Cloning HDD to SSD

[Joey Minnock]

Hello,
My SSD will be here soon and I'm wondering after I clone my HDD onto it, will I be able to delete what I don't need off SSD (All I want on my SSD is the operating system and a few games and programmes I use often) After I change SSD to boot in BIOS, do I have to delete boot files off hard drive and can I just delete all files I don't want on SSD off it, first time installing SSD, so a little noobie,
thanks guys

 

[Grimwinder]

After cloning and setting the ssd to be the boot drive you can delete whatever you want from the hdd or reformat it or just leave as is for a backup boot drive in case of issues with the ssd. When you r un the cloning software be sure to select to clone the boot partition, some don't do this by default.

 

[PeppermintFangs]

I would recommend, in any situation, that you backup your Hard Drive before this installation.

As for the SSD, I would recommend doing a clean install rather than cloning your HDD. This will eliminate any cache junk/etc. that gathers on your HDD, and will improve the SSD performance until it itself starts gathering this junk in the future.

To perform a clean install, simply back up your HDD, then shut down your computer and install the SSD (You will of course need your boot drive for Windows on a USB or CD). From here, all you need to do is install your copy of windows like normal, selecting your SSD when you're asked to select the drive that you want it installed on instead of you HDD.

Hope this helps!

 

[rar_54]

Delete all of the files and programs you do not want from your HDD before starting the cloning process. Then hook up your SSD and clone. Note- If your SSD is a Samsung and your are on Windows 10, download cloning software from their web site since the cloning software disk they are currently shipping doesn't work on Win 10. After cloning, pull your HDD and put your SSD in its place. Enter BIOS at startup to make sure the boot disk "C:" is set for ACHI. When you are satisfied that the SSD is working as expected and you have tested everything, install the HDD as a second disk drive and reformat it to wipe all data out.

 

[johnnyb105]

i WOULD ALWAYS recommend a clean install of the Os when using a SSD now if it was a mechanical drive no big deal

 

[Joey Minnock]

How would I go about a clean install with a USB ? Would I need a new serial code to install a fresh version of windows onto the SSD ?

 

[Joey Minnock]

If I manage to clean install windows 10 onto SSD and boot off SSD, do I just hook up the hard drive after installation and continue as normal ?

 

[PeppermintFangs]

If I manage to clean install windows 10 onto SSD and boot off SSD, do I just hook up the hard drive after installation and continue as normal ?

You can hook it up after installation, but it might be easier to connect it at the same time you install the SSD.

As for the clean install, you only need your Windows 10 boot drive that you used to originally install your Windows copy. If you don't have that, you'll need a free USB or CD. Navigate to this website and download this Windows 10 download tool - this might ask you for your Product Key, so have that prepared: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

The process from here is fairly simply, and the tool will likely give you instructions. If not, you can private message me with the issue, or simply look up, "How to make a Windows 10 Bootable Disk/USB Drive" and you'll find a plethora of helpful tutorials.

Once you've created your boot drive, backup your Hard Drive contents then wipe your drive.
Here's a tutorial for that: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ht/wipe-hard-drive.htm

After this, you're probably pretty familiar with what comes next. Install your SSD, and boot your computer with your Windows 10 Boot USB or CD connected. It should automatically recognize the boot drive if it was done correctly, and you simply click a series of yes buttons until you get to the section where it asks you which drive you'd like to install it on. If you need a more in depth tutorial, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQGcjnnT2Dk

Please feel free to share your issues if you run into any!