Can I copy old hard drive to new one and use in new system?

[zetor]

I have a maxtor 7 gig hard drive that I have been using for quite a while. I am building a new system with an abit be6-II, and have purchused a maxtor 13.6 Ultra dma66 7200rpm drive. If I use maxtors utility to copy my entire old hard drive to the new one in my existing system right now, will I be able to then put the new drive with the copied files into the new system? Will I be able to use the dma66 connecter, or will the hard drive have to be formatted for dma 66. Would it be best to install the new drive in the new system as the master on the 66 controller and the old one into the 33 controller and then try to copy the old to the new?


Zetor

[Zacko10000]

Ok, heres my 2 cents. It is always a good idea to reinstall windows when using a new motherboard. Take your new drive, make it the master, and install your OS(s) on it. Then take your old drive plug it in as a secondary drive, and copy all the files you want off it. Then reformat the old drive and use it for whatever you want.

[Bluesky]

The simplest way is to install the new drive in your new computer as master and your old drive as slave, then boot with the maxtor utility and format and partition the new drive and then transfer the old to the new.
If you try the other way, you may find the drive in your old computer is no longer bootable,its happened to me a couple of times but not every time I've tried it..

[Ed_S]

You could copy old to new in your existing system as you said. When you move it to the new one as a master, the drivers for everything will be all wrong & will have to be redone.
While it would be better to do a clean install, it is possible to do what you want.

After doing the copy, install the new drive as master in the existing system. Leave the old drive out for now.

Boot system.
Change video to generic SVGA

Enter device manager.
Delete everything.
This basicly blows out everything relating to the existing system. You may be prompted to reboot - Do NOT!
Shut down, power down.
Move new drive to new system.
Reinstall old drive in existing system.
Old system should be back as it was to start with at this point.

Have your Windows disk and any driver disks handy.

Boot up new system.

Windows will freak out for a while trying to recognize & setup everything. After several prompted reboots, it'll settle down (about the same time as your heartrate does )
You'll need to install all drivers for new hardware, MB, video, sound, modem, the works.

When done, check device manager for conflicts. Hopefully all is well, if not it'll have to be dealt with, but can't explain how to fix until after it's broke.


If something goes wrong you will have to format & reload!

[bdunn]

A faster way to empty thhe device manager if you don't mind playing in the registry is to delete the enum key folder

[richamies]

My system will hang if I delete the hard drive controllers. Maybe delete the drivers from running in safe mode?

[jad1097]

Try what Bluesky said first.It should work fine.If so after everything is set up reinstall windows so it can clean everything up.
It is best to delete everything in the device manager from safe mode. To gety there right click on My computer>properties>device manager tab.
In case you did not know.



[This message has been edited by jad1097 (edited 01-23-2000).]

[zetor]

Thanks for the info, I will trywhat you have said, if I ever get to try my system. I have been waiting on my slocket-II cards sincew the 17th. Was finally able to get hold of genxtech and they did a fedx tracking. Tracking shows they tried to deliver to my house four times!!! After talking to fedx they were in the wrong town. They sent my cards back to the supplier!!!. They are trying to get them turned around and sent back.

Thanks for letting be blow off steam, I really needed that.

Zetor

[grogiinsky]

If you want to copy your old disk to your new disk, you need a program like Norton Ghost. It works great - I've used it a few times.

[Richard_Cranium72]

Drive Copy from Office Depot for $29.95. DrVette

[alien_from_io]

Like Zako said when a new mobo is involved, re install clean. You can't transfer a OS to another disc while in operation, several files including the Win386.swp can't be moved while being used. That is, you can't without the programs made to do it. Drag and Drop don't get it. Some of it is registry stuff that you can't find to move. good luck, Take me to your leader.