How to Copy an Old Hard Drive to a New
Copying information from an old hard drive to a new hard drive can be a challenge, especially if both hard drive data connectors are not compatible with your computer. However, there are hardware and software tools available that can enable you to copy information from one hard drive to another, regardless of the data connector, by following a simple procedure.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- USB hard drive enclosures equipped with a matching data connector for each hard drive
- Microsoft Windows computer with two USB ports
Instructions
-
-
1
Plug each hard drive into a USB hard drive enclosure. Ensure that both the power and data cables inside the enclosures are tightly plugged into each hard drive.
-
2
Plug the USB cables from each enclosure into one of the USB ports on the Windows computer.
-
-
3
Click the "Start" button, then select "My Computer" (if running Windows XP) or "Computer" (if running Windows Vista or 7).
-
4
Right-click on the new hard drive icon, and then click "Format..." in the drop-down menu that appears. Click the "Quick Format" check box in the "Format" window that appears.
-
5
Click the "Start" button to format the new hard drive. Wait for a message to appear that states that the formatting process has been completed.
-
6
Click the "Tools" menu in the "My Computer" or "Computer" window, and then select "Folder Options" in the drop-down list that appears.
-
7
Select the "View" tab, and then click on the "Show hidden files and folders" radio button. Touch the "Apply" button, and then click the "OK" button to save the setting.
-
8
Double-click on the hard drive icons located in the "My Computer" or "Computer" window for the old and new hard drives that are connected to a USB port on the computer. A window for each hard drive will appear and display the contents of the drive.
-
9
Click the window of the old hard drive and then select and hold down the "CTRL" key, and then touch the "A" key. All files on the old hard drive should now be highlighted.
-
10
Click the "Edit" menu at the top of the old hard drive window, and then click "Copy" in the drop-down menu that appears.
-
11
Select the "Edit" menu at the top of the new hard drive window, and then select "Paste" in the drop-down menu that appears. All files and folders from the old hard drive will now copy to the new hard drive.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit two computer hard drives image by Elnur from Fotolia.com
