[SOLVED] Best option

[aLp!n3]

I have a 1 TB HDD currently and I'll be buying a WD Blue 500 GB SN550 NVMe SSD by the end of this week. So, what I wanted was that I want to install my Windows 10 on my SSD and keep some games on it as well, so as I already have an HDD with everything already on it (OS, games etc) how should go about installing Windows 10 on my new SSD? Like I have an option in mind - My idea is that when I buy the SSD, I plug it in and remove the HDD. Boot up my PC using a bootable pendrive and install Windows 10 on my SSD and other applications as well (Like MS Office, Adobe etc) and then plug back my HDD and change the Boot Priority order in the BIOS so that it boots from the SSD only. So will this be ok or is there any neater way to get around this? Like maybe transferring everything on my C drive of HDD to my new SDD or something like that?

 

[Hellfire13]

My idea is that when I buy the SSD, I plug it in and remove the HDD. Boot up my PC using a bootable pendrive and install Windows 10 on my SSD and other applications as well (Like MS Office, Adobe etc) and then plug back my HDD and change the Boot Priority order in the BIOS so that it boots from the SSD only.

You are spot on. This is the best way to go about it.

 

[aLp!n3]

You are spot on. This is the best way to go about it.

Oh okay! But I just wanted to know one more thing, like after installing the OS on my SSD and then using both the drives, I will be able to access the files that are on C drive on my current HDD right?

 

[Hellfire13]

Oh okay! But I just wanted to know one more thing, like after installing the OS on my SSD and then using both the drives, I will be able to access the files that are on C drive on my current HDD right?

Yes you can. Once you change the boot priority to SSD, the system will check for boot files and boot from SSD, rendering the HDD as any other secondary drive.

 

[xenthia]

I have a 1 TB HDD currently and I'll be buying a WD Blue 500 GB SN550 NVMe SSD by the end of this week. So, what I wanted was that I want to install my Windows 10 on my SSD and keep some games on it as well, so as I already have an HDD with everything already on it (OS, games etc) how should go about installing Windows 10 on my new SSD? Like I have an option in mind - My idea is that when I buy the SSD, I plug it in and remove the HDD. Boot up my PC using a bootable pendrive and install Windows 10 on my SSD and other applications as well (Like MS Office, Adobe etc) and then plug back my HDD and change the Boot Priority order in the BIOS so that it boots from the SSD only. So will this be ok or is there any neater way to get around this? Like maybe transferring everything on my C drive of HDD to my new SDD or something like that?

That depends if you want to have a multiboot system, like if you want to be able to boot from both your current HDD and the operating system already on it, let it be in the system during installing a new operating on your brand new SSD.

But if you want to be able to only boot from your SSD, then yes, it would be much easier to take out your HDD and only insert the SSD install your operating system and then insert the old HDD, and you will be able to access all your files on it too. unless it is encrypted, or uses some special access method.


By then you can easily remove the old files on your HDD, like the windows directory or program files folder remaining behind on the HDD from the previous OS. Only you have to be careful to not remove the files that are important to you.

But if you want to move your current operating system from your old HDD onto the new SSD, it is possible but since the HDD is 1TB and the SSD is 500GB using partition backup applications is not going to work, unless you shrink the size of your current OS partition on your HDD to less than 500GB and then there are many methods that you can move your old OS to the new SSD.

I am sure it would be much easier to just install a new OS on your SSD. Although you will learn a lot by trying to see if you can move your current OS from the HDD to your new SSD, and maybe make a video and post it on youtube so others can also learn some stuff.

 

[Hellfire13]

That depends if you want to have a multiboot system, like if you want to be able to boot from both your current HDD and the operating system already on it, let it be in the system during installing a new operating on your brand new SSD.

Windows have an uncanny tendency to do a system partition and park some startup files on other drives if there are multiple drives available. Even for a dual boot system, its better to install Windows only with the target drive and nothing else and then add whatever other OS you want.

 

[xenthia]

Windows have an uncanny tendency to do a system partition and park some startup files on other drives if there are multiple drives available. Even for a dual boot system, its better to install Windows only with the target drive and nothing else and then add whatever other OS you want.

I totally agree. I myself do exactly this for this exact reason, you are totally correct. But if he wants to have both operating systems as a multiboot this is a very simple approach to leave both disks in the system and let the windows installer to make a multiboot for them.

Although he will always have the option to use bcdedit to make a multiboot later themselves but it would be a bit harder.
Thank you.