Curse

ZenRgy · Jan 30, 2008, 01:44 PM // 13:44

So I'm getting a new computer, which is more than overdue.

My old computer runs an IDE drive, and I want to transfer to data from it to my new computer which will be running a SATA drive.

Is there anyway to transfer it without burning it all to DVDs, all I've come up with is using a USB external HDD, which I'd borrow from my friend.

If there are any other alternatives, thank you in advance.

Riot Narita · Jan 30, 2008, 01:50 PM // 13:50

Most new computers/motherboards still have connectors for IDE drives, so can't you just plug in your old drive?

Assuming one hard drive partition on your new computer (C: ) and one optical drive (D: ), the IDE drive should automagically appear as drive E: and you can copy stuff off it directly to somewhere on your C: drive. Once you're finished, take out the IDE drive.

If you've used any kind of encryption you might have to move stuff on your old drive to a "regular" folder before putting it in the new computer (eg. old drive is HPFS formatted, and you set Windows to keep your data private - such as "my documents" etc)

Masseur · Jan 30, 2008, 03:36 PM // 15:36

Can't use SATA and IDE at the same time or at least most motherboards won't allow it. The external HD enclosure is your best bet. Or, if you have a big enough USB flash drive, you can use that, depending on how much data you are transferring. 8gb drives are less than $80.

Riot Narita · Jan 30, 2008, 03:57 PM // 15:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masseur

Can't use SATA and IDE at the same time or at least most motherboards won't allow it. The external HD enclosure is your best bet. Or, if you have a big enough USB flash drive, you can use that, depending on how much data you are transferring. 8gb drives are less than $80.

Really? Didn't realise.

My old motherboard (A-Bit) and my latest one (Gigabyte) both have BIOS options which "appear" to allow both simultaneously, but I never tried actually tried it. IDE optical drives definitely worked with both motherboards (with SATA hard drives) just by plugging them in, no BIOS changes needed... so I just assumed IDE hard drives would too. If that's not the case then I guess that's my New Thing For Today learned.

EmptySkull · Jan 30, 2008, 04:12 PM // 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masseur

Can't use SATA and IDE at the same time or at least most motherboards won't allow it. The external HD enclosure is your best bet. Or, if you have a big enough USB flash drive, you can use that, depending on how much data you are transferring. 8gb drives are less than $80.

That's not right. I have an older Asus A7N8x motherboard. I have a 80g, 30g IDE. Plus 2 400g Sata drives run as mirrors to back up data for my home network. You can connect that old IDE drive to the new computer and transfer data that way. It would be the fastest. But this will only work if the new MB has a IDE channel. Newer MB may not have that IDE channel.

If the IDE drive is the only drive on the channel(cable) now then you don't need to change anything. But if in the old computer another drive is connected to the same cable as the harddrive then you need to change the jumper setting on the drive. Either to cable select or master. Try both, if one doesn't if the drive doesn't show up.

Also if you are not gonna use the old comp anymore leave the drive in the new comp. Transfer data over and format it and use it to put music or other files you want to save on it.

gremlin · Jan 30, 2008, 04:24 PM // 16:24

The external hard disk idea seems fine to me, Its how I moved my files over to a new PC a couple of months ago.

I had bought a 160 gig 2.5 inch drive, Its pocket sized and usb 2 powered.

One week after I bought it the main drive on the old pc started dying on me, I was able to back everything up and buy a new drive and replace everything.

And of course GW is backed up on it in case of a failure

Tachyon · Jan 30, 2008, 05:41 PM // 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masseur

Can't use SATA and IDE at the same time or at least most motherboards won't allow it. The external HD enclosure is your best bet. Or, if you have a big enough USB flash drive, you can use that, depending on how much data you are transferring. 8gb drives are less than $80.

I've never encountered a motherboard that won't allow you to use both IDE and SATA simultaneously. How do explain people using older IDE optical drives but SATA hard disks?

Ultimate Flash · Jan 30, 2008, 05:49 PM // 17:49

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...4&sku=ULT40112

Check this out from TigerDirect.com I just purchased one a few days ago to transfer data between systems. It works great!!!

Edit: Only $20 bucks!

EmptySkull · Jan 30, 2008, 06:27 PM // 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultimate Flash

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...4&sku=ULT40112

Check this out from TigerDirect.com I just purchased one a few days ago to transfer data between systems. It works great!!!

Edit: Only $20 bucks!

Now that is something I must purchase. And If you weren't gonna put the old IDE in the new comp for good then that adapter is definately the way to go.

combatchuck · Jan 30, 2008, 07:40 PM // 19:40

I would suggest just getting a USB case for the old hard drive. You could transfer the stuff over after getting Windows installed, and then you'd have a backup drive.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...sp?CatId=2778&
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...k=&srchInDesc=

Also, using IDE and SATA at the same time is definitely doable. I'm doing it right now. I don't think there's a motherboard made that doesn't allow that.

Chthon · Jan 30, 2008, 09:01 PM // 21:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masseur

Can't use SATA and IDE at the same time or at least most motherboards won't allow it.

That's funny, at this very moment I'm within 10 feet of not one, but two, computers using both IDE and SATA devices simultaneously, and I have never seen a computer than couldn't use both at the same time.

Two answer OP's question, mount the old drive in the new machine (use a IDE-SATA adapter dongle if you must) and copy across. If you want to take everything off the old drive, you might check to see if your new drive came with a hard drive backup application on the CD that came with it. I know that Western Digital's app used to be free to download and would work even if you didn't have a Western Digital drive, but I'm not sure if that's true of newer versions.

BlueNovember · Jan 30, 2008, 09:34 PM // 21:34

If you did not want to suffer the abysmal transfer rate of USB you could get an IDE->SATA adapter card. They're <£8 and available on eBay by the hundred.

If you have a fireware or e-sata caddy then there's not much point though.

Tarun · Jan 30, 2008, 10:30 PM // 22:30

You could try using a crossover cable which will only set you back $2 - $10.

Quaker · Jan 31, 2008, 12:04 AM // 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masseur

Can't use SATA and IDE at the same time or at least most motherboards won't allow it.

This isn't true, but I know why some people think it is. When the system starts up it checks the IDE channels for hard drives first, and then the SATA drives. If there is an IDE drive connected it will try to boot from it. This may either result in the computer trying to boot an older installation of Windows or the "No system found" message.
However, most (if not all) of the motherboards that have IDE and SATA ports will have an option in the BIOS to specify which drive to boot from. You simply set it to boot from the SATA drive. You can then install the IDE drive into the computer and just copy the files from it to the SATA.
It's even a good idea (if the IDE drive isn't too old & slow) to leave the IDE drive in the computer, format it, and only use it for windows Swap File (or Paging File). Point Windows Swap File to use the IDE drive. (Look it up in "help") That way Windows does not need to dynamically resize the Swap File and it doesn't get fragmented.
If the IDE drive is large enough, you can partition it into a Swap File part (20gigs is more than ample) and a Data part to store backups or whatever.

Tachyon · Jan 31, 2008, 04:22 AM // 04:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quaker

It's even a good idea (if the IDE drive isn't too old & slow) to leave the IDE drive in the computer, format it, and only use it for windows Swap File (or Paging File). Point Windows Swap File to use the IDE drive. (Look it up in "help") That way Windows does not need to dynamically resize the Swap File and it doesn't get fragmented.
If the IDE drive is large enough, you can partition it into a Swap File part (20gigs is more than ample) and a Data part to store backups or whatever.

Quoted for it being damn good advice! It's always a good idea to locate the swap file on a different HDD than your games!