One option is to buy commercial software. (US$70) does an admirable job of backing up files, and it has a cloning feature that lets you create a one-to-one replica of your primary drive. After creating this clone (outside the Windows environment), you can pull out your old drive, slap in your new drive, and get right back to work.

You can use a free application called to perform the same task as Ghost. It lets you create an archive of your entire hard drive in two simple files: an XML file containing the backup information, and a DAT file representing a compressed copy of all your files. You can extract this archive on a new hard drive by booting off a Live CD with DriveImage XML preinstalled.

Set Up the New Drive as the Secondary

If you're content with your primary hard drive's size and speed, and you just want the new drive to supplement your existing storage setup, the job is easier. After installing your hard drive, use a program like the free to transfer files. This Windows Explorer replacement has tabbed windows, bookmarking, and session-saving in its file management window. You can easily switch between different file directories without having to lots of Explorer windows at once. A powerful filtering tool enables you to drill down and view the exact file types that you want to work with.

Once you have set up your folders on your new drive-Documents, Downloads, Videos, and so on-find the original location of these user folders on your XP or Vista drive, right-click, and select the properties option. In XP, you'll be looking for the Target tab; in Vista, it's the Location tab. Click this and look for the box that details where the folder currently resides on your primary Windows partition. Enter the location of where the new folder is on your new hard drive, and click OK. As easy as that, you have established the new hard drive as the primary location for Windows' default folders.