Transferring Storage HDD on XP PC to New W7 PC

[anachronite]

Currently my PC is running windows XP. I have a fairly new 1TB storage drive on my current system. I am buidling a new system using Windows 7 and I want to transfer the drive to my new system. It seems like I did something like this before, but it has been awhile since I built my own machine and had to transfer data rather than just building a completely fresh machine as I have been doing for friends and family. Seems like I remember having trouble only when I went from and AMD system to an Intel system. So I guess my questions are:

1. Can I just unplug my 1TB drive from my XP system (Pentium 4) and plug into my new Windows 7 system (Core i7-860) without trouble, or will I need to reformat the drive in Windows 7 and find some other way to transfer the data?

2. If I do need to refomat the drive for the new system, whats the best way to transfer the data?


Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[anachronite]

bump. anyone out there with an answer?

 

[henrystrawn]

Assuming that both drives are serial ATA (SATA),PATA/IDE may require a change in settings/jumpers, you can just temporarily hook up your XP HHD to your 7 machine and tranfer the files that you wish, by drag and drop. There are many network solutions and there is always the use of flash drives and data disks(CD/DVD). I have found that the quickest, easiest is just to attach the HHD, copy, and disconnect.

If you are trying to transfer application, or drivers, re installation is the only way with the change of operating systems.

Without more specific information on what you are trying to accomplish, that's the best I can do.

 

[anachronite]

I can delete all of the applications, but want to be able to use the XP HDD storage drive on the W7 machine, just transfer over the drive so I can have acess to photos, music, movies, etc. Can easily reinstall programs, but theres tons of data files I was hoping to just keep as is and be able to access with the new OS. Sounds like that will work, no?

 

[LoneWolf_53]

If it's just a storage drive I see no reason why it shouldn't work.

 

[vvhocare5]

When you say storage drive most of us think that means a secondary drive. Are you saying this is your BOOT and data drive?

Windows 7 does allow an upgrade in place but only from suitable versions of Vista - not from XP. So if you are installing Windows 7 on your drive (with data, apps and pictures) then it is a new and full install. During the beginning it will say it sees an existing version of Windows.

Make sure you do not format the drive or change it in any way - just upgrade or install.

Windows 7 will create a Windows.old directory and all of your stuff will be in there in the original folders. Just drag it into the new folders and delete windows.old when done. You can also drag over your Favorites, Links and other stuff. The names of some folders change - Documents and Settings becomes Users is the biggest one.

BUT!! you need enough space on the drive to do this. 1TB will be fine if you have a couple hunderd megabytes available.

 

[henrystrawn]

I can delete all of the applications, but want to be able to use the XP HDD storage drive on the W7 machine, just transfer over the drive so I can have acess to photos, music, movies, etc. Can easily reinstall programs, but theres tons of data files I was hoping to just keep as is and be able to access with the new OS. Sounds like that will work, no?

Sorry for the long vague advice. I was under the impression that you trying to keep both systems for use. There has already been some good post, to help you along. I'm afraid I'm guilty of never giving up on a system. It's a much easier task to add a slave drive, not so PC anymore, but I still use the naming convention. My systems at home are named, MASTER, SLAVE, MINION, SERVER AND CONCUBINE.

 

[anachronite]

When you say storage drive most of us think that means a secondary drive. Are you saying this is your BOOT and data drive?

Windows 7 does allow an upgrade in place but only from suitable versions of Vista - not from XP. So if you are installing Windows 7 on your drive (with data, apps and pictures) then it is a new and full install. During the beginning it will say it sees an existing version of Windows.

Make sure you do not format the drive or change it in any way - just upgrade or install.

Windows 7 will create a Windows.old directory and all of your stuff will be in there in the original folders. Just drag it into the new folders and delete windows.old when done. You can also drag over your Favorites, Links and other stuff. The names of some folders change - Documents and Settings becomes Users is the biggest one.

BUT!! you need enough space on the drive to do this. 1TB will be fine if you have a couple hunderd megabytes available.

