Question Clean install of OS on SSD but keeping the old files on HDD ?

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jackmaku

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Nov 5, 2015
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Hi. so i bought a new 120gb SSD and planing a fresh install of windows 8.1 in SSD but keeping my old files in my HDD. I read some of the threads regarding to this question and this is what i understand roughly:

1- Disconnect all drives except the ssd
2- Do clean installation of windows on ssd
3- install drivers etc.
4- Reconnect the hdd

My problem is i cant backup my hdd as i don't have any external hard drive. I just got a 64 gb usb but that wont help. In my current hdd i don't have any important files in partition C: and i backed up all my important files of partition C: in partition D:

So my question is after installing my OS in SSD is it possible to delete partition C: and that system value information thing and merging these partitions altogether (or to merge them with partition D: which is the same thing i guess) which will make a new drive without partitions without losing my files? So basically i want to delete all partitions expect D: and merge them altogether without losing files of D:

Sorry for my bad English.
 
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I understand what you want... but let me explain it better or give you a proper response, ok?

Your Old.. MECHANICAL hard drive should have two different partitions on it... One with the current O/S you will eventually wipe off... and DATA on the second partiton... Correct?? What you're asking .. the answer is ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

When you are ready to install everything... You should unplug the old hard drive and just have the SSD plugged in... making sure you FIRST go into BIOS and changed interface from IDE (old hard drive) to AHCI (for new SSD)... Next, you Install Windows... and when that's done.. and you boot into the desktop... You could go ahead and install your motherboard drivers if you want to get that out of the...

jackmaku

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Nov 5, 2015
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No by partitions i dont mean my new installed partitions i mean the old partitons of my old hdd

I will install my OS in ssd and i want to clean or wipe The old partitions of hdd (C: and sys value information) expect D: and merging them altogether so in the end i will have:

My OS installed in SSD + My HDD without any partitions, just my old files (i dont want to wipe the whole hdd i want to wipe the C: partition and merge it with D: so it will be a whole HDD without any partitions. Is it possible ? is it possible to merge all partitions of a drive or wiping one partition of a drive and merging all the partitions without losing data?

 

SBMfromLA

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I understand what you want... but let me explain it better or give you a proper response, ok?

Your Old.. MECHANICAL hard drive should have two different partitions on it... One with the current O/S you will eventually wipe off... and DATA on the second partiton... Correct?? What you're asking .. the answer is ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

When you are ready to install everything... You should unplug the old hard drive and just have the SSD plugged in... making sure you FIRST go into BIOS and changed interface from IDE (old hard drive) to AHCI (for new SSD)... Next, you Install Windows... and when that's done.. and you boot into the desktop... You could go ahead and install your motherboard drivers if you want to get that out of the way... then SHUTDOWN ... and Plug your old hard drive back in... After you Boot back into Windows... go to DISK MANAGEMENT... and DELETE the first partition where your old O/S was located since you no longer need it...

Now.. You will just have the partition with the data you wanted to save and carry over, right? Using Disk Management... you just EXPAND that current partition so that it takes up the entire mechanical hard drive... and you're done... That's what you want... right??
 
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jackmaku

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Nov 5, 2015
3
0
4,510


Yes! that what i was exactly asking for thank you so much!

 
Feb 11, 2022
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I understand what you want... but let me explain it better or give you a proper response, ok?

Your Old.. MECHANICAL hard drive should have two different partitions on it... One with the current O/S you will eventually wipe off... and DATA on the second partiton... Correct?? What you're asking .. the answer is ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

When you are ready to install everything... You should unplug the old hard drive and just have the SSD plugged in... making sure you FIRST go into BIOS and changed interface from IDE (old hard drive) to AHCI (for new SSD)... Next, you Install Windows... and when that's done.. and you boot into the desktop... You could go ahead and install your motherboard drivers if you want to get that out of the way... then SHUTDOWN ... and Plug your old hard drive back in... After you Boot back into Windows... go to DISK MANAGEMENT... and DELETE the first partition where your old O/S was located since you no longer need it...

Now.. You will just have the partition with the data you wanted to save and carry over, right? Using Disk Management... you just EXPAND that current partition so that it takes up the entire mechanical hard drive... and you're done... That's what you want... right??

is it a must to unplug the old hdd? Can i just clean local c while setup windows in new ssd and format the old os partition ?
 
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