How to Copy a Hard Drive From Another Hard Drive With XP
Copying data from one drive to another is a process that thousands of users do every day. However, copying the contents of a drive in its entirety is not a common practice for the average user. However, a user may want to perform this action after purchasing a new hard drive or to create a backup copy as protection in the event of hard drive failure.
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Instructions
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Click the "Start" button located on the task bar.
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Select the "All Programs" option, and then select "Accessories."
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Click the "Windows Explorer" icon. Windows Explorer will open.
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Click the "Tools" menu item, and then select the "Folder Options" option from the drop-down menu.
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Click the "View" tab. Under the "Hidden files and folders" section, verify the "Show hidden files and folders" radio button is chosen. If it is not, then click it. Click the "OK" button. If you are making the copy from one drive to another, you are now able to see the hidden files and transfer them, as well.
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Click the "Start button," and then select the "My Computer" option. This takes you to the drive window which displays all your current drives.
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Double-click the computer from which you want to copy. Single-click any file or folder to highlight it. Press the "Ctrl" and "A" keys simultaneously. This highlights all the files and folders in the list. Press the "Ctrl" and "C" keys simultaneously to copy all of the files and folders. The links to all of the files and folders are now stored into memory.
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Go back to the drive window. Double-click the drive to which you want to copy the files. Press the "Ctrl" and "V" keys simultaneously to paste the contents you stored in memory. All the files from the previous drive will be copied to the new drive.
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Tips & Warnings
Instead of pressing the "Ctrl" and "C" keys, you can right-click and select the copy option.
Instead of pressing the "Ctrl" and "V" keys, you can right-click and select the paste option.
Make sure that the drive you are copying to is large enough to hold all of the data you are transferring from the first drive.
References
- Photo Credit hard drive interior image by Curtis Sorrentino from Fotolia.com
