Hmmm - you've expressed yourself very clearly and it would be nice if you reported back on your experiences (here or on the wiki),

It's been a long time since I (and others I suspect) have actually done this kind of upgrade and ISTR that the FAQ doesn't address some of the big-disk issues? Of course I may be wrong and may have to buy Tony a drink at the meet but...

Are you doing it from Linux or windows?