HDD Failed, now to move programs and games

Deanos83

Solid State Member
Messages
7
Location
United Kingdom
Hi guys,

I am starting to receive warning messages from windows that one of my HDD's is starting to fail (Something to do with reallocate sectors being bad) anyway, this is not a problem I have a new HDD on order.

The HDD that is failing only has installed games and installed steam games on it. I have a seperate HDD used for windows.

My question is will I be able to transfer my games/steamapp games from my failing HDD (E:) to my NEW HDD (Lets say G:) using copy and paste method, and then remove HDD (E:) and throw it in the bin and then rename NEW HDD (G:) to (E:), and carry on as though nothing has happened?

I know you couldn't do this if you install games on the same disk as the OS, but as I have installed the games away from the OS HDD will I just be able to trick windows into thinking it is the same HDD?

I have over 200 games, Steam and non-steam, the Steam games I'm not to bothered about as I know I can copy and paste the steamapps folder and steam will re-install or download what ever it needs to, but the others are all disc based and will need reinstalling etc.

Once again, I have no system files on the failing hard drive, I litterally just wanna pick everything up from the old and put on the new with the same path names etc.

Any thoughts

Regards
 
If your new drive are going to be a carbon copy of the old drive I don't see how it can't work.
 
YES! Exactly my thinking, in fact I could take the hard drive out copy the files using a different pc then plug the new drive back in. It will still be assigned the same drive letter and be plugged back right where the old one sat. I can't see how the pc would recognise the swap.

I could understand if I had a OS with system files etc this wouldn't be possible. But I have no system files on it whatsoever.

This is why all those years ago I had a separate hdd for OS, and when I installed games I would install to a different hdd. I also have a separate hdd for pictures and docs and one for videos plus a USB external that is used to back them up 3 times a day!

Anyway I'll give it a go Saturday and let you know the results.
 
Just use Xcopy

Install the new drive, and run this through a CMD prompt as admin and issue the following command:
Code:
xcopy e: g: /h/i/c/k/e/r/y

Remove the old drive afterwards, power back on and go to Disk Management, and change the drive letter for the new one to E:
 
By the way, is x copy part of windows 7 or will I need to download it?

Also, what does it do differently to just simply copy and paste?

Cheers
 
This is why all those years ago I had a separate hdd for OS, and when I installed games I would install to a different hdd. I also have a separate hdd for pictures and docs and one for videos plus a USB external that is used to back them up 3 times a day!

Anyway I'll give it a go Saturday and let you know the results.

I can relate to that. I partitioned my drives ever since my 386 days and kept the files separate from the OS but the disadvantage is that when the drive die everything die. At least I have my files on DVDs for backup. I don't mind reinstalling the OS.
 
Re: Xcopy & Windows
Xcopy is an old DOS utility. It's still an acceptable command in Windows 7 so there is nothing additional needed

Re: Xcopy vs. Copy+Paste
The Xcopy command, and specifically with those arguments, will grab EVERYTHING. A simple copy and paste will skip a whole bunch of certain file types (e.g. System, Locked, etc). Xcopy (with those arguments) doesn't care what it is, it's getting copied.
 
I don't think Xcopy can handle file/path larger than 256 chrs. There are plenty disk copiers that can do the job. Even the drive utility disk that comes with a new drive will have that.
 
I may try a program I found called, Macrium Reflect Free Edition.

I have also noticed that actual physical disk duplicators which don't require a pc are available, however not sure it is worth the money for this one time application.
 
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