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Question

Converting External to Internal

by Jun 23, 2015 8:40AM PDT

I've just removed my external drive from its' casing and need it to be installed in my PC (it holds data with an amount of about 2 TB out of 3 TB). I've realized after I registered the drive in Disk Management, I need to format the disk before I can use it.
The problem is, I don't have enough storage to back all of them up, so is there anyway I can use the disk as an internal drive without having to format it? If possible, without having to place it back to the external casing.
Thanks in advance
PS. I'm using Win 8.1

Discussion is locked

5 Posts
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Answer
MAYBE.
by Forum moderator Jun 23, 2015 8:47AM PDT

I find that Linux is more adept at gaining access to such drives that Windows wants to format.

Windows 8.1 machines tend to be a little more work to boot Linux but all that is on the web.

That's how I get access without formatting. Windows is a pain like that so I have to boot Linux.

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Answer
I am going to get real old real quick.
by Jun 23, 2015 7:21PM PDT

Let me see if I got this right. You have an external harddrive connected to THIS computer and it works perfectly but now when you hook it up internally, this computer wants to format it? Yip, this and UEFI is going to get me old really really quick.

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Uhh..
by mynamesjeff Jun 23, 2015 9:13PM PDT

I was wondering if it has anything to do with the additional PCB that was attached while it was connected via USB, and when I installed it and connected it via SATA port, the system recognized it as a different drive?

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Ok so it is the same computer.
by Oldartq Jun 24, 2015 7:05AM PDT

Yeah, but should that be? I got to put this in my book also. Oh my...I think I am just getting too old for these stuff, hehe.

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Answer
GPArted stand alone program
by Jun 23, 2015 7:42PM PDT

Or Partition Magic perhaps. GParted is often included in Linux LIVE DVD's.

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