Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Kit hands-on

Here's that Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Kit that Microsoft so generously bundled with our Elite (don't expect to get one with yours, it doesn't come in the box). The documentation they sent with this thing was pretty substantial for an adapter and a CD you plug into your Xbox, but we think they want us to make sure we don't screw anything up and lose all our precious, precious data. Here's what you need to know (and some observations, to boot):

• You don't just transfer data to your 20GB drive externally -- you have to plug your 20GB drive into your Elite, and use the 120GB drive externally. (Yeah, we photographed the unit attached to our 20GB drive though.)
• You can only transfer content ONCE. This isn't a backup or duplication tool, it's one-time use per drive.
• Even after turning off the console our externally adapted drive kept spinning because it was powered by USB. Weird.
• Despite the on-screen diagram, our instructions say to use the BACK USB port. Woops, we didn't. Pray it doesn't kill our data.
• Apparently Microsoft wants you to dispose of your transfer cable after use. Um, ok?
  
• XBLA and Marketplace content (i.e. downloaded games and shows) require online authorization. In other words, some licenses can't transfer, and you won't necessarily be able to watch all your transferred media without logging on. Whatev.
• Movie rentals cannot transfer drives. "Watch them first!" because they're not going to make the trip, period. Double whatev.
• If your 20GB drive is maxed out like ours, it could take a while. The system transfer will tell you how long it estimates the transfer to take: moving our 17.5GB of data was estimated at 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• You can restart or stop the transfer at any time during the move, but you'll have to start all over again next time. But you won't lose any data. Supposedly.
  
• "Microsoft is not liable for any loss of data resulting from the transfer process." That's the third and final whatev!

We'll let you know the final time it took to transfer our drive's contents.

P.S. -Our bestest buds at Joystiq got the same document and scanned it in for us, check it out in the gallery.

Update: All done! It took under an hour to move all 20GB over, not the hour+ the guide estimated. Best to keep expectations low, right? Still not super fast, but we'll live. Stick close for more details about the device, pricing, availability. (Anything else you want to know? Ask it in comments while we've got Microsoft's ear.)

Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Kit hands-on

[(Unverified) Posted May 22nd 2007 3:25PM]

Just did the same thing Steve said. I am going to throw some media on it and plug it back into the 360 to see what happens. At the least it is a very awkward looking external HDD

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 1st 2007 7:01PM]

I've got issues with the XBLA content that has been purchased between two gamertags on my one xbox360. The majority of it had been purchased under my gamertag/ID so it was obvious that one item that my wife had purchased under her ID was asking me to 'unlock the full version'. I called xboxlive last weekend and their only fix was to credit 800 points back to my wife's account (the game cost 800 points). Now I find out that the problem is even bigger. My wife signed into her account and noticed that she was unable to play any of the games that I downloaded under my gamertag/ID. What will xboxlive do now? Give me all my credits back for the 20+ games so that I can redownload them again since games downloaded AFTER the HD transfer work for all accounts on the system like the one downloaded PRIOR to the HD transfer used to?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 4:28AM]

I was wondering can you transfer data from one 20GB hdd to anthore

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2007 1:52AM]

I own a Japanese NTSC Xbox 360 that I bought in Singapore. With all the XBLA downloads I've got, my 20GB hard drive has got pretty full, so I bought the (overpriced) 120GB hard drive on a recent visit to the USA. Brought it back home, connected things and tried to transfer my files from my old 20GB hard drive to my new 120GB hard drive only to be told that the FRICKIN driver DVD disc is not the same region as my console and therefore cannot be used.

WTF! WTF?

First of all, why is the driver on a DVD instead of a simple CD? What's the need to region lock a driver disc?

Secondly, if it's region locked WHY THE HELL don't they mention that on the packaging? So now I've got a 120GB hard drive, transfer cable and disc that can't be used to transfer files. I called MS USA to ask where I can download the drivers to make my own CD and do the transfer, but they said it can't be done. THIS HAS ME SERIOUSLY PISSED OFF and just goes to show that Microsoft is really taking this crap to a totally new level.

As an aside, I copied the driver DVD using Clone DVD and tried to use the copy to transfer my files, but all it does is give me a message saying "This disc can only be used in an Xbox 360 console". Can anyone tell me how I can make a copy of this driver disc and change the region to suit my Jap 360?