HHD Jumper Problems & File & Settings Transfer

I am trying to help a buddy who's computer crashed unexpectedly. He doesn't have a recent backup of his data (of course). He has bought another computer and now I am trying to help him salvage his data from his old HHD (which was uneffected by the crash). He had recently added a new 500 Gb. HHD to his old computer before it crashed (the two incidents didn't have anything to do with each other) and he needs to retrieve his files and settings. I plan to use the Files and Settings Wizard to do that and I already have the Microsoft TechNet step-by-step guide printed out.

There is another problem that I have to deal with first. My plan is to install his old HHD in his new computer and try to transfer the data that way. He does have an external HHD that could be used but he does not have access to another computer. I thought about disconnecting the SATA HHD that came with the new machine and making his old PATA HHD the only drive on the machine, run the File and Settings Transfer Wizard to the external HHD then do the switcharoo back to the SATA again. I didn't think that would work because the old HHD wouldn't have the drivers necessary for the new mobo and other hardware. (I guess I could run the new computer's recovery disc on the old HHD - hadn't thought of that).

I went round and round with the BIOS until I figured out the problem with the boot sequence. The new SATA HHD is set as the boot device and, once I get all the information transfered from the old to the new then I plan to reformat the old PATA drive and use it for additional storage area.

There is only one IDE channel so the HHD and the DVD fill that one channel. For some reason the BIOS wasn't happy until I made the DVD the Master and the HHD the Slave. That wasn't how I thought it should be but that is the way the BIOS insisted on having it. My problem now is that the BIOS will recognize the two HHDs and the DVD but Windows XP only sees the new SATA HHD and the DVD. It does not even see the old PATA HHD. I think it may be a jumper problem.

Question; In reading the archives of this BBS, I noticed that some people were using the Cable Select jumper on their HHDs. I don't know how the CS jumper works or whether it is something that I should be using. I would appreciate some advice in that area.

Once I have that mess straightened out, then how do I get the File and Transfer Wizard to know that I want to transfer data from the old drive to the new? I have never used this Wizard before so I don't know how it works. The step-by-step guide tells how to start the Wizard from the old computer and it tells how to start it from a network and by direct cable but, since Windows boots from the new HHD, how can I tell the Wizard that the drive that Windows started from is not the drive that I want to gather data from?

HELP!!! I'm getting confused!

 

Thanks Pete, I was using diskmgmt.msc and it wasn't seeing the other drive. I have sinced dinked with it a little more and got Windows to see both drives by disconnecting the DVD.

I was able to use the Files & Settings Transfer Wizard to get most of his files transfered to the new disk. It seems strange to me that Microsoft wouldn't think that your contacts address book or your favorites were something worthy of transfering to your new computer. Go figure!

I will take your advice about the IDE cable hook-up and see if I can get everything back on-line.

 

Good article about cable select here.

 

Thanks Surferdude2, that article was very informative. Now I have some idea as to what the Cable Select is and how to tell the difference between the old 40 pin and the new 80 pin cables.

 

If I may, let's call them 40-conductor and 80-conductor or even 40-wire and 80-wire but not 40-pin and 80-pin since they all have what are known as 40-pin connectors.

Also don't miss the point that there are two different kinds of 40-conductor cables, the original and the cable select one which is known as a "Y-shaped" cable.

 

You're right - my bad. It was a slip of the tongue...or pin...or keys... or-well, you know what I mean.

I didn't say anything about the other cables just for brevity's sake but, yes, I learned about them also.

Thanks again for pointing me toward that article.

 

You're welcome. I wasn't scolding - just wanted to make sure you were getting the full measure of it.

All the best,

Dude