Best way of moving Windows to new SSD

Treeroy

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Jan 11, 2012
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I have installed my new SSD, a Samsung 850 Evo 250GB. My C drive (boot drive) has 200GB of files including OS.

If I use Samsungs Data Migration software, I can select what files I want to transfer, but the ones I don't transfer will get deleted. Backing everything up, moving everything else to SSD, then moving the backed up stuff back on to the C drive... sounds like a lot of hassle.

What is the best way of transferring Windows to the SSD? I just want Windows on there, for now at least.
 
Solution


Going to a 250GB Samsung drive, with ~200GB actual used space...is right at the edge.
Samsung Data Migration will not do it if over 200GB.

You can't 'select the files to transfer'. You can only leave off files like doc/music/video.
Those do not...

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Going to a 250GB Samsung drive, with ~200GB actual used space...is right at the edge.
Samsung Data Migration will not do it if over 200GB.

You can't 'select the files to transfer'. You can only leave off files like doc/music/video.
Those do not get deleted...they just continue to live on the old drive.

And you can't move 'just Windows'.
 
Solution
If you have a Windows installation disk or other media, simply install the new SSD where the old one is and reinstall Windows on it. Leave the old SSD out until you have successfully installed Windows on the new one. Once you have Windows installed on the new one, put the old one back in there and delete everything off of it that you do not want, including the old windows install and program folders. If you have an external drive to copy your files to, that would be even better. Then you could reformat the old SSD and reuse it as you wish.