Hard Drive Replace/Format Question

[Dan]

Well, I believe the time has come, especially after Bruce's recent experience, that I'm going to have to bite the bullet and replace my original 40Gb Hard Drive.

As noted in another thread, it is beginning to sound like a jet engine with a high pitched winning sound and according to a number of sources, the bearings are going bad. I'm tempted to put some high temp wheel bearing grease in it, but . . .

I have a fairly new internal 80Gb Hard Drive that I've been using as a backup/slave drive and recently purchased a 250Gb Western Digital External Book Drive (on sale) in anticipation of this exercise. I want to replace the 40Gb with the 80Gb as the main/boot drive and use the new Book Drive as the backup drive and therefore here is the . . . question:

Which is the best method of reformatting and/or copying the data onto a new drive?

Seems there are two theories of thought:

1. Reformat completely the 80Gb drive and re-install all of the programs one-by-one and subsequently all of the data?? This is very time consuming, but leaves a clean install of everything.

2. Mirror/Clone the 40Gb onto the 80Gb?? This is much faster and easier, but also mirrors all the errors, file fragments, etc. etc. of 4 years of use onto the new drive. Even though I've never had a problem with the data operational aspects of the 40Gb . . .

In both instances, I will use the new 250Gb book drive as the transfer medium and later as a backup/storage drive.

Since many of you have had drive failures and/or similar experiences, any experienced opinions are welcome, especially in relation to Flight Sim. Seems the outside world is split as to which method is best.

Thanks!!

Dan

_{…it’s great being a kid again – without the glue!} ;D

[bhk]

Dan,
I don't think that there is a "best" method....more a case of what suits each person.

With my recent experience (and past professional life in IT...most of which I've forgotten!) the preference is as follows:-

1. Format the 80Mb unit, make two partitions with one of suitable size to accomodate the OS and the second just large enough to hold what you want to keep and then, as it is to be your boot-drive, install whatever OS you are using onto that drive in the first partition.

2. Copy across only the stuff that you really want to hold onto from the dodgy drive to the second partition on the new drive. You'll be surprised how much data you will dump!
You'll have plenty of room...or should have.

3. Once copied, remove the old 40mb drive and replace with your new drive.

4. Setup the new drive to your needs and move the stuff that is now in the second partition of the 80Mb C drive onto this new drive.

5. Time consuming, yes, but it gives you the chance to clean out the cupboard and also leaves the older 80Mb drive just for the OS and a second partition for whatever is non-essential.

My two-bob's worth.

Bruce

[Dan]

Thanks Bruce!

That's the way I was leaning. Even though, as you noted, it will be much more time consuming, which I have little of, the end result will be a clean virtually new drive. That in itself will be worth the work.

Now the only question is, is how many payware planes will transfer/copy over without having to re-install with their individual keys/codes. Quess that is going to be based on each plane and the 'verification' methods used by the developer. I'm assuming most will copy over just fine, since I'm moving all the same/related folders and not changing the computer. Either way it is still worth it in the long run.

Thanks again!

Dan

_{…it’s great being a kid again – without the glue!} ;D

[bhk]

dans said:

...Now the only question is, is how many payware planes will transfer/copy over without having to re-install with their individual keys/codes. ..

Dan, if you had to install the aircraft rather than just unzip it then there is every likelihood that registry keys will be missing.

However, it is worth trying to simply copy across and see what happens. Just start with one.

Anything that you bought and only had to unzip should not be a problem.

Bruce

[Roger]

If the drive name is the same as the previous one after the switch over and you transfer everything in your Fs folder to the new one I'd guess all should be well.

[Dan]

Bruce, guess that's what I will do - try a couple of both and see what happens. Either way, I'm going to have to transfer them all, so those that don't like it, I'll just have to look up the keys and re-install.

Roger, that's exactly the way I'm going to set it up, same drive name, same folder names, same everything, so hopefully that will work out, since it's the same computer.

Thank you both for the advice!

Dan

_{…it’s great being a kid again – without the glue!} ;D