[SOLVED] Can i tranfer a Windows local account to a SSD with new windows and still access all the old drive files normally?

[lon3wolf1ee5]

So i plan to upgrade my friends rig with a ssd for his boot drive and wanted to know if i tranfered his windows local account to the new install of windows and install the old hard drive as a secondary will he be able to access all the files on the second drive normally?Another thing was will he still have to sign back into all his apps "Steam, Battle.net, Spotify, Origin, ect".

 

[Nemesia]

You could clone your friend's drive to the SSD if the SSD has more space than the used space on the OS drive of your friend.

 

[lon3wolf1ee5]

i mean its a 2TB HDD to 1TB SSD so not sure how well that would work

 

[Nemesia]

i mean its a 2TB HDD to 1TB SSD so not sure how well that would work

Depend on the space taken on the 2TB HDD. If it's 500GB it's fine. If it's 1.6TB it isn't.

If you want your friend to keep all the programs like they are right now and the OS cloning is the only way.

A new Windows install means reinstalling everything and resigning in all accounts/programs.

 

[lon3wolf1ee5]

Depend on the space taken on the 2TB HDD. If it's 500GB it's fine. If it's 1.6TB it isn't.

If you want your friend to keep all the programs like they are right now and the OS cloning is the only way.

A new Windows install means reinstalling everything and resigning in all accounts/programs.

Even with Backing up the Windows account and moving it over?

 

[Nemesia]

Even with Backing up the Windows account and moving it over?

On Windows 10 you can convert a local account to a Microsoft account to easily migrate the profile to another system but that's only the profile. No programs or important files will be moved using that method.

 

[lon3wolf1ee5]

On Windows 10 you can convert a local account to a Microsoft account to easily migrate the profile to another system but that's only the profile. No programs or important files will be moved using that method.

We only want windows and a few apps on the new drive but we want to have all the old apps on the old HDD not to require relogging in

 

[USAFRet]

We only want windows and a few apps on the new drive but we want to have all the old apps on the old HDD not to require relogging in

No, that cannot work.
You can't split things like this. Drive letters, registry, etc,etc....all conspiring against you trying to do this.

Give us some actual details on the data and drives involved, and we can maybe investigate migrating the whole thing to the new drive.

How much space is consumed on the current C drive?
What size/make/model is the new drive?
Windows 10?

 

[lon3wolf1ee5]

No, that cannot work.
You can't split things like this. Drive letters, registry, etc,etc....all conspiring against you trying to do this.

Give us some actual details on the data and drives involved, and we can maybe investigate migrating the whole thing to the new drive.

How much space is consumed on the current C drive?
What size/make/model is the new drive?
Windows 10?

Seagate Barracuda 2TB Drive 1.6TB FULL of 1.8
Samsung NVME 1TB SSD

Windows 10 on both drives

Goal Move windows to new drive (SSD) and use old drive (HDD) as a Storage Drive but trying not to reloggin on all the apps on the old drive

 

[USAFRet]

Seagate Barracuda 2TB Drive 1.6TB FULL of 1.8
Samsung NVME 1TB SSD

Windows 10 on both drives

Goal Move windows to new drive (SSD) and use old drive (HDD) as a Storage Drive but trying not to reloggin on all the apps on the old drive

That goal cannot be reached.

1. You can't migrate "only Windows" to the new drive.
2. Even if you could, the applications on the old drive will not work. The Registry knows them as being on the C drive. After a split (which you can't do) that old drive will be a different letter...the D perhaps. Windows on the NVMe, the C, won't know how to use them.
3. A new install of only Windows on the NVMe also won't be able to natively use applications on the old drive.
4. 1.6TB obviously won't migrate into a 1TB drive.

Reduce the actual used space on the current C to below 800GB. Then you can migrate it all into the new drive.

 

[lon3wolf1ee5]

That goal cannot be reached.

1. You can't migrate "only Windows" to the new drive.
2. Even if you could, the applications on the old drive will not work. The Registry knows them as being on the C drive. After a split (which you can't do) that old drive will be a different letter...the D perhaps. Windows on the NVMe, the C, won't know how to use them.
3. A new install of only Windows on the NVMe also won't be able to natively use applications on the old drive.
4. 1.6TB obviously won't migrate into a 1TB drive.

Reduce the actual used space on the current C to below 800GB. Then you can migrate it all into the new drive.

I see well i will tell him to wait on it. Thanks for all your help!

 

[Juan_Bijero]

Move all the important files to a USB thumb drive. Check to see If there is a black bar at the top of the new drive in Windows 10 disk management, right click on the new drive and select create new simple volume. Do a clean install of Windows 10 new SSD by using the Windows 10 media creation tool from another USB thumb drive that is at least 8 GB. Jayztwocents has a guide to setting up a clean install of Windows What-To-Do-After-Building-Your-Computer Follow his tutorial. Once Windows is set up properly, you can go back into Windows setup and delete all the partitions from the old hard drive. Then format the old hard drive (only do this once you have saved all the important files to a large USB thumb drive). Your old hard drive will now have more space than it would have if you just tried to format it in windows 10.

 

[USAFRet]

Move all the important files to a USB thumb drive. Check to see If there is a black bar at the top of the new drive in Windows 10 disk management, right click on the new drive and select create new simple volume. Do a clean install of Windows 10 new SSD by using the Windows 10 media creation tool from another USB thumb drive that is at least 8 GB. Jayztwocents has a guide to setting up a clean install of Windows What-To-Do-After-Building-Your-Computer Follow his tutorial. Once Windows is set up properly, you can go back into Windows setup and delete all the partitions from the old hard drive. Then format the old hard drive (only do this once you have saved all the important files to a large USB thumb drive). Your old hard drive will now have more space than it would have if you just tried to format it in windows 10.

All of that does nothing for the initial request of wanting to use the applications from the old drive and OS.

 

[Juan_Bijero]

All of that does nothing for the initial request of wanting to use the applications from the old drive and OS.

True. But as I see it there is more than one issue. What is the problem with reinstalling Apps on a clean drive?

 

[USAFRet]

What is the problem with reinstalling Apps on a clean drive?

For me, none.
For the OP....not what they were wanting to do. But what they will have to do.

 

[Juan_Bijero]

For me, none.
For the OP....not what they were wanting to do. But what they will have to do.

Agreed.