Hard Drive Question

Rat Finkenstein

Rat Finkenstein

Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
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After I do a clean windows 7 install on a new hard drive, can I access the contents of the old C drive by using it in a usb external enclosure? It is beginning to crap out, and I do not want to lose all my data, which is too much to burn onto discs.
An external enclosure or dock seems to be the cheapest option for transferring the data assuming it will be accessible, and will not try to boot off the drive.
 
you need to clone the drive, then burn the .img file that the cloning program creates, then install the .img on the new HD. Tutorials on cloning HDs are around the net. I'm currently in the process of something similar.
 
InSpectre Gadget said:
you need to clone the drive, then burn the .img file that the cloning program creates, then install the .img on the new HD. Tutorials on cloning HDs are around the net. I'm currently in the process of something similar.
Click to expand...

I do not want to copy everything, I just want to be able to access the old HD data and pick and choose what I bring over. It seems like it could work, I just don't want it to read the external usb enclosure as a boot disk.
 
Windows shouldn't automatically boot from USB unless you tell it to (changing the boot order in the BIOS) - even with a bootable drive in it.
 
I do not want to copy everything, I just want to be able to access the old HD data and pick and choose what I bring over. It seems like it could work, I just don't want it to read the external usb enclosure as a boot disk.
Click to expand...

The problem with this approach is that you lose all of your programs and have to pick and choose what to store on the external. Your best bet is to get a new HD and clone your old one onto the new one. If you want to maintain all of your current functionality--not to mention transfer overhead (the time it takes to migrate all of your files--because externals run on usb, this can take hours...I've waited 8 hours for music files alone before using USB 2.0). There are only a few ways to save *everything* on a HD without a huge headache.

EDIT: I see what you're saying all of a sudden. Nevermind. If you have the patience for that, yes, what you have in mind will work.
 
Most computers are set up for dual hard drives. You should be able to install your new drive and also have your old one set up as an accessory drive. Then you should be able to access all your files and transfer them to the new drive without problems or waiting forever on USB bottlenecking.
 
Yeah, if Windows 7 works like older versions of Windows it will boot to a screen asking you which OS you want to load when you have both drives installed. That is if they are both connected internally via ide or sata. If using a usb external enclosure it might not even do that. Or just plug the USB drive in after booting up the new install.

Probably redundant. I'm tired.
 
As long as the old drive is still readable then yes you can put it into an external enclosure and access all of your old files, from there just copy whichever ones you want onto the new drive. It's very easy :)
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
I do not want to copy everything, I just want to be able to access the old HD data and pick and choose what I bring over. It seems like it could work, I just don't want it to read the external usb enclosure as a boot disk.
Click to expand...

Do you have another box you could put it in and just use windoze transfer?
 
To answer your basic question, yes, you can install the old hard drive in an external enclosure. Easy. (I use a Rosewill enclosure) You'll be able to access all of your files for as long as the hard drive remains functional.
Copy the files then toss the failing drive.

To avoid the computer possible "seeing" both drives during startup and not knowing which to boot from, don't connect the external drive until after the computer is running. Simple.

I do not want to lose all my data, which is too much to burn onto discs.
Click to expand...
You really should come up with some system for archiving your files. If something happens to the new hard drive...
 
Hey Rat, further to what Bob W ended with, I'd also partition your new HDD, keeping about 60 to 100 Gb of space for your "C" drive for your OS and installed programs (depending on how many and what types of programs you have installed.
Create the 2nd partition as your "D" drive (or whatever letter you choose to assign to it) and use that D drive for all of your data storage. That way in the future if you get any viruses, corrupted OS or whatever, at least your data will be secure should you have to reinstall your OS.
 
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