Relocating HDD to new Windows system: encryptions and more

I thought I would post here because my current desktop PC is from 2009/2010 running Windows 7.

I plan to buy a "dream" custom built PC at a local PC shop, hopefully this year if prices continue to "normalize". This will likely be my last PC ever and I'm not young or healthy anymore.

The new PC I will have a modern CPU, GPU (12GB or more), PSU, RAM (64GB), NVMe and SSD drives, plus new case fans.I want to use my existing three 3.5 inch SATA HDDs.

A few years ago, I purchased a couple SATA HDD hybrid Seagate drives and installed them, I wish to continue to use in my new build. Total HDDs in my Windows 7 PC are three 3.5 inch HDDs. Total HDD storage is more than 6TB.I will be having the PC shop utilize my awesome tower case but upgrade the PSU and case fans.

It think it would be a waste to get rid of the case since new cases these days don't have much 3.5 inch HDD bays. Although my DVD ROM drive is flaky at best,

I'm undecided if I will buy a DVR drive which isn't use much these days, but I still burn CDs to be used in my 2005 vehicle and occasionally access archival info (via my W7 laptop which still runs and has a working DVD drive). I have hundreds of CDs lying around.

One of the regrets (due to cost) is my Coolermaster case didn't have hot swappable drive bays. Instead, it's quasi-hot swappable where I have to mount and secure the HDD to HDD adapter and then slide it in the HDD bay.

As I don't trust the PC shop not to snoop around and look at my existing HDDS I want to do something about that.My dilemma is that some of the HDD threads are kind of stripped in my case and I used lock-tight type adhesive to secure them to the HD rails. I really don't want to remove them from their cages if I can help it at all.

Additionally, I believe Windows 7 may have installed some boot or MBR records on one of the three (if not more) HDDS. I have no way of knowing and I worry that my new system might become confused if I add the HDDs after Windows10 or 11 is installed.

Another consideration is to find out if my D and E drives have a MBR record and remove them. I'm assuming a MBR is on C drive.

Would new motherboards even be able to support this many SATA devices?

Has anyone run into this scenario before?

Any suggestions?

SIW2 said:

Most motherboards have 6 sata ports , but you need to check whichever mobo you are thinking of to make sure.
which coolermaster case have you got?

I use these which go in the 5.25 front bays of the pc case. Hot swappable and save a lot of effort.
Dual Bay 3.5" + 2.5" Inch SATA III Hard Drive HDD & SSD
you might find them cheaper elsewhere
https://www.aliexpress.com/i/4000010495164.html
or these:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...d=HPLjpa0Kn57i

Thanks. I wish I bought these enclosures/bays several years ago, assuming they'd be cheaper. They're almost as expensive as one HDD that I purchased a few years back. The AE version is similar to what I'm using now in CM case.

My case is Coolermaster 690.

samuria said:

The only problem is you may have to take ownership of all the files on a new pc as they will be owned by a users on 7

Actually I wish that was the situation. Not only did my personal experience prove otherwise, I did some research and there needs to be a LOT of perfect conditions that need to be met. Taking ownership using Brink's registry editor won't help to unlock the encrypted drive despite knowing the password when using the same OS, assuming you reinstalled it (which I did).