Transferring files and setting to new drive

Hey y'all!
I have tried to research this on my own, and I can't find what I'm looking for unless I want to PAY MICROSOFT??!! to answer a question. Are they, like, KIDDING??

Anyway, I'm on Windows XP Home. I want to transfer all my files and settings for multiple users over to a removable hard drive, then make that drive my new C drive, and take out the old C drive and wipe it, because, thanks to a Microsoft download I didn't even want (I have TURNED OFF auto downloads now) they screwed up my system. I tried using the transfer wizard, but it only shows me stuff for whatever account I'm logged into, and there doesn't seem to be a way to get into the files for all the other users at the same time. Basically, I just want to transfer over all the common programs and operating system stuff once (of course), and then shoot over everybody's individual desktop settings, files, etc.

Has anybody ever done this before, and how did you do it?

Thanks for any help!

 

Thanks for the reply! So what does this settings and file transfer wizard thing do, then? It says you're supposed to be able to transfer all your stuff from your "old" computer to a new one without having to redo all the stuff to the way you like it. I was just hoping to try to avoid having to do hours of XP updates and reload all the wonderful free stuff I got from Majorgeeks! Would I be able (I have the disks) to load the Windows XP OS to the new hard drive when it's still removable and then just put it in as the C drive?

Thanks for your help.

p.s. I have tried to repair my current C drive, and I just can't. I took it into my friends (pro comp guys) and they were able to rescue most of my data files and bring them over to the new partition I had to make, but none of the programs (.exe) would work. Even they couldn't figure out what the heck happened there, although they did get back most of my data files and even some of my desktop stuff.

 

Hi again!
Okay, so let me take this from the top. My 500 gig hard drive in this computer got screwed up. I partitioned it, used my windows disks to load on the os, and got a lot of my files onto the new partition. I have a removable 160 gig hard drive. I want to make that drive my new C:, wipe the 500 gig so I (hopefully) get it clean and useable, because I want to then make IT my removable drive, to use just to store files on, and the 160 will have my os and working progs, internet access, etc. Can I clone my new working partition (only, not the screwed up original one) onto the 160, or would it be possible (and easier) to reload my os and progs onto the 160 while it's still my D: drive, then take it out and put it in as the C: drive? I've never experiemented with this stuff before, and I don't want to mess up my poor computer even more!

Thanks for any advice!

 

Hi there!
Yes, the partition is bootable. It's the only thing letting the computer work, actually. The original section is totally inaccessable, which is why I had to create the new partition, or have no computer. Good thing it's such a big drive. I don't think I have anywhere near 160 gigs on the working partition. Is there a lovely How to Clone A Drive article here at MG? I have searched, but I couldn't find anything.

Thanks for your help!:wave

 

I have been trying to do the same thing for the last 5 hours or more. Only difference is that I had a 40 GB boot drive C: and a secondary/slave drive installed that had 80 GB. The owner of the computer is a novice and just kept putting things on C: till it was down to 4 GB or 10% available. I cleaned and cleaned to make enough space to at least do a defrag. I got it up to 6 GB.

Not sure yours is the same situation since it is an external drive but suspect it has to be close.

Based on the recommendations I found was to clone the current C: 40 GB drive to the slave D: 80GB drive. Clone seemed to work with no errors. I did the physical swap of D: to C: position and C: to D: Booted OK so I closed down and disconnected the D: 40GB disk and tried to reboot without success. My thought was that proved the clone was not good and the C: 80GB drive was not doing the boot. I went though several things to make sure that the BIOS was set and recognized both drives, boot 80GB and slave 40GB. I have both drives recognized correctly in MS Explorer and Disk Maintenance. I did have to download a partition manager to increase the size of the C: partition because the clone did just that, made the partition the same size as the original C: 40GB. I saw in a dialog box that windows was loading the original Administrator personal settings and it said it was getting it from drive D: so I deleted that Administrator after creating a new one for troubleshooting thinking that that may have been the reason the D: 40GB drive was causing Win XP Home to barf on start up. That didn't do it! Still must have both drives installed to work at all.

Not sure where to go now. Maybe someone wll answer your question that will be applicable to my situation. Didn't meant to highjack your string but it was so close to my situation and although I must have done something wrong along the way so I was not sucessful. Sure seems logical process but???