[SOLVED] Laptop Data Transfer

hhnq04 · 08-05-2009, 12:43 PM

I'm attempting to transfer data from my laptop harddrive onto a new, internal hard drive.

I have purchased a USB to IDE adapater kit (with the power adapter). When I connect everything, I can hear and feel the harddrive turn on, but it is not recognized.

Do I need to have jumpers in place making this a slave drive even when connecting like this? (I would test it out and try, but I don't have any and would rather not deal with customer service to get them if I don't have to.) Do I need any software to transfer the data or can I just drag / drop everything?

**simpswr** · 08-05-2009, 12:51 PM

No jumpers needed for the laptop drive . . you might try another usb port . . sometomes it can take a few minutes for the drive to be recognized.

**raptor_pa** · 08-05-2009, 12:51 PM

It depends, if you want to transfer the operating system so the new drive will boot, hen yes you need software to clone the drive ( ghost, driveimagexml etc ) If this is a new drive, then you need to set it up. Drives are shipped with no filesystem in place since the drive manufacturer doesn't know what OS/filesystem will be used by the purchaser. Go to disk management, it should show as physical Disk1 Right click on the gray protion at the bottom where it says disk1 and select initialize. Then right click on the partition bar to the right and select crate new partition, use all the space and format it. default for XP/Vista should be NTFS - use that, now the drive will show in my computer.

hhnq04 · 08-05-2009, 10:46 PM

Thanks for the replies, got it working now.

**raptor_pa** · 08-05-2009, 11:44 PM

What was the issue, so if someone searches for a similar problem they know the resolution....

hhnq04 · 08-06-2009, 12:09 AM

Drive needed initialization to show up. Followed by formatting, etc. Now working on deciding if I want to use an image or try and start from scratch. Probably go the image route.

08-05-2009, 12:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
hhnq04 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 25 OS: XP SP2	[SOLVED] Laptop Data Transfer I'm attempting to transfer data from my laptop harddrive onto a new, internal hard drive. I have purchased a USB to IDE adapater kit (with the power adapter). When I connect everything, I can hear and feel the harddrive turn on, but it is not recognized. Do I need to have jumpers in place making this a slave drive even when connecting like this? (I would test it out and try, but I don't have any and would rather not deal with customer service to get them if I don't have to.) Do I need any software to transfer the data or can I just drag / drop everything?

08-05-2009, 12:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
simpswr Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 12,269 OS: XP, Vista, Win 7	Re: Laptop Data Transfer No jumpers needed for the laptop drive . . you might try another usb port . . sometomes it can take a few minutes for the drive to be recognized. __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Virus/Trojan/Spyware Help How to post a Screen Shot \| PC running slow?

08-05-2009, 12:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,863 OS: XP	Re: Laptop Data Transfer It depends, if you want to transfer the operating system so the new drive will boot, hen yes you need software to clone the drive ( ghost, driveimagexml etc ) If this is a new drive, then you need to set it up. Drives are shipped with no filesystem in place since the drive manufacturer doesn't know what OS/filesystem will be used by the purchaser. Go to disk management, it should show as physical Disk1 Right click on the gray protion at the bottom where it says disk1 and select initialize. Then right click on the partition bar to the right and select crate new partition, use all the space and format it. default for XP/Vista should be NTFS - use that, now the drive will show in my computer. __________________

08-05-2009, 10:46 PM	#4 (permalink)
hhnq04 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 25 OS: XP SP2	Re: Laptop Data Transfer Thanks for the replies, got it working now.

08-05-2009, 11:44 PM	#5 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,863 OS: XP	Re: Laptop Data Transfer What was the issue, so if someone searches for a similar problem they know the resolution.... __________________

08-06-2009, 12:09 AM	#6 (permalink)
hhnq04 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 25 OS: XP SP2	Re: Laptop Data Transfer Drive needed initialization to show up. Followed by formatting, etc. Now working on deciding if I want to use an image or try and start from scratch. Probably go the image route.