Question Copying Old Data From Old SSD to New System and New Drive

[LeoLion89]

I've been tasked with building a new PC for my dad. I've got it up and running when suddenly he comes to me with an old laptop SSD with a bunch of his old data on it. I have a USB 3.2 to SATA adapter that I was planning on using to connect the old drive to move data.

Some background:

New system is on Win 11. 1TB NVME SSD. Old hard drive was on a Win 10 system, 512GB 2.5" SSD. Am I walking myself into an issue? Is there good reputable software to be able to clone the old data off of the old drive and onto the new system, using the new system? Most of the data is documents and photos. Not applications that he has noted apart from old Office apps which we are updating anyways.

Thanks for the time and replies in advance!

 

[Lafong]

If it's data ONLY, you should be able to just copy it to wherever you want with a mouse. No cloning needed. No third party application required.


If it has installed applications or anything related to Windows, complications arise.

You said "most of the data is documents and photos", so what is the non-most? Does the non-most need to be transferred at all?

 

[Ralston18]

I suggest a two step approach:

1) Copy (not move) the data from that old laptop SSD to some location other than the new system.

Verify that the copied data is both recoverable and readable.

2) Once the new system is up and running without errors or problems connect the old laptop SSD as an external drive. Again, copy the files to a specific designed folder on the new system. Verify that those files are readable.

Key is to not put the original data at risk.

 

[LeoLion89]

If it's data ONLY, you should be able to just copy it to wherever you want with a mouse. No cloning needed. No third party application required.


If it has installed applications or anything related to Windows, complications arise.

You said "most of the data is documents and photos", so what is the non-most? Does the non-most need to be transferred at all?

I say "most" as a careful assumption.
I did actually try and plug the drive into the new system to try to open the file explorer, and it bogged down the system, force quit explorer a couple times, and was not allowing me to open and explore the drive.

 

[Lafong]

I say "most" as a careful assumption.
I did actually try and plug the drive into the new system to try to open the file explorer, and it bogged down the system, force quit explorer a couple times, and was not allowing me to open and explore the drive.

"plug the drive" via a USB cable? If so, I'd wait on it a while. USB connections are very slow compared to internal.

 

[LeoLion89]

"plug the drive" via a USB cable? If so, I'd wait on it a while. USB connections are very slow compared to internal.

Alright, I can easily get a SATA cable to plug it into the system and try again.

It was to a USB 3.2 port originally.