henno13
A generally unremarkable member
+230|6346|Belfast
I got a 2TB HDD for Christmas to replace the 150GB one that I'm using now (I know).

I would like to keep the programs that I currently have installed (especially my Steam games, which take up a large amount of space) rather than download and install everything again. How do I go about this, is it even possible to transfer files from one HDD to another without reinstalling them? I've got no experience in this area, so I'm seeking assistance from here. My first idea was to clone it, but are there other ways?
Beduin
Compensation of Reactive Power in the grid
+510|5747|شمال
u can always just copy/paste your steam folder onto your new hdd. no dl or installation needed <3
الشعب يريد اسقاط النظام
...show me the schematic
jaymz9350
Member
+54|6575
To keep everything cloning is the only option.  But as Beduin stated you can just copy paste your Steam folder to the new drive ans all you may have to do is verify the games, no downloading  needed.
AussieReaper
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
+5,761|6150|what

Run the steam backup option through steam itself.
https://i.imgur.com/maVpUMN.png
FFLink
There is.
+1,380|6688|Devon, England
Steam backup, I'm sure, fails horribly. So much easier just to copy the games folder.
Camm
Feeding the Cats.
+761|4965|Dundee, Scotland.

FFLink wrote:

Steam backup, I'm sure, fails horribly. So much easier just to copy the games folder.
I've never had a problem with it tbh
for a fatty you're a serious intellectual lightweight.
eusgen
Nugget
+402|6790|Jupiter

Camm wrote:

FFLink wrote:

Steam backup, I'm sure, fails horribly. So much easier just to copy the games folder.
I've never had a problem with reinstalling games tbh
Fixed.
DUnlimited
got any popo lolo intersting?
+1,160|6461|cuntshitlake

yeah copypaste the steamapps folder, then just do "verify integrity of game cache" in steam library.
main battle tank karthus medikopter 117 megamegapowershot gg
Benzin
Member
+576|5996
Cut & Paste (faster than copying).

1) Take out old drive, install new drive
2) Boot from Windows CD and install Windows. During installation, be sure to make three partitions: 1 for your OS and normally used programs (this will be the smallest), a larger partition for your games (however big you think you need it) and a partition for your media (biggest partition, you can move the shortcuts for Documents, Pictures, Videos, etc. to aim to folders you create on the largest partition. By default those shortcuts are aimed at folders created on your system drive where Windows is installed). You can also merge the two partitions if you'd prefer, but I'd definitely make sure your system partition is separate from your media and stuff. Makes reformatting in the future MUCH easier.
3) Once Windows is installed, shut down the machine, install your old drive and boot. Be sure to make sure the new 2TB drive is the first boot device in BIOS.
4) Cut and paste your Steam folder from the old drive to the new drive.
5) Enjoy.
bugz
Fission Mailed
+3,311|6309

Download TeraCopy before you do the copy/cut & pasting. Makes file transfers quite a bit quicker.

Last edited by bugz (2011-12-26 08:18:16)

jaymz9350
Member
+54|6575

Camm wrote:

FFLink wrote:

Steam backup, I'm sure, fails horribly. So much easier just to copy the games folder.
I've never had a problem with it tbh
It worked fine the one time I used it before I realized I could just copy the folder over, the problem is 150GB+ of games takes forever to backup and reinstall and copy paste is multitudes of times faster.

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