Replacing existing 1 TB data drive with 2 TB for use as the data [D] drive

[mycaddisfly]

New purchase, I am a photographer so have 30 - 40000 images stored and processed.

[banhien]

Hi,

No, you can't replace the existing 1TB with a 2TB HDD and use to store data only. With OS and applications installed, your 1TB now should have x amount of space for data. You can do the following way

(a) Clone existing 1TB to 2TB HDD.

(b) Replace 1TB with new 2TB above.

Now you have x amount + 1TB for data on your machine. Please try to avoid D:, why not use from F: to Y:

Regards.

[mycaddisfly]

I am some what computer literate ...how do I clone the existing [D} drive?

[mdklassen]

Your computer: http://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/hp-envy-desktop---750-565se

has external I/O ports: two USB 3.0, and two 2 USB 2.0.

So, if you were to purchase a 2TB "external" disk-drive, with the much-faster USB 3.0 interface, and connect it to one of your faster USB 3.0 ports, you would "add" 2TB of storage to your system.

You should "migrate" your older images from the "internal" disk-drive to the new "external" disk-drive.

Since you are a "professional", you need to have a good "business-continuation-plan", i.e., purchase TWO external disk-drives, and connect each of them to one of your USB 3.0 ports, and (weekly???) copy "everything" from the first external disk-drive to the second disk-drive. This way, when one disk-drive fails, you still have a copy of all your images.

The cost of buying two disk-drives is part of the cost of running your business.

[mdklassen]

> Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

> New purchase

If your computer really is brand-new, i.e., you have not loaded ANY of your personal files onto it, as of yet, here's the plan:

1. Connect to the Internet, so that Windows 10 will "activate" over the Internet.

2. From: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

     download the latest (March 2017 Creators Update) release of Windows 10, and follow the instructions on this web-page to make a "bootable" device, e.g., one 8GB USB memory-stick.

3. Shutdown your computer. Remove the battery (if it is a laptop). Disconnect the AC power.

4. Physically remove the 1TB disk-drive.

5. Buy a brand-new 2TB disk-drive.

6. Physically connect the new disk-drive, and reconnect the  battery & AC power.

7. Using that media that you created, boot from that media, to reinstall Windows 10.

Since your computer was running Windows 10 (if only briefly), you have been granted a "digital entitlement" to reinstall Windows 10, at no cost to you, at any time.

8. Run Windows Update.

Done.

[mycaddisfly]

I am apologetic for taking so long to make up my mind about what / how to proceed. So far I think I understand that I can not replace [D} with another drive, and have it function as the data drive. Right? I do not want to screw up this computer, as I like the way the windows has its own location separate from data. I am inclined to forget the internal and get a 2 tb external drive. The computer will recognize it and I can use it to process o the same as an internal? make sense?

[mdklassen]

> I understand that I can not replace [D} with another drive, and have it function as the data drive. Right?

It is probable that your computer has exactly one physical disk-drive, and that the disk-drive is "partitioned", such that the "logical" view is 'C:' for Windows, and 'D:' being available for the "non-Windows" files.

So, if you remove the disk-drive, you remove both 'C:' and 'D:'.

> I do not want to screw up this computer, as I like the way the windows has its own location separate from data.

I think that it is one disk-drive.  If it "fails", both partitions will be inaccessible.  Ouch!

> I am inclined to forget the internal and get a 2 tb external drive.

> The computer will recognize it and I can use it to process the same as an internal?

Yes, Windows will add another drive-letter, probably 'F:', since 'E:' probably is your CD/DVD drive.

Just remember to "save" your files to 'F:'.

I still recommend that you purchase two external disk-drives.

Make sure that they are 'USB 3.0' devices, and that you connect them to 'USB 3.0' sockets on your PC, to get the best input/output speeds.

When you connect this additional device, Windows will assign 'G:' to it.

Once a week, copy everything from 'F:' to 'G:'.

So, if the 'F:' device fails, then all your "business" files will still be available on 'G:'.

[mycaddisfly]

Thank you very much, Your response has helped me understand.

: smiley very-happy:

[mdklassen · Accepted solution]

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