Copying data from 3rd HD

[consumertalks]

Dell 2400 P4 w/XP

Here's my HD setup-

--installed--
Master- 40GB (#1, 29GB free)
--not installed in new system yet--
Slave- 120GB (#2) empty! It's being delivered next week.
3rd- 40GB (#3, previous slave, full!)

I just got a new system, and with a great Staples deal got the 120GB HD for the slave. I need to move the data from my previous slave (#3) to my new slave (#2). What's the easiest/fastest way to do this? The only thing I can think of is to install #3 and copy 20GB, then install #2, swap the 20GB, then reinstall #2, copy the remaining 20GB, reinstall #3, and do the final swap. This seems like my only option, unless..

I called Dell last year, and my 2350 could only support 160GB of HD space. Even if the 2400 could support all 200GB that I have, I have nowhere to mount #3. I'm considering getting an external drive case, but I'm not sure how that appears in My Computer if I can't support all the GB's. Are externals exempt from the limits? If so, I'd probably get the enclosure instead of selling #3 for 1/3 of what I paid last year, and keeping it just in case. If you suggest this, gimme some good case linkage.

And finally(!), is it better to make the #2 (120GB) the master? It's @7200 w/8MB, I'm pretty sure the Dell Seagate is @5400. If so, I could just copy #1 to #2, make #2 the master, and copy #3 to #2 in one shot. I guess that would make #2 #1, but I won't go there.

Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks!

[Steve R Jones]

Just unplug your cd-rom since you won't need for the copy process and plug #3 in there..

[John Prophet]

hmm.....ok I dont think at ALL that they meant 160gb TOTAL..they probably meant it can only handle up to a 160gb drive.

But the TOTAL can surely go above 160gb.

For example I am sure you could have two 120g drives no problemo.

I have never heard of a TOTAL gb limit...just a "per drive" sizelimit.

(and even if you bought a 200gb drive it would come with its own "pci controller card" so the card would allow you to bypass the 160gb drive limitation of the motherboard)

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You could just use norton ghost to clone one of the 40g drives to the 120g drive..then take the 40g out. Or, you dont really even need ghost to copy the second40g over since it is just data and not bootable etc.....you would just open the case....as was stated earlier just unplug the ide cable off the cdrom and put the 120g there and boot up and just drag and drop everything off the second 40g onto the 120g...(although you would need to partition and format the 120g first)


or if you were sure you want to take the 2nd 40g out and replace it with the 120g you could go about it this way.


Take the 2nd 40g out

Put the 120g in there in place of the 40g..same jumper settings etc.

partition and format the 120g.

shutdown....pull the IDe cable off the cdrom...put the 40g back in hanging from the IDE cable.

drag and drop all the info off of the 40g onto the 120g.

Shutdown..put the cable back on the cdrom etc.

-----------------------------

Once you are SURE you have all the data off of the 40g onto the 120g you COULD then buy an external drive enclosure and use the 40g for backup of important files such as emails or whatever

JP

I hate the throw more confusion into the mix....but I bet your 40g drives have 2mb cache's on them and the 120g might have an 8mb cache. In that case it'b be nice to use norton ghost to clone that 1st drive over to the 120g and then boot and run windows off of the 120g drive since it will be a little faster due to the 8mb cache. The 8mb cache is sort of wasted if it is just used for "deep storage".

[consumertalks]

Originally posted by John Prophet
Take the 2nd 40g out
Put the 120g in there in place of the 40g..same jumper settings etc.
partition and format the 120g.
shutdown....pull the IDe cable off the cdrom...put the 40g back in hanging from the IDE cable.
drag and drop all the info off of the 40g onto the 120g.
Shutdown..put the cable back on the cdrom etc.

The 8mb cache is sort of wasted if it is just used for "deep storage".

JP- First, thanks!

If I take out #1 and make the 120GB (#2) the master, how will it boot w/o an OS installed? (Maybe that's a n00b question, I didn't think slaves had XP fully installed on them.. do they?)

Why partition the 120GB? (Also, how?) If I do partition the drive, and for some reason I get a virus downloaded to the portion with the OS, will the other partition be spared? This is the only reason I wouldn't want the the 120GB the master. I will have tons of files on it, I don't want to lose them.

The 8MB cache "deep storage" answers one of my questions, thanks!