Old hard drive as new backup storage?

Question

I have an old 40 gig hard drive that I'm taking out of an otherwise useless computer. Do I need to reformat if I want to use it for back up storage, as an external device on my new computer? Any other suggestions?

Answer 1

If you are using it as an external drive, than no, you do not need to format it, just delete the old info you don't want... Your Idea is good, that is definatle what you should do

Answer 2

First of all there are internal and external hard drives.
Sounds to me as if this hard drive was a internal drive.
I would recommend using Maxtors Powermax 4.09 and rewriting the drive with zeros.
Before doing this it would be advisable to run the diagnostic utilities to ensure the drive is error free. No bad cluster so to speak.
Using the fdisk tool create a partition using all disk space available. Then format using at the a:\format C: /s
I would install this 40 gig hard drive internally as a slave drive.
You will have to make the correct jumper selections on the current drive and the 40 gig drive for this to work. This will allow for additional storage.
If you are just wanting to create a back up of the current disk just create a imagine of the current disk and install it on the 40 gig.

Answer 3

You don't need to reformat. If it had Windows installed on the old one, just change the Windows directory to another name (i.e. Windows to Windowsold or some are WINNT to WINNTOLD). Make sure to change the BIOS to recognize the second drive when you start the computer for the first time after inserting the old drive. I have seen Windows 2000 computers that somehow think that the two drives are one and it only creates one pagefile.sys file for both the drives!

Answer 4

That's what I did with my old 80GB hard drive. I use it as a backup for the critical data on my newer 250GB hard drive. You can use a scheduled backup program to do this on a weekly basis automatically during the night. I would only backup your personal and important data, though, such as the My Documents folder and anything else you value that can't be replaced. If there is nothing you need to salvage off the old drive, yes, it is best to run a full format on it first before reusing it. That should determine if there are any disk sector problems as well.

Answer 5

Make a catalogue of experts for each. maximum experts win. LOL. DVD burner is remarkable you may take each thing you do off your pc and burn it to disk and save it threat-free. inspite of the undeniable fact that, DVD's are not loose so this may upload up by skill of the years. on the different hand, an exterior not person-friendly force is likewise tremendous. Its plenty speedier than burning a DVD its only a replica from C: to exterior HD executed! Its also competently there. merely unplug from USB and it sits and waits till you opt to operate or view or replace any records on it then plug it into USB and there you bypass. you may purchase wide or small sized externals with as a lot area as you desire. both are transportable,(no longer the dvd burner for sure inspite of the undeniable fact that the actually dvd) to take with you once you go away the abode, yet more effective common to carry a touch tiny 80 gig exterior harddisk, That 30 DVD's. i do not frequently burn a lot on DVDs, too stressful to rework videos and such. I do inspite of the undeniable fact that use my exterior not person-friendly drives for storage. retains my gadget operating quick with an rather good type of available gigs and my information,videos, song and such all safetly and intensely truthfully available.. merely plug it in. good luck - wish it helps a touch..

Answer 6

*IF* there are no files you want on your old C: drive just right click on the drive (now D:) and select Format and you'll have (about) 40gig of free space

Answer 7

yes just hook up to new system and ask windows to format it for you from my computer

Answer 8

Yes, you need to reformat!!!!