How to install a ssd drive without getting rid of hdd

[joeswim]

Hello,
I just bought a ssd drive but I am new to them. I have a 2 Tb HDD that I already have windows 7 64bit installed onto and all of my programs. When I plug my ssd drive in and start my computer it tells me to choose what drive to boot from but it only gives me the option of my ssd drive and my cdrom drive. If i choose to boot with the ssd will i loose windows? will I lose my other files and programs on my computer?

 

[canadian69]

You need to install a fresh copy of Windows on your SSD, then any apps you use regularly. Some people only use the SSD for the OS. Use your other drive for programs and storage (make sure you also have a backup solution in place). You can't (well shouldn't) clone your OS from the old drive to the new SSD. Do a fresh install.

All your old data will still be on the other drive, just going to take some work to get back up and running.

 

[jerm1027]

Hello,
I just bought a ssd drive but I am new to them. I have a 2 Tb HDD that I already have windows 7 64bit installed onto and all of my programs. When I plug my ssd drive in and start my computer it tells me to choose what drive to boot from but it only gives me the option of my ssd drive and my cdrom drive. If i choose to boot with the ssd will i loose windows? will I lose my other files and programs on my computer?

You have change the default hard drive in the BIOS. This varies depending on the BIOS.

UPDATE: Will post instructions since I have a motherboard that does this.

UPDATE: So here are instructions.

Here are my boot settings. My SSD (which has Windows installed on it, along with the rest of my operating systems) is my 2nd boot drive. Note the Prefix: Hard Disk. My BIOS only allows the boot of one SATA Hard disk, and my SSD is my default. Hypothetically, lets say I have Windows on my 1TB Seagate Barracuda and I want to boot from that. I'd go into Hard Disk Drive Priorities (highlighted) which then takes to a menu with all my hard disks listed:

Note that my default, or first disk, is my SSD. Select the 1st Boot which brings me to this menu:

Select my Barracuda drive now the 1st Boot drive should be the Barracuda (forgot to snap this).
Go back into my boot order and bingo.

Note that I didn't change the boot-order, just the hard disk it boots from. The Hard Disk is still my second entry.