XPS 8950, data and program transfer

@Jim807 

You should be able to add the HD into the 8950 into one of the open drive bays. Cables might be there, power and signal. Then once in, power up and they drive and partitions should be available, but with different Drive Letters. Might need to run DEVICE MANAGEMENT to assign drive letters to the partitions.

Otherwise, there are cheap USB devices that can connect the HD to the USB port. Amazon sells many (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hard+drive+usb+adapter&sprefix=hard+drive+us%2Caps%2C103&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_13 ) and you can find one that fits your HD drive. I've used them before and they work well.

As for that drive's D:, all you need do on the 8950 is have a partition and do a direct copy to it.

As for the C:, different story. Even if it has the same Windows version, do NOT copy it over, you will probably not be able to boot. Too many files and data are h/w specific. The only thing you should copy over if PROGRAM DATA and Personal files. This can be tricky if you don't know for instance where your email is stored.

All programs will need to be installed new on the 8950 and they might pick up the data. Some, like Thunderbird may not as when it is installed a new Profile is created. You can copy the old Profile over and then alter Thunderbird to use it, or copy the old Profile folder contents to the new Profile folder.

Almost every program will have the data and connection to it differently.

It can be done, but it takes some knowledge where the data and connections to it are.

Normally, Install all the desired programs first, and then see where they have expect the data, than locate that on the old C: and copy it over.

Any data missing, if you install the back up program, it too could look at the C: back-up and get some files off of it if need be.

It can be done, I do it every time I get a new PC.. however, the old PC isn't 'dead' but on the LAN, Same process... install program, run it to create the data linkage, find out where data is expect, locate same on the network connected PC, copy data over. Run program and if not right, try again.

On C: there are some folders one can copy over, like the documents for instance.

I suggest before you start, install the back-up program and make a back-up of C:. As you install programs, after a few are migrated, make another back-up. Last thing you want to do is work on many programs and mess it up to the point you can't even boot by replacing files you shouldn't. That way you can go back a short period of time easily.