Need to transfer stuff from old HD

[yetbutno]

So i built my new computer recently and have a new HDD, but i need alot of my old files from an old HD.

Problem is that on my old HD, windows is also installed. so im wondering is there a way i can remove windows on that HD and just use it as a harddrive to hold information?

 

[strollin]

The best way to do it would be to copy the files you need off the old drive to the new drive, then format the old drive. Once the drive is formatted you then can copy the files back.

 

[Gary Orner]

Make sure that it is set to slave and the main drive is on master.

 

[yetbutno]

wait so i backup all the files i want on to a flashdrive.

Then i remove my HDD from my old computer and place it into my new computer and format it in OS right?

 

[reddevil6]

yea basically, if the old one is SATA just plug it in and cpoy the files u want to the new HDD then format the old one from within windows. do the same if its a IDE drive but you must set the jumper config to slave.

 

[strollin]

Since you want to use the old HDD as a 2nd drive in the new computer, I wouldn't bother with the flashdrive. Just install the old HDD as a 2nd drive in the new machine. How you do that depends on whether it's IDE or SATA. (If you need help with how to do that, ask that question) Once you get it installed, copy the files you want to keep from the old HDD to the new HDD. After you have copied everything you want to save, format the old drive. Afterwards, you can move whatever data you currently have on the new HDD to the old HDD.

This does assume that there is sufficient room on the new HDD to handle the contents of the old HDD.

 

[yetbutno]

yupp my new HDD is 1.5 TB so it can handle all that.

How wwould i isntal the 2nd drive if my HDD uses SATA? Also i want to erase windows on the old HDD and jsut keep a few old files.

 

[claptonman]

Does your motherboard have a SATA port? Plug it into there. And you need to copy the files to another drive and format, or erase the drive, completely.

 

[strollin]

If both old and new HDDs are SATA, plug them in to your mobo and you're ready to go. Make sure that the new HDD is set in BIOS to be the boot drive.

 

[tremmor]

and rename as needed each drive or you might not like it. Say primary and backup. Some have wiped the wrong drive. Wiped the backup to say install windows and thinking it was the primary.

 

[yetbutno]

Okay thanks guys! which program would you recommend for formatting a hdd?

 

[reddevil6]

Windows... right click formatt