it to the end of the cable. I will do that now. If it works I should be able to format the old drive. I follow test suggestion too. Either way I'll be back if only to say thanks

[Sag2734]

Thanks for everything, but I had to put everything back my floppy drive went caput. Didn't give me a complete image from Ghost and doesn't work at all now. I'll try this again after I install another floppy drive. I'LL BE BAACK!

[Sag2734]

problem with floppy drive, took it to hardware forum, appreciate any input