To protect vital files, you can move files to different devices. If there are numerous files you want to move, copying files is a tedious and time-consuming action. MiniTool Solutions shows you three methods to move files to external hard drives without copying and introduces a powerful tool to avoid data loss.
Copy and paste should be the most common method for people to move files. But this method probably creates duplicate files to the destination drive. Here are three methods for you to move files to external hard drives without copying.
Way 1: Transfer Files to a Hard Drive with MiniTool ShadowMaker
MiniTool ShadowMaker is reliable backup software for you to back up files, folders, disks, and partitions. You can run this software to perform three different backup types, including full backups, incremental backups, and differential backups. The latter two backup types can effectively avoid duplicate files in your backups. Additionally, if you often create folders, you can set the backup cycle to perform periodic backups automatically.
Now, you can download and install MiniTool ShadowMaker Trial by clicking the download button below. The trial edition provides you with a 30-day free trial in which you can experience the backup features and try to move files to external hard drives without copying.
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Step 1: Connect an external hard drive to the computer, then launch the software and change to the Backup tab on the left pane.
Step 2: You can choose the files you want to move.
- Click SOURCE to choose what you want to move and click OK to return the main interface.
- Click DESTINATION to choose the target external hard drive as the destination and click OK.
Step 3: Click Back Up Now to copy files to the external hard drive. You can choose Back Up Later from the dropdown menu and go to the Manage section to set the backup process.
Way 2: Move Files to a Hard Drive Using File History
If you don’t want to try third-party software, Windows embedded utilities can help you as well. File History is a way to back up files to an external device. But this feature can only back up files in Windows Library, encompassing Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, OneDrive, and more. Here are steps to transfer files to a hard drive instead of copying.
Step 1: Connect an external hard drive, type Control Panel into the Windows Search bar, and hit Enter to open it.
Step 2: Choose System and Security > File History.
Step 3: Click Select drive on the left pane to choose the external hard drive to which you want to move files. You can choose Exclude folders to avoid saving the copy and select Advanced settings to set the backup period.
Way 3: Move Files to a Hard Drive via Backup and Restore
Another Windows built-in tool to help you move files to external hard drives is Backup and Restore. This utility can help you perform a full backup. You can use this tool with the following steps.
Step 1: Connect an external hard drive to your computer.
Step 2: Open the Control Panel and navigate to System and Security > Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
Step 3: If you haven’t used the Backup and Restore feature before, click Set up backup to choose the target drive. If you already configured the backup settings before, you can choose Change settings to choose the target drive. Click Next.
Step 4: Opt Let me choose and click Next.
Step 5: Choose the data you want to back up to the external hard drive and click Next to start the process.
Recover Files Lost During Moving with MiniTool Power Data Recovery
MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a robust tool to recover files in various situations. You’d better check files after the moving process. If there are any files lost, you should recover them as soon as possible to avoid data overwriting, leading to data unrecoverable.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery supports you to restore types of files from different data storage devices within a few steps. Furthermore, it contains many feasible features that can help you quickly locate wanted files among thousands of files and preview files before saving them.
If needed, you can try MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free to scan and recover 1GB of files without any charge.
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Bottom Line
You should know how to move files without copying after reading this post. MiniTool Solutions develops plenty of helpful tools to safeguard your data and manage files, like MiniTool Power Data Recovery and MiniTool ShadowMaker. These tools simplify the process of moving files to external hard drives without copying.
Hope you can get useful information from this post.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Andrea graduated in English and has a keen interest in the IT industry and questions that arise when computers are used. She is passionate about new things and challenging things and has a wide range of interests like playing guitar, gaming, and crafting.