[SOLVED] Accidentally installed another Windows 10

ToastyCircle151

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So i bought a new SSD and I was moving my games to it, and it was pretty cool to see the load time differences an all, but i decided to try to make it my boot drive. I was watching videos on cloning your hard drive but i did not want to move all my files to the SSD i just wanted to be able to start windows through it. I tried to install windows through the SSD but i just installed it on my original hard drive again. I guess my main question is can this slow down my PC? Im now back on my windows and it seemed a bit slower getting on but i assume thats due to the clean install of windows 10. I went into msconfig and it says i only have one OS under boot. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I DID THAT I SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT AND SHOULD WORK ON UNDOING
 
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Oh wait so my data from my HDD wouldn't carry over after i plugged it back in?
"my data" is a nebulous term.
Your personal files, no problems.
Applications on that drive, no.

A clean install on the SSD is like the first day you turned the PC on and installed the OS for the first time.
It will be 'only windows'.
Drivers, utilities, all your other applications...will need a new install.
It seems to me, if indeed you reinstalled windows over the previous windows install, you are more or less where you were before trying to install windows on your ssd, with the possibility of needing some specific drivers for your system, unless you used an install media made for your PC. There is also the possibility you lost some personal files. If so there is a way to recover them, from a a folder created by the windows install media. The folder is located at c:\windows.old. If you do not acess the folder it will be deleted in 10 days. BTW, trying to delete it early can be problematic, so I don't recommend your do it.

BTW, there is a way of migrating just the Window OS by using a third party utility like EaseUS Todo Backup.
 
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ToastyCircle151

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With your experience it is probably more likely that I thought.
I believe I did not make another partition. I just installed windows over my original and I looked through all my files and I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary, I appreciate the help and I really need to figure out how to work this SSD haha I really just want it for games and startup but all the tutorials are for transferring ALL the files rather than just for the start up.
 
As I said, you can migrate just the Window operating system by using a third party utility like EaseUS Todo Backup. This utility has a Disk/Partion Clone and, what your are looking for, a System (only) clone. The caveat is while the free version will do the disk/partition clone, you need the paid version to do a system (only) clone. BTW, I've done the system clone and it does exactly what you want.

There may be a free utility or tutorial out there; do a search for a system or system only clone. Good luck.
 
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ToastyCircle151

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As I said, you can migrate just the Window operating system by using a third party utility like EaseUS Todo Backup. This utility has a Disk/Partion Clone and, what your are looking for, a System (only) clone. The caveat is while the free version will do the disk/partition clone, you need the paid version to do a system (only) clone. BTW, I've done the system clone and it does exactly what you want.

There may be a free utility or tutorial out there; do a search for a system or system only clone. Good luck.
You’ve been very helpful, thank you so much , if I have any further problems I’ll come back to this post.
 

ToastyCircle151

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As I said, you can migrate just the Window operating system by using a third party utility like EaseUS Todo Backup. This utility has a Disk/Partion Clone and, what your are looking for, a System (only) clone. The caveat is while the free version will do the disk/partition clone, you need the paid version to do a system (only) clone. BTW, I've done the system clone and it does exactly what you want.

There may be a free utility or tutorial out there; do a search for a system or system only clone. Good luck.
So I have too little space on my SSD to clone my hard drive to it, I really feel like I wasted my money on this considering I can’t really use it at all other than for storage..... My next question I guess is if I were to do a fresh install of windows on the SSD would I still be able to access all my original files from before or would it be like a factory reset, and if there’s an easier way to do this that I’m missing plz do inform.
 

USAFRet

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As I said, you can migrate just the Window operating system by using a third party utility like EaseUS Todo Backup. This utility has a Disk/Partion Clone and, what your are looking for, a System (only) clone. The caveat is while the free version will do the disk/partition clone, you need the paid version to do a system (only) clone. BTW, I've done the system clone and it does exactly what you want.

There may be a free utility or tutorial out there; do a search for a system or system only clone. Good luck.
To be clear...that tool will migrate/clone "only Windows", and leave the rest on the original drive?
And you've seen it do this?

If so, that is an actual first.
 

ToastyCircle151

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Right. Entire partitions, or the drive.
I've never seen one that can split out "only Windows" from the rest of the C partition.
So if i installed windows on the SSD fresh would that work? Im downloading Windows onto a usb flash drive right now and I plan on unplugging my HDD to install windows on my ssd then plug back in my HDD after all is done..... Any problems with that?
 

USAFRet

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So if i installed windows on the SSD fresh would that work? Im downloading Windows onto a usb flash drive right now and I plan on unplugging my HDD to install windows on my ssd then plug back in my HDD after all is done..... Any problems with that?
Yes.
That will wipe out everything on that drive, but it is a idea to start with a known clean state.
 

ToastyCircle151

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Yes.
That will wipe out everything on that drive, but it is a idea to start with a known clean state.
When you say it wipes everything off "that drive" you are referring too the SSD correct?
 

USAFRet

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Oh wait so my data from my HDD wouldn't carry over after i plugged it back in?
"my data" is a nebulous term.
Your personal files, no problems.
Applications on that drive, no.

A clean install on the SSD is like the first day you turned the PC on and installed the OS for the first time.
It will be 'only windows'.
Drivers, utilities, all your other applications...will need a new install.
 
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ToastyCircle151

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"my data" is a nebulous term.
Your personal files, no problems.
Applications on that drive, no.

A clean install on the SSD is like the first day you turned the PC on and installed the OS for the first time.
It will be 'only windows'.
Drivers, utilities, all your other applications...will need a new install.
AAH ok that makes sense, so i kinda wasted my money. I was told that this was easy and its the complete opposite,,, its impossible unless i had a 2 tb SSD. Would it be easier just to back up all my files onto a external hard drive then delete the partitions and then clone it from there. I feel if I did it that way I would be bale to keep all my stuff and not have to re download everything. Or is this also impossible lol (files as in my whole HDD)
 

USAFRet

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No, the SSD is NOT a waste of money. What specific drive is it?

A detailed description of what is on your current drive and how it is arranged would help in determining how to proceed.
For instance, Steam games can almost certainly be used from the HDD, without downloading anything again.
 

ToastyCircle151

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No, the SSD is NOT a waste of money. What specific drive is it?

A detailed description of what is on your current drive and how it is arranged would help in determining how to proceed.
For instance, Steam games can almost certainly be used from the HDD, without downloading anything again.
OK so I have a 2 tb HDD but its got 1.8 tb used just about and then i have my new SSD(500gb) with just a few games and my documents on it due to me messing with it a little. I will admit the loading times for the games are fantastic and thats what pushed me to want to use it for the startup. Its a Samsung 860 EVO 500 gb