Backup drive dying. Need to transfer.


  1. Posts : 20
    Windows7 32bit
       #1

    Backup drive dying. Need to transfer.


    The internal hard disk I store my backups on is dying. It is taking and increasing long time to write to the disk.
    I want to install a new disk and initially I want to be able to transfer the old backups. I suppose I could just copy the content from the old drive but I am afraid that windows backup may not point to the new drive and I will have lost all my previous saves.
    Can Windows backup be used to move between drives and save the old backups?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #2

    I backup, but not with Windows backup.

    Are these backups of your Windows installation only? Or of data only? Or both? Or?

    My guess would be that the backups on the failing internal could simply be dragged to the new internal IF and maybe only IF they are dragged to the same place in the same folder structure on the new drive as they were on the old drive. If they are now in D:\kitty, then drag them to D:\kitty on the new drive. Make sure the new drive has the same drive letter as the old.

    Windows Backup is finicky and I seem to recall that the location of the backup is one of the things that is it finicky about--that's why I say drag them to the identical location on the new drive.

    On the other hand, can you just ignore your old backups and make new backups of your primary data drive, which I assume is working fine?

    Your failing internal could be failing in such a way that your backups are already fouled up and corrupted. If that's true, they'd still be fouled up if you dragged them to a new drive. So, given a choice, I'd just make new backups on the new internal.

    But I'm guessing maybe your failing internal backup drive contains some stuff not found anywhere else? If not, why not just start over with new backups?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 20
    Windows7 32bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thank you. I note your point that the backups my now be corrupt. Best I start again then.
      My Computer


 

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