Seamlessly move Programs/Files to different phyiscal D: drive (HDD)?

[Zinthar]

Hey guys, on my Windows 8.1 desktop, for storage I'm currently running two internal drives: a 256GB SSD as the C: drive (where Windows and most of my programs are located), and a 1TB HDD as the D drive (where some games are installed, in addition to the default pictures, videos, and music folders). I just a bought a 3TB WD Black HDD to take over as the D drive, and would like to easily migrate everything over to it without screwing anything up.

Will the following work without breaking any existing game installations or file paths?

1) Install & format WD Black HDD
2) Copy and paste all files & folders from my current D to the WD Black drive
3) Restart PC and run DISKPART
4) Reassign WD Black as D and the old HDD as E:
5) Delete contents of E:
6) Profit??

Edit: Removed : after D drive because otherwise it makes this smiley: D:

 

[Elixer]

Just clone old HD to new HD. A simple copy may not get everything needed.
Once that is done, then open disk management, and swap the letters around. No need to restart, (unless it says it can't do that right now).
Or, you could just clone over, then disconnect old HD, and then the new HD would get the letter of the old HD.
Or.. Or...

WD offers free software that will do the clone on their web site.

 

[Zinthar]

Thanks, I'll grab the WD software from their site when the drive arrives and do a clone.