To transfer files on a C drive to a 1 year laptop where my 1 TB hard drive is D, just copy to D?

[grandaddygrumpy]

My newer computer is the discontinued HP 17by3065st 173 Notebook Intel i5 8GB Memory 128GB SSD 1TB Hard Drive ( Product Number 9VV70UA#ABA). Just making sure it's OK to copy my old files from their current C drive (old laptop) to the new laptop's 1 TB D drive. and not the new computer's C drive, which doesn't have near the storage capacity I need for all of my files.  Thanks.

[CharlieItuah1]

Hi, @grandaddygrumpy

I will need more information about this.

1. Why are you trying to copy the files from the "C Drive" of your old laptop to the "D Drive" of the new laptop? The new laptop's "D Drive" should already carry the Windows Files that you need to properly operate Windows although most laptop's "C Drive" contains the Windows Operating System's files and besides the "C Drive" of the new laptop might just be the recovery drive and not the Windows Operating system files.

2. What is the product name of your old laptop?

[grandaddygrumpy]

Thanks for replying.  I have used 200 GB out of 440 GB on my old C drive, and only  have 45 GB of unused space out of 118 GB total on my new laptop's C drive. The D drive on my old laptop is called the Recovery file and is a total of 14.9 GB. My new laptop D drive is 1 TB, and it is called the Data drive.  This is why I was asking if I should used the new D drive for my files storage rather than the new C drive. 

My old laptop is an HP Pavillion g7 Notebook PC with Windows 7.

[grandaddygrumpy]

Charlie, to further clarify , the new D drive is named Data only (not Recovery like the old one), and has NTFS file system.  It is using 131 MB and I have available 931 GB. The new C drive does have Windows on it.

[CharlieItuah1 · Accepted solution]

Hi @grandaddygrumpy your laptop has two storage drives it seems based on what you said, and since the "D Drive" is the data drive then that is where most of your files like data and documents can be stored. 

Sometimes, system manufacturers such as HP and ASUS include Recovery partitions on the  "D drive" as well. You can store your files on the D drive if the C is full of data.

You can also store your essential files here or as a recovery option. But ensure that you do not store the files in the partition where you have your windows installed which in this case is your "C Drive".

[grandaddygrumpy]

Thanks for the help, Charlie.  Appreciate it.  I will create a folder on D drive called "My Docs" (just like the old laptop), and transfer everything into that primary folder.

[CharlieItuah1]

No problem. You are welcome.

[pbroussard]

In your situation, a helpful tip is including different folders for your Documents, Pictures, Downloads etc. Libraries. Pretty easy to do, have a look at this- https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-libraries-windows-10#add_location_library_windows10 

[grandaddygrumpy]

Thanks, that will be helpful too.  Just glanced at it and no way I can wrap my head around that this late in the day (EST).  I'll need to attack that first thing in the morning with coffee while nothing else is in my head, and before the transfer.  Appreciate it.

[pbroussard]

Okay. Basically you will be telling Windows the location of your Libraries folders (docs, pics, downloads etc.) That way any browser, picture editor anything that uses the default  libraries to save to will just go to your D drive, keeping all your saved data there instead of filling up your ssd. Just use the ssd for Windows and a few of your most used apps.