How do I 'use' my new second hard-drive?

[Jorolat]

Hiya,

I've just installed a second hard-drive into my xp machine which has been designated device "F"; I've formatted it and Windows reports it as being 'healthy/working properly'.

I've never had a computer with two disk drives before, so I don't know how to transfer files from my original HDD to the new one. I sort of expected windows to provide options on the right-click menu - for example, there's an option on the R menu to send stuff to the floppy or CD-RW (device D) but no sign of anything for my new go-faster HDD.

Obviously, I haven't much of a clue about what I'm doing (and I've tried googling) so any help/advice would be very much appreciated

John Latter / Jorolat

Images of Dover

[joe43wv]

What exactly are you wanting to place on your new drive, documents, apps. or both? If you wanting to run apps. on there then you'll need to reinstall them and point them to your new drive, if you want to place just documents and pictures, stuff like that then all you need to do is cut and paste your files over.

[Jorolat]

What exactly are you wanting to place on your new drive, documents, apps. or both? If you wanting to run apps. on there then you'll need to reinstall them and point them to your new drive, if you want to place just documents and pictures, stuff like that then all you need to do is cut and paste your files over.

Thanks for replying, Joe.

To a large extent, I was waiting to see what options Windows would provide before deciding exactly how to use the second drive. Having said that, I guess the main purpose is to use it as a back-up facility.

Cut & Paste will work, of course, but I'm surprised I can't send stuff direct to the 2nd HDD by right-clicking on a file and choosing "Send To" - after all, I can send stuff to the CD-RW this way.

Using Cut & Paste does seem rather primitive.

I hadn't thought of installing apps on the 2nd HDD, I wonder how Windows is going to allow me the option of 'pointing' to the 2nd HDD if I can't send a text file there?

John Latter / Jorolat

Images of Dover

[joe43wv]

John,

AS far as the "Send To" feature, there's a way of setting that up to add your new drive as an option but I can't remember how to do that, it's been soo long since I've done it, and as far as sending apps. that way when you install an app. and it asks you where do you want to install it to, that's when you point it to your new drive, although SOME apps. won't give you that feature and install to Windows directly. If I happen to run across on how to add your new drive to the "Send To" folder I'll let you know.

[TheFlash428]

What exactly are you wanting to place on your new drive, documents, apps. or both? If you wanting to run apps. on there then you'll need to reinstall them and point them to your new drive, if you want to place just documents and pictures, stuff like that then all you need to do is cut and paste your files over.

Thanks for replying, Joe.

To a large extent, I was waiting to see what options Windows would provide before deciding exactly how to use the second drive. Having said that, I guess the main purpose is to use it as a back-up facility.

Cut & Paste will work, of course, but I'm surprised I can't send stuff direct to the 2nd HDD by right-clicking on a file and choosing "Send To" - after all, I can send stuff to the CD-RW this way.

Using Cut & Paste does seem rather primitive.

I hadn't thought of installing apps on the 2nd HDD, I wonder how Windows is going to allow me the option of 'pointing' to the 2nd HDD if I can't send a text file there?

John Latter / Jorolat

Images of Dover

Basically, the second hard drive is simply added as an extra storage device for you to use. I'm not why there is no "Send to..." option, but that really just a shortcut to copying files anyway.

If you want to use it as a backup, you can also scedule backups of your system drive to the new hard drive that will automate the process for you. There is software available that can do this, or just use the builtin Backup software included with XP. (Start --> All Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools --> Backup).

[spacesurfer]

If you want to add the drive to "SendTo", then in run, type "%userprofile%\SendTo" (including quotes). Then right click in that folder and choose to create a new shortcut. Then type in F:\ for your location of the new item. That's it. Now it should show up.

Also, you cannot copy your existing installed apps there. But you can install new apps to your new drive. when you are given the option to choose the location of the new app, you simply choose your F:\ drive.

Any time you are asked to save a document or download a file, you simply choose your new F:\ drive and save it there.

I would, however, create folders in the new F:\ drive to organize it better; like F:\documents for documents; f:\applications for software, etc.

[Jorolat]

Thanks for the help & advice, everyone

I've managed to add the 2nd HDD to the "Send To" folder and will create folders on the new HDD to make things easier to manage.

For some reason I don't have a "Back Up" option under System Tools, so I'll have a look for some freebie equivalents.

I did find a new shortcut in the Accessories/System Tools menu called "Remote Desktop Connection" which is only 3 days old. I've deleted it cos I've been having cpu usage problems for the last few days (when I first start up).

Probably the wrong thing to do...

