WD External Hard Drive (connected by USB Port)

Is it possible to switch my desktop pc internal hard drive ( "C" drive) which
has only 8.35GB of Storage space and I think is the primary/boot hard
drive,and assign my new WD External Hard Drive w/160 GB of storage space as
the primary hard drive? It can't be as simple as just changing the drive
letters , can it?...any info or suggestions is greatly
appreciated.......THANKS....Mario33

Big
Thu May 29 09:16:54 PDT 2008

Mario33 wrote:
> Is it possible to switch my desktop pc internal hard drive ( "C" drive) which
> has only 8.35GB of Storage space and I think is the primary/boot hard
> drive,and assign my new WD External Hard Drive w/160 GB of storage space as
> the primary hard drive? It can't be as simple as just changing the drive
> letters , can it?...any info or suggestions is greatly
> appreciated.......THANKS....Mario33

Sorry not that simple. But you could use a cloning software to move
things around. Something like Acronis True Image.
As cloning destroys the data on a disc, moving the data from the 8 gig
to the 160 would be simple. Clone|swap drives|boot and everything is
great. But what to do with the data that is on the 160 would be your
big issue. The clone operation would kill it all.

David
Thu May 29 09:31:11 PDT 2008

That would be a big waste of time as XP cannot be run from a USB drive.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375



"Big Al" <BigAl@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:WFA%j.10869$4c.3487@trnddc08...
>
> Sorry not that simple. But you could use a cloning software to move
> things around. Something like Acronis True Image.
> As cloning destroys the data on a disc, moving the data from the 8 gig to
> the 160 would be simple. Clone|swap drives|boot and everything is great.
> But what to do with the data that is on the 160 would be your big issue.
> The clone operation would kill it all.
>
>

Big
Thu May 29 09:42:14 PDT 2008

David B. wrote:
> That would be a big waste of time as XP cannot be run from a USB drive.
>

I think I didn't explain it right or you read it wrong.

You clone the internal to the external then swap the drives.
Yes it does work. I've done it to upgrade my laptop from 80 to 100 gigs.
Put the new drive in the USB cab and clone the 80 gig to the 100. Swap
drives and now the 100 is in the laptop. No loss of data and it takes
about 30 minutes.

Mario33
Thu May 29 10:18:02 PDT 2008

didn't think it could be as easy as that but you're right , the clone would
throw all data out the window ....so to speak...thx "Big AL'

"Big Al" wrote:

> Mario33 wrote:
> > Is it possible to switch my desktop pc internal hard drive ( "C" drive) which
> > has only 8.35GB of Storage space and I think is the primary/boot hard
> > drive,and assign my new WD External Hard Drive w/160 GB of storage space as
> > the primary hard drive? It can't be as simple as just changing the drive
> > letters , can it?...any info or suggestions is greatly
> > appreciated.......THANKS....Mario33
>
> Sorry not that simple. But you could use a cloning software to move
> things around. Something like Acronis True Image.
> As cloning destroys the data on a disc, moving the data from the 8 gig
> to the 160 would be simple. Clone|swap drives|boot and everything is
> great. But what to do with the data that is on the 160 would be your
> big issue. The clone operation would kill it all.
>
>
>

Mario33
Thu May 29 10:20:04 PDT 2008

really...I didn't know that....Thx ...Learned something new today...Thx
again...David....

"David B." wrote:

> That would be a big waste of time as XP cannot be run from a USB drive.
>
> --
>
> ----
> Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
> How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>
>
>
> "Big Al" <BigAl@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:WFA%j.10869$4c.3487@trnddc08...
> >
> > Sorry not that simple. But you could use a cloning software to move
> > things around. Something like Acronis True Image.
> > As cloning destroys the data on a disc, moving the data from the 8 gig to
> > the 160 would be simple. Clone|swap drives|boot and everything is great.
> > But what to do with the data that is on the 160 would be your big issue.
> > The clone operation would kill it all.
> >
> >
>
>

Mario33
Thu May 29 10:23:00 PDT 2008

OK>>>>Should have read the last answer before I replied...opppsss......Will
give it a go 2 c if it works for me .....thx 4 the help...guys.....

"Big Al" wrote:

> David B. wrote:
> > That would be a big waste of time as XP cannot be run from a USB drive.
> >
>
> I think I didn't explain it right or you read it wrong.
>
> You clone the internal to the external then swap the drives.
> Yes it does work. I've done it to upgrade my laptop from 80 to 100 gigs.
> Put the new drive in the USB cab and clone the 80 gig to the 100. Swap
> drives and now the 100 is in the laptop. No loss of data and it takes
> about 30 minutes.
>

Big
Thu May 29 10:33:49 PDT 2008

Mario33 wrote:
> OK>>>>Should have read the last answer before I replied...opppsss......Will
> give it a go 2 c if it works for me .....thx 4 the help...guys.....
>
> "Big Al" wrote:
>
>> David B. wrote:
>>> That would be a big waste of time as XP cannot be run from a USB drive.
>>>
>> I think I didn't explain it right or you read it wrong.
>>
>> You clone the internal to the external then swap the drives.
>> Yes it does work. I've done it to upgrade my laptop from 80 to 100 gigs.
>> Put the new drive in the USB cab and clone the 80 gig to the 100. Swap
>> drives and now the 100 is in the laptop. No loss of data and it takes
>> about 30 minutes.
>>
If you can backup the 160 gig to dvd's or something before maybe.

As cheap as drives are, why not get a new C: drive all together. Then
you don't have to touch the 160gig at all. Just remove it from the
enclosure, put in the new drive, clone your c: then swap the USB for the
C: and you are back running. If that really is a 10gig drive I'd
just drop it in the round file.

DL
Thu May 29 11:19:28 PDT 2008

Before you start check if there any size limitations as to what size of HD
is supported on your system

"Mario33" <Mario33@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:09DEEA72-097A-4120-8B68-4641ED2602E8@microsoft.com...
> didn't think it could be as easy as that but you're right , the clone
> would
> throw all data out the window ....so to speak...thx "Big AL'
>
> "Big Al" wrote:
>
>> Mario33 wrote:
>> > Is it possible to switch my desktop pc internal hard drive ( "C" drive)
>> > which
>> > has only 8.35GB of Storage space and I think is the primary/boot hard
>> > drive,and assign my new WD External Hard Drive w/160 GB of storage
>> > space as
>> > the primary hard drive? It can't be as simple as just changing the
>> > drive
>> > letters , can it?...any info or suggestions is greatly
>> > appreciated.......THANKS....Mario33
>>
>> Sorry not that simple. But you could use a cloning software to move
>> things around. Something like Acronis True Image.
>> As cloning destroys the data on a disc, moving the data from the 8 gig
>> to the 160 would be simple. Clone|swap drives|boot and everything is
>> great. But what to do with the data that is on the 160 would be your
>> big issue. The clone operation would kill it all.
>>
>>
>>

David
Thu May 29 13:52:23 PDT 2008

I missed the "swap drives" portion of your post.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375



"Big Al" <BigAl@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:G1B%j.10871$4c.2151@trnddc08...
>
>
> I think I didn't explain it right or you read it wrong.
>
> You clone the internal to the external then swap the drives.
> Yes it does work. I've done it to upgrade my laptop from 80 to 100 gigs.
> Put the new drive in the USB cab and clone the 80 gig to the 100. Swap
> drives and now the 100 is in the laptop. No loss of data and it takes
> about 30 minutes.

Big
Thu May 29 14:03:34 PDT 2008

David B. wrote:
> I missed the "swap drives" portion of your post.
>

I've skipped whole paragraphs and can't figure out why the comment is so
far off. :-)