Need Help Copying to new hard drive: Without losing old data

by Single_Tasker Jun 4, 2005 4:30PM PDT

Hi Folks,

My first post. Its long- I decided to post multiple questions to be sure my query is understandable.

I have a Gateway 450 P3 running Windows 98, 8 gig HD. Windows crashed and wouldn't boot due to 2 missing files. Tried 100 suggestions in another forum. Decided to install a new HD... BUT I MUST be able to get my son's MANY music files from the old HD.

I installed the new 80 gig hard drive, loaded up my Windows 98 and used the Gateway Restoration disk to install the origonal drivers.

Logging on and using the My Computer I'm able to view the files in the old hard drive (the one that had all the missing windows files and wouldn't boot up).

When I try to launch any of the programs in the old HD I get errors etc. Is this because the old HD has a goofed up OS?

When I dragged and dropped a couple of programs over to the new HD and opened them from the new HD I get errors.

If I use the clone disk that came with my HD (Western Digital) and copy everything to my new HD, will all my FORMER DESKTOP ICONS show up on my NEW desktop so I can launch the programs and get the files out that are buried in them?

Should I erase all the windows files in the old HD before cloning so they don't try to run in the new HD and screw up the OS in the new HD?

Should I drag and drop the 2 missing OS files from the new to the old as a windows repair and just boot up the old HD to get to all my old files?

None of the above?

Yikes... This stuff is complicated. What should I do?... Options?

Thanks!
Bill

Discussion is locked

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Confusion - Please Clarify what you did

by Gatta Jun 4, 2005 5:12PM PDT

When you installed the new hard disk and after
partitioning (if desired) and formatting, you installed
the Operating System (Win 98, either from the OEM
CD or a Restore CD from the computer mfrer), then you
have to install each and every program and hardware
drivers (that is MotherBoard Resoyrces, Display, Sound,
Modem and printers etc). You can not sinmply (Drag & Drop - that is copy the folders from old HD to new HD)

You can do so for all data files: i.e.: DOC, XLS (MS Office),
MP3, WAV (sound related), JPG, GIF, BMP ( image
related) from old to new HD and also the shortcuts ( LNK files), provided you had copied the underlying files at the same location. The Windows Favorites and Cookies folders can be copied as is from old to new
HD

Frankie

as the one on almost dead HD. The

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you cannot copy programs or applications...

by reefurbb Jun 4, 2005 10:02PM PDT

without a lot of work to find all associated files and put them in the right place.
All programs and apps must be reinstalled.
You CAN copy over all data files, MP3, WAV, TXT, BMP,JPG, and lots more, by drag and drop. You have lots of room on new Hdd. You could copy over the whole 8gb hdd into a folder "old hdd".
Make sure the old hdd is set as slave, if on the same ribbon as new Hdd, or a 2nd IDE such as CDrom set as master.
Once everything is saved, reset old 8gb hdd as master, only hdd on there, and overinstall W98Se. It will replace missing Windows files, not missing program files.
System File Checker can be used to extract missing Windows files, not other programs. It will also tell you about other corrupt-deleted-changed files (advanced).
For you, your fresh install is a good thing. No spyware-malware-baloney. Except I always make more partitions on a large Hdd for many good reasons.
You MUST fix your old Hdd OS before you clone it, which is the only way to save old programs if you can't find the installation CD's or files.

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Data or Progs?

by ramusson Jun 5, 2005 4:14PM PDT

Bill,

Do you want to save your DATA files or the Program files?

If it's the DATA files, you can simply copy them from the old HDD to the new one.

As for the Program files, simply copying them is not likely to work because during the original installation there would have been some files copied into the OS directory and the registry (there are exceptions).

If you have the original installation disks, there is no problem. Some you may get from the Net.

Why not make a try to reinstall Win98 on the original disk? Put it as the master as was originally, do a floppy boot, and reinstall win98 from the INSTALLATION cd? In this case, most of the original programs should work since the registry is not lost.

If you have only an UPGRADE cd, delete the "win.com" file from the windows drectory in C drive and do a fresh installation of 98. But your programs are not likely to run.

Hope this info is of some use!

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Data or Progs?

by Single_Tasker Jun 6, 2005 4:44AM PDT

Thanks for the input.

I guess its just the Song Files I need to save from the old HDD.

1) When you say "copy them from the old to the new", how is this done?... there are hundreds of them.

2) Once the songs are on the new HDD, and I download the program for my son to play the songs, will these songs, that were downloaded with a song program onto the old HDD, play on the newly downloaded song program on the new HDD.

Hey... I never said I knew a lot about these things.

Thanks!!!
Bill

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pretty easy once you do it the first time...

by reefurbb Jun 6, 2005 8:44AM PDT

We assume you have successfully slaved the old Hdd into the PC, or have it as master on its own IDE ribbon.
When you open My Computer, you will see C: drive, the new one, and D: drive, the old one, or maybe some other letter.
Double left click the old Hdd open. Find the folder or location of your songs, my music, my downloads, etc.
Create a new folder on your desktop of new hdd, call it music or MP3 or whatever.
Hold down the left button of mouse and draw a box around all songs. This will turn them all blue or some color. Put your mouse arrow anywhere on the hilited songs and hold down left button again. Drag them all on top of new folder, it also will hilite. Let go of button, which has a plus sign indicating copy instead of transfer, and you will get a progress bar for copy. It may take awhile if you have a bunch.
When the bar quits, open the new folder to make sure you have them copied.
Try double clicking one to see if it will play with Windows media player or whatever you are using.
Note: you can resize the window of the old hdd smaller so you can see the new folder on desktop.
2. you can make new folder on old Hdd or see that all songs are in one folder. Then right click, choose copy, minimize window of old hdd, right click on current desktop, choose paste.

Need Help Copying to new hard drive: Without losing old data

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