John Latter / Jorolat

Images of Dover

[spacesurfer]

you cpu problem was not due to the shortcut. deleting shortcuts does not delete the actual program. you can recreate the shortcut if you need to. remote desktop connection (RDC) is used to access a remote control - like remote control another computer - that's all.

do you have xp home or xp professional. i'm not 100% certain but xp home may not have the backup utility.

[Jorolat]

you cpu problem was not due to the shortcut. deleting shortcuts does not delete the actual program. you can recreate the shortcut if you need to. remote desktop connection (RDC) is used to access a remote control - like remote control another computer - that's all.

do you have xp home or xp professional. i'm not 100% certain but xp home may not have the backup utility.

I've restored the shortcut - I didn't really think it would solve my cpu usage problem, but sometimes I get tired of not knowing what to do.

Do you know if having the shortcut (or the program it points to) will enable a remote computer to access mine? As I say, the shortcut is only 3 days old - hmm, perhaps it's part of SP3 which I recently downloaded. And yes, I've got XP Home.

Thanks again,

John Latter / Jorolat

[spacesurfer]

merely having the shortcut will not allows others into your pc. that shortcut will allow you to connect to another computer.

you can disable others (or even yourself) from connecting to your computer by right clicking on my computer --> properties --> remote tab --> uncheck both remote assistance and remote desktop.

and i do believe home does not have the backup utility.

[spacesurfer]

merely having the shortcut will not allows others into your pc. that shortcut will allow you to connect to another computer.

you can disable others (or even yourself) from connecting to your computer by right clicking on my computer --> properties --> remote tab --> uncheck both remote assistance and remote desktop.

and i do believe home does not have the backup utility.

[Jorolat]

merely having the shortcut will not allows others into your pc. that shortcut will allow you to connect to another computer.

you can disable others (or even yourself) from connecting to your computer by right clicking on my computer --> properties --> remote tab --> uncheck both remote assistance and remote desktop.

and i do believe home does not have the backup utility.

Thanks once again for the info, Spacesurfer, you've been very helpful

John Latter / Jorolat

Images of Dover

[JedMeister]

XP home has the basic backup utility on the CD but doesn't install it by default. To install it you'll need your CD and then follow the steps mentioned on this page: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;en-us;q302894

Once installed you can just use NTBackup itself, or you can use a nifty front-end for it called Extended Windows Backup (have a look here: http://www.softswift.com/prod-windows-back...e-ntbackup.htm). Its free and it makes NTBackup a much more user friendly and useful backup tool.

Unless you are running out of space using it just for backups is a great idea.

Something else you can do with an extra hard-drive which may give you a small performance increase (and give you a bit of extra space on your main drive) is move your pagefile (also called virtual memory or swapfile) onto it. Right click My Computer > Properties > Advanced Tab > Click "Settings" button under Performance (top button) > Advanced Tab > Change Button (at the bottom under Virtual Memory). Click on your new drive and I would suggest selecting "Custom size". In the both boxes (Initial size AND Maximum size) type the figure that appears just below - next to recommended size (this number should be roughly 1.5 x the RAM in your PC). If you want you can add an extra bit but its not really necessary. Now go back up to the top frame and select your original drive (probably C:), select "No paging file".

Click on the "Set" button and it will suggest restart. Just wait right there because I've got one other idea for your new drive.

To free up more space on your original drive you can set your temporary files to be saved onto the new drive too. Again you may get a tiny performance increase from this too, although its probably negligible because it'll still be sharing with your pagefile - anyway. Click the OK button (on the Virtual Memory window - where you just changed your pagefile), and again on the Performance window. This should take you back to the System Properties window, with it still on the Advanced Tab. Now click the Environment Variables button. In the top frame (User variables for ....), click on TEMP, then click the Edit button (or just double click on TEMP). In the box that pops up it should say something like

%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temp

Change it to something like

F:\Temp

(or any other name that takes your fancy), then follow these same steps for TMP, and again for TEMP and TMP in the bottom frame (System variables).

Now you can restart!

Just to make it nice and tidy, after restart navigate to your new temp folder and hide it (Right click the folder > Properties > Tick the "Hidden" box > Click OK. I would strongly suggest a defrag of your primary hard drive after these operations.

Good luck

[Jorolat]

Thanks very much, indeed, JedMeister

I'm only online for a few minutes to check emails and probably won't be able to do it until Sunday. It sounds straightforward enough, so hopefully everything will go smoothly.

My XP OS came pre-installed on the hard-drive and doesn't show any back-up program. I do have a program called macrium Reflect, though, and I've used this to back-up my C HDD

John Latter / Jorolat

Images of Dover

[JedMeister]

No worries.

Hopefully it all goes smoothly for you. There's no reason why you can't save this web page, and the MS one, so them you can do all this stuff offline. In IE click on File > Save As. In Firefox File > Save Page As...

Goodluck with it all.