Moving to new HDisk

[ljung37]

I am going to move my OS and programs to another HDD.
Usually when moving everything to another disk, the advice is
to save your important files to some backup media (unless you are
using a copy program).
Now i like to avoid the backup alternative if possible, because
writing to my backup utility is slow.
My new disk is already in use, so why do i not just move the files
and zipped programs over, and then i can close down, and disable the
old disk(wich i'm going to replace later),and then just install Win98
on the new disk, and boot up,(and then reinstall the rest of my
programs).

To be sure, before i start, i thought i should ask here if there is
any problems doing it this way?

Ron. G


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Ron.G

[tjaymadison]

Do you mean the "other" disk has been used for data storage only? No OS installed on it?

Most backup programs are slow, in the interests of safety and accuracy.

If by "zipped programs" you mean already-installed applications like Word, forget it.
You can't zip up a folder like that, copy/move it to another drive, and ever expect it to work.
Not after a fresh install of Windows. All the required files aren't just in the Word folder.
There are registry entries made, sub-folders created, file associations set up, etc.

There are good reasons for following the recommended procedures.
In addition, your new install would be horribly fragmented and prone to many problems.
Don't re-invent the wheel. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)
-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

[ljung37]

Glad you had time for my small problems 'tjaymadison'.

To your first question, No, i have no OS on that second disk,
only some files stored on it.

Secondly, No, the 'zipped' programs are such that i have
downloaded from the Net, and saved them for later reinstallment.
So, no problems??

There was one other thing, would it be better,for some reason,
to install the OS(Win98) on an empty disk? I mean,if i copy over
the files, there will be about 6GB on the 20,4GB disk, wich will
influence where the OS will be placed on the disk,right?
But does it matter?

I could go another way.
Since i alredy have a third disk(also 20,4GB)wich i am going to
install,i could copy the files to the second disk as planned.
Then disable(disconnect)the first disk. Then install the third
disk. Partition,format and install Win98 on it. And finally,
Move the saved files to the third disk. Wich leaves the second
disk empty, to use only for storing video files.

But why go this roundabout? Why not copy the files from the
first disk to the third dirctly?
Well, i have heard that it might be a problem having two OSs
in the system. That's why.

Now i have the first disk(10,2GB) with all its content,
and i will put it in a removable rack, to use as a backup unit.
Howabout that?
But wait a minute, i still have the Win OS on it. How do i remove
that?
I could of course temporarily disable the other HDDs and boot up
from the first disk and then uninstall Windows. Any snags there?

You are still with me are you? Thank You! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif
Inventing the wheel, you said. No,just groping my way about
the mysterious computer world.

Ron. G


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Ron.G