How do I move windows 7 and a few select programs to my new SSD while keeping other programs on my old HDD?

[tiop]

I just bought a seagate 240GB SSD and would like to use it in conjunction with the two current HDDs (500gb with my windows install and most programs and a 1tb almost exclusively used for steam games) i have now except move my windows installation to the SSD. How would i go about doing this? I have heard i should unplug my current hard drives and do a fresh install of windows on the SSD then plug them back in but im not so sure. Thanks in advance.

 

[USAFRet]

How do I move windows 7 and a few select programs to my new SSD while keeping other programs on my old HDD?

You don't. No migration tool that I know of does that.

Install fresh on the SSD. Fresh install some applications on the SSD, others on the HDD. You can't just move 'some'.

 

[mjmacka]

Here is how I would do it.

1) Remove everything from the 500 GB drive you can. You want at least 25% free space on your SSD at all times. I would try to keep less than 200 GB of data on your SSD.
2) Unplug your secondary 1tb drive.
3) Install the SSD in your computer.
4) Follow one of the guides below:
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/computing-components/storage/move-to-ssd-migrate-your-pc-to-solid-state-1148051

Or

http://lifehacker.com/5837543/how-to-migrate-to-a-solid+state-drive-without-reinstalling-windows

5) Once everything is back up and working, you can remove your data from the old HDD and/or re-use it.

It is easier to perform a clean install in some cases, but many programs require re-licensing and I know that most people lose keys and install media.

Also make sure to disable Windows 7 automatic defragmentation. You don't want to defrag your SSD.

 

[Dinsorsoos]

Here is how I would do it.

1) Remove everything from the 500 GB drive you can. You want at least 25% free space on your SSD at all times. I would try to keep less than 200 GB of data on your SSD.
2) Unplug your secondary 1tb drive.
3) Install the SSD in your computer.
4) Follow one of the guides below:
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/computing-components/storage/move-to-ssd-migrate-your-pc-to-solid-state-1148051

Or

http://lifehacker.com/5837543/how-to-migrate-to-a-solid+state-drive-without-reinstalling-windows

5) Once everything is back up and working, you can remove your data from the old HDD and/or re-use it.

It is easier to perform a clean install in some cases, but many programs require re-licensing and I know that most people lose keys and install media.

Also make sure to disable Windows 7 automatic defragmentation. You don't want to defrag your SSD.

I have the same issue. Wouldn't doing this method result in transferring a bunch of files onto the SSD that wouldn't benefit from being there? Is there a way to just clone windows and the program files?

 

[USAFRet]

Here is how I would do it.

1) Remove everything from the 500 GB drive you can. You want at least 25% free space on your SSD at all times. I would try to keep less than 200 GB of data on your SSD.
2) Unplug your secondary 1tb drive.
3) Install the SSD in your computer.
4) Follow one of the guides below:
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/computing-components/storage/move-to-ssd-migrate-your-pc-to-solid-state-1148051

Or

http://lifehacker.com/5837543/how-to-migrate-to-a-solid+state-drive-without-reinstalling-windows

5) Once everything is back up and working, you can remove your data from the old HDD and/or re-use it.

It is easier to perform a clean install in some cases, but many programs require re-licensing and I know that most people lose keys and install media.

Also make sure to disable Windows 7 automatic defragmentation. You don't want to defrag your SSD.

I have the same issue. Wouldn't doing this method result in transferring a bunch of files onto the SSD that wouldn't benefit from being there? Is there a way to just clone windows and the program files?

I believe some cloning applications allow you to deselect the Windows Libraries. Everything else, though....goes with the OS.

 

[Dinsorsoos]

Here is how I would do it.

1) Remove everything from the 500 GB drive you can. You want at least 25% free space on your SSD at all times. I would try to keep less than 200 GB of data on your SSD.
2) Unplug your secondary 1tb drive.
3) Install the SSD in your computer.
4) Follow one of the guides below:
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/computing-components/storage/move-to-ssd-migrate-your-pc-to-solid-state-1148051

Or

http://lifehacker.com/5837543/how-to-migrate-to-a-solid+state-drive-without-reinstalling-windows

5) Once everything is back up and working, you can remove your data from the old HDD and/or re-use it.

It is easier to perform a clean install in some cases, but many programs require re-licensing and I know that most people lose keys and install media.

Also make sure to disable Windows 7 automatic defragmentation. You don't want to defrag your SSD.

I have the same issue. Wouldn't doing this method result in transferring a bunch of files onto the SSD that wouldn't benefit from being there? Is there a way to just clone windows and the program files?

I believe some cloning applications allow you to deselect the Windows Libraries. Everything else, though....goes with the OS.

Oh okay, this was very helpful. Thank you

 

[mjmacka]

I recommend moving your non-system files to a different partition or disk prior to cloning. This will also improve the speed of your cloning operation.

 

[armafan]

Since my question is somewhat relevant to this thread. I will pose a question here rather than a new one.

If I perform a fresh install of Win7 64 into the new SSD (240GB).
Then following the above instructions.
How could I access the files and programs of the older boot drive - recovered (D?
Will there be any issues in the future operations if I just launch programs from the D drive. While being logged in with the new install of Win 7 into SSD?

 

[mjmacka]

Since my question is somewhat relevant to this thread. I will pose a question here rather than a new one.

If I perform a fresh install of Win7 64 into the new SSD (240GB).
Then following the above instructions.
How could I access the files and programs of the older boot drive - recovered (D?
Will there be any issues in the future operations if I just launch programs from the D drive. While being logged in with the new install of Win 7 into SSD?

If you clone your old copy of windows to the SSD all of the apps you launch will be off of the SSD, not your hard drive.

In your case, you wouldn't be able to launch any of your apps off of the "D" drive because they aren't installed into your copy of Windows making them invisible to your OS. This is why cloning is important. You need to re-install those apps on the "D" drive. Once you do that they will be ahrd coded to execute out of the D drive instead of the SSD.

 

[armafan]

So ...

Deleting unnecessary files & preparing the move into a smaller SSD.
(Which if any programs allows for manually selecting files to clone?)
Make a back up image.
Clone a copy of the windows into SSD.
Delete contents of "D" drive (1TB).
Re-install applications/programs into "D" drive to save space (and apps/programs that don't need the SSD speeds).
Boot off the new WIN7 SSD install and have cake?

Surely there has got to be a method to transfer/alter registry settings to the new SSD to access the apps/programs off of "D" (old Win 7 - Recovered) drive?

 

[USAFRet]

So ...

Deleting unnecessary files & preparing the move into a smaller SSD.
(Which if any programs allows for manually selecting files to clone?)
Make a back up image.
Clone a copy of the windows into SSD.
Delete contents of "D" drive (1TB).
Re-install applications/programs into "D" drive to save space (and apps/programs that don't need the SSD speeds).
Boot off the new WIN7 SSD install and have cake?

Surely there has got to be a method to transfer/alter registry settings to the new SSD to access the apps/programs off of "D" (old Win 7 - Recovered) drive?

"Manually selecting files"
The only things you can select to 'not clone' are static files like mp3/video/doc. You cannot do this with applications.
The Samsung Data Migration allows this (If you have a Samsung drive).

"Surely there has got to be a method to transfer/alter registry settings to the new SSD to access the apps/programs off of "D" (old Win 7 - Recovered) drive?"

Nope. Does not exist.
And once you've installed to the D, that is not needed. You've already reinstalled them.
In trust though, applications don't take up all that much space. Games, yes. Regular applications, not really.