Waste not: one chance (and only one) to migrate 20GB HDD data to 120GB HDD

Microsoft does realize that there are existing Xbox 360 owners who may want to trade up to the Xbox 360 Elite – and the only thing really getting in their way is their gaming legacy squared away in their 20GB HDDs. They tell Kotaku that they will offer a free hard drive transfer kit “through (Microsoft’s) site or customer service.”

But when they say “data migration” they mean it: cross the border and you ain’t going back (without some major issues). You see (and we quote Kotaku)…

If you do plan to do the transfer keep in mind that:

• Content can only be moved from the smaller drive to the larger one.
• You can only do the transfer once.
• Any content currently on the larger hard drive will be erased during the transfer
• You have to re-download Arcade games and other Live purchases
• The 20GB hard drive will be erased during the transfer
• Once you load purchased Live games and TV shows you will have to be connected to watch them.
• Movie rentals will not transfer, so watch them first.
• Depending on the amount of data the transfer can take up to an hour

Which is why the data from two 20GB HDD can’t be fed to the 120GB HDD. On the other hand, we wouldn’t be surprised if the dissatisfied turn to TheSpecialist and *ahem* “another” file transfer solution (once they get one working for the Elite).

(Based on the instructions Kotaku provides, which require you to connect the 20GB HDD to the Elite first… if you’re trading in your old Xbox 360 you may either want to keep the 20GB HDD or do the migration thingy in-store before you fork it over for cash. Insist if you have to.)

Microsoft does realize that there are existing Xbox 360 owners who may want to trade up to the Xbox 360 Elite – and the only thing really getting in their way is their gaming legacy squared away in their 20GB HDDs. They tell Kotaku that they will offer a free hard drive transfer kit “through (Microsoft’s) site or customer service.”

But when they say “data migration” they mean it: cross the border and you ain’t going back (without some major issues). You see (and we quote Kotaku)…

If you do plan to do the transfer keep in mind that:

• Content can only be moved from the smaller drive to the larger one.
• You can only do the transfer once.
• Any content currently on the larger hard drive will be erased during the transfer
• You have to re-download Arcade games and other Live purchases
• The 20GB hard drive will be erased during the transfer
• Once you load purchased Live games and TV shows you will have to be connected to watch them.
• Movie rentals will not transfer, so watch them first.
• Depending on the amount of data the transfer can take up to an hour

Which is why the data from two 20GB HDD can’t be fed to the 120GB HDD. On the other hand, we wouldn’t be surprised if the dissatisfied turn to TheSpecialist and *ahem* “another” file transfer solution (once they get one working for the Elite).

(Based on the instructions Kotaku provides, which require you to connect the 20GB HDD to the Elite first… if you’re trading in your old Xbox 360 you may either want to keep the 20GB HDD or do the migration thingy in-store before you fork it over for cash. Insist if you have to.)