How would you do this?

[BiGyLiLuPdAmIdL]

ok my uncle has an old ell that is broken and wont turn on he doesnt want to buy anything to fix it like a psu or anything like that he is buying a new computer. The problem is on his new computer he wants all of his old programs that he had before on his old comp. How would he transfer them if the comp wont turn on to back up the files? I know you can just use the old hardrive and put it in the new comp to get his old files but his old hardrive is inly 40gb and his new one is 200 gb. So is there a way where you can transfer everything from one hardrive to another so you can still use all your old programs?
Can somebody help me i need to know soon because saturday I am going to my uncle's house to help him fix it.

 

[toxicity_27]

Put it in the new comp, copy the files and put them on the 200gb, then take it out if he doesn't want it.

 

[megabyte800]

Well, assuming that the old hard drive is compatible with your uncle's new motherboard, you could conceivably just connect them both to the new computer, copy the data from the 40GB to the 200 GB, and then disconnect the 40 GB.

As far as actual programs go, you would have to reinstall them, so your new OS recognizes them. I would just try to get any personal data (music, pictures, documents, etc.) from the old drive, and then use the installation discs to re-install your programs, if you still have them around. Altogether, it really is easier just to do this, if possible just copying your personal data to CD-Rs or DVDs, so you don't even have to deal with physically removing and installing the old drive.

Hope this helps.

 

[BiGyLiLuPdAmIdL]

ok but how do i copy files from one hardrive to another? and which hardrive o i boot windows from the old or the new?

 

[macdude425]

Boot from the new, and just drag and drop the files you want to copy. Make sure BIOS is set up correctly when you put in and take out the old drive.

 

[megabyte800]

Well, if that 200GB drive is going to be the boot drive for the new comp, you should boot from that one, and just connect your other one on the same IDE channel (I'm assuming that this old drive is a parallel ATA). Once they're both installed and your machine recognizes them, its just a drap-and-drop process.

BTW, do take note of the jumper settings on your drives. If you don't have the master-slave configuration right, your box won't boot until you fix them.

 

[BiGyLiLuPdAmIdL]

wait a minute i am confused drag and drop where? what do i go to do the drag and dropping do i click on my computer than local disk c and then drag and drop from there or what?

 

[megabyte800]

if this is the new computer, and your boot disk is that 200GB one, then it will be labeled as the C drive in your "My Computer" folder. Your optical drive (CD) will be the D drive.

So, your older drive, once you install it, should show up as E drive (unless you have a second optical drive, in which case it will show up as the F drive).

From the My Computer menu, you would drag files from whatever letter the old drive is, and then drop them into the new drive (C)

 

[waynejkruse10]

ok.

1. Make sure Windows is set up correctly on the new computer on the new hard drive.

2. Install the old hard drive in the new computer without unplugging anything that was already plugged in.

3. Boot up the computer, the old drive should appear as another drive letter in my computer (eg. C, D, E, F).

4. Copy all the documents and files from one Hard Drive to the other.

5. You cannot copy program files, most of the time there are problems because of missing registry entries and DLL's.

6. Either take out the old Hard Drive or leave it in which ever you choose.