Need Help Moving Files from C Drive to 2nd internal hard drive?

15 years ago

I have a 500GB original hard drive and also installed a 1.5TB second hard drive (which I've designated the s: drive). I installed the second hard drive primarily to house my videos - bc. they are taking over the main hard drive.

In order to move them from the C: drive to the second hard drive, I'm opening up Windows Explorer. Then I'm highlighting the files I want to move. When I right click I get the option to copy, cut or send to. But when I click send to, it does not list the second internal hard drive. It lists my external hard drive and my DVD-RW drive. Is there a way I can add this second hard drive as a destination to have files moved to?

The way I'm doing it now is surely more cumbersome than it needs to be. I'm highlighting - then dragging them over to where the S: drive is in the left hand column (in Windows Explorer - on an XP machine). Then I have to go back and delete the files from my C drive. This is actually a pain bc. I have so many video files - that I'm only doing a handful at a time - and keep going back to check that they're now in my S: drive before deleting from the C drive. I could write the name of each file I'm copying - to be sure that I'm only deleting the copied ones - but I'm sure this is harder than it needs to be.

At first I thought that highlighting and dragging to the S: drive would be moving them. But, alas, it seems to just copy it. How can I move them to the S drive in one step.

Thanks.

Lynn.

PS - when I highlight and right click the files, I also see the option of "cut" - but I don't want to assume that works the way it does in Microsoft Word - selecting those items to "cut" - and then "Pasting" them into the S: drive. I'm too afraid I'll just be cutting/deleting them, so want to check here first.

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Comments (9)

mike_kaiser_gw
15 years ago
Try holding down the shift key as your drag them. Or cut and paste (either via the Ctrl key or from the menu with a mouse)
kudzu9
15 years ago
Cut and paste should work fine. But you could always test it first with some non-essential file if you're nervous...
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bob414
15 years ago
Right click and drag and you will have the option to move when you let up on the mouse button.
mikie_gw
15 years ago
If i was moving lots of files I might make a shortcut to the destination , within the folder the files are in... then select a bunch of what I want to move, cut&paste onto the shortcut.

If lots of files/bytes, I'd probably break up the moves into a few smaller chunks.

If critical files, I would copy rather than cut .. and when satisified all is ok, delete the originals.
mikie_gw
15 years ago
if moving whole folders, i might from a cmd window do something like...
Move c:\folderName > s:\
lynnalexandra
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone. Lots of useful methods.

Mikie - it's good to know about moving entire folders (I don't have my video's in folders - yet - but am just discovering how useful that would be for shows I've recorded for a few seasons - having them altogether). I'd like to double check and ask what "a cmd window" is - and how I'd get there. Again - I have Windows XP (SP3).

Sorry to say, Mikie, but I also need more explanation for what "make a shortcut to the destination , within the folder the files are in... then select a bunch of what I want to move, cut&paste onto the shortcut" means. I know someday I'll understand all of this, but I don't know how to make a shortcut to the destination. And once I cut and paste onto the shortcut, what do I do with it?

Absolutely there are some big files - so I'm glad to told me to break it up into smaller chunks. I have so far.

Thank you.
Lynn.
mikie_gw
15 years ago
Most folders you can right click inside of them.. and then choose 'Make Shortcut'
The command line to the folder you want to send them to would read something like ...
S:\folderName ... then push Next.... it asks for shortcut name,,, might name it something like S-folderName

Then you select the file(s) you want to move, right click and select 'Cut ... right click the shortcut you made to give it focus and select paste.

You just moved the file(s) to S-folderName.

~~
If you wanted to simply copy to S-folderName ... make your shortcut in your SendTo folder. Advance Search for files and folder in your Computer or MyComputer for the name ... SendTo ... you'll find the 'SendTo' folder easily & can add shortcuts to most anything appropiate for that send to... item on your right clicks there.
bob414
15 years ago
Many ways to accomplish this but why not just select them all, right click on one of them and drag them to the new drive. Let up on the mouse button and select 'move' from the context menu? Seems like the quickest, easiest way to me.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
15 years ago
if it is video files that are large I would not try to do it all at once I would definitely do it in small batches and make sure it is transferring properly. I think what you were wanting originally was to have your S drive show up as an option in your send to list so why not just do what Mikie just suggested and add it to that list and do it a way you are comfortable with.
How to Add Items to the "Send To" Menu in Windows XP
Modify the Send To Menu
Customize the Send To List on the Context Menu in Windows

this may help you with the drag and drop then delete issue
Vista / XP: How to Move Files

Need Help Moving Files from C Drive to 2nd internal hard drive?

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Need Help Moving Files from C Drive to 2nd internal hard drive?

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