How to Put a Hard Drive With Files on it Into a New Computer?

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ilzot

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Title is pretty self explanatory. My current computer has a single hard drive that contains years of data, including the OS. I'm considering getting a new rig, and would like to put this hard drive in it, in case I want to refer back to some old data. I want to know how I can accomplish this without having to reformat the entire drive and wiping it. Also, I fear there may be some permission issues.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!
 
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LilTwist

LilTwist

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Im no expert in this but you might need to get a external hard drive dock and use another or a friends pc and move everything that you want onto a separate hard drive then do a clean install of windows on the hard drive that dosnt have the data on it anymore. once done with the windows install take that hard drive out use the dock and move everything back onto it that you want. make sure to not copy over any windows system files or it can corrupt the new windows you put on there...there is probably an easier way to do it but with my limited knowledge that is the way I would do it
 
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RaDiKaL_

RaDiKaL_

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So no new hard drive in the new rig? In that case before making the move, you need to create a new partition in your current HDD, copy (important to copy not move for the permission issue) all the data you want to save into that new partition, leaving only the OS in the original C partition.

This way when you get your new pc, you'll only need to format the C drive leaving all your data intact in the new D partition.
 
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ilzot

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No, there will actually be 2 new drives on the new rig. I want to add this old one as an additional storage location/ get my old data.
 
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LilTwist

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[/quotemsg]

No, there will actually be 2 new drives on the new rig. I want to add this old one as an additional storage location/ get my old data.
[/quotemsg]

oh if that is the case you wont need a dock like i said just put one hard drive in at first for windows so it makes that one master to run windows then after you do updates put all of the other hard drives in there as slaves then move what you want to an empty hard drive then format the old hardrive. do it this way so you can delete everything that is unwanted and saves space
 
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ilzot

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Jul 30, 2013
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No, there will actually be 2 new drives on the new rig. I want to add this old one as an additional storage location/ get my old data.
[/quotemsg]

oh if that is the case you wont need a dock like i said just put one hard drive in at first for windows so it makes that one master to run windows then after you do updates put all of the other hard drives in there as slaves then move what you want to an empty hard drive then format the old hardrive. do it this way so you can delete everything that is unwanted and saves space[/quotemsg]

Will there be any issues with permissions accessing the files as it will be a new machine?
 
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RaDiKaL_

RaDiKaL_

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I see, in that case it's easier, plug only the HDD (or SSD) that's going to contain the new OS and install windows and drivers (that HDD/SSD alone to ensure the MBR gets installed on it and not on another drive).

After that connect all other HDDs, start the PC and enter BIOS, make sure that the new HDD with your fresh OS is set as 1st boot device, this way your pc should boot into the new OS, finally inside Windows go to your old HDD and erase it's Windows folder, program files and any other file you don't want to have anymore.
 
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