What I will be doing is installing a new main drive (either SSD or Velociraptor) that will be used for Windows 7 (any idea what size partion W7 should have?), and my applications like photoshop, office, adobe, etc (on the 2nd partition).

The 1TB storage drive I want to transfer over from MY XP system currently has applications and games on it as well as data like music, movies, photos, videos, mapping data for Topo 7, etc. I assume all of the programs and applications will have to be uninstalled and reinstalled with windows 7. Hoping all of the data like photos, videos, etc can remain on the drive and be accessed with the new OS without reformatting this drive. Then I am assuming when I reinstall the applications, if I put any of them on this storage drive, windows 7 can do that even though the drive was originally formatted with XP?



again thanks to all for the help and input going into this thread. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

 

[henrystrawn]

What I will be doing is installing a new main drive (either SSD or Velociraptor) that will be used for Windows 7 (any idea what size partion W7 should have?), and my applications like photoshop, office, adobe, etc (on the 2nd partition).

The 1TB storage drive I want to transfer over from MY XP system currently has applications and games on it as well as data like music, movies, photos, videos, mapping data for Topo 7, etc. I assume all of the programs and applications will have to be uninstalled and reinstalled with windows 7. Hoping all of the data like photos, videos, etc can remain on the drive and be accessed with the new OS without reformatting this drive. Then I am assuming when I reinstall the applications, if I put any of them on this storage drive, windows 7 can do that even though the drive was originally formatted with XP?



again thanks to all for the help and input going into this thread. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Something you need to consider, is both of the drive will have MBR directories on them. They will both be primary partitions ie BOOTABLE drives. that mean that you will be prompted to make a selection between booting from XP or Windows 7. Because XP was installed and authenticated on other hardware, the DMI pool will be different and updated. Which in short will ask you to re authenticate it. Because it was an OEM version from Sony, my guess is that it will not authenticate it because it was an OEM version of the OS. My advice is to move any DATA files that you would like to keep to a new folder on the new hard drive. Format (quick format. watch for a little check box, or it will take forever with a 1 TB drive) the XP drive. and make it a simple volume, and more the saved data back. You may want to dual boot, but this is not the best way to do so, and it frustrates me to have the boot process halted to wait for an answer from me. You will not be able to move ANY applications. A GAME is an application. you can move your saved game files, usually found in our "my document" folder.

I hope this saves you some time. You are about to have a learning experience. Maybe I shouldn't try to save you some frustration, it was my best teacher.

 

[anachronite]

Something you need to consider, is both of the drive will have MBR directories on them. They will both be primary partitions ie BOOTABLE drives. that mean that you will be prompted to make a selection between booting from XP or Windows 7. Because XP was installed and authenticated on other hardware, the DMI pool will be different and updated. Which in short will ask you to re authenticate it. Because it was an OEM version from Sony, my guess is that it will not authenticate it because it was an OEM version of the OS. My advice is to move any DATA files that you would like to keep to a new folder on the new hard drive. Format (quick format. watch for a little check box, or it will take forever with a 1 TB drive) the XP drive. and make it a simple volume, and more the saved data back. You may want to dual boot, but this is not the best way to do so, and it frustrates me to have the boot process halted to wait for an answer from me. You will not be able to move ANY applications. A GAME is an application. you can move your saved game files, usually found in our "my document" folder.

I hope this saves you some time. You are about to have a learning experience. Maybe I shouldn't try to save you some frustration, it was my best teacher.

no I appreciate the help. Just wondering why it would try to boot as XP if the XP OS is not on the 1TB storasge drive? The only thing on the strorage drive when I connect to the new machine will be data files like music, movies, photos, etc. Will it try to boot as XP simply because the drive was formatted with XP from my old OS drive? If so can I not just set boot prioirty in the BIOS to boot only from the new OS drive?

 

[henrystrawn]

Sorry my bad, I assumed this was the primary drive out of the VAIO computer. I didn't realize it was a storage drive as well. I should read more carefully.

You are correct, with the boot priority, only when you have multiple OS's on the same physical drive will you be prompted for a choice. Apologies all around.