How to just transfer Operating System from Hard Drive to SSD

[Tomhueb]

I have a 1TB HD and am thinking of getting a 250 GB SSD mainly to put the operating system on and a few programs. How can I just transfer the o.s ?

 

[USAFRet]

I have a 1TB HD and am thinking of getting a 250 GB SSD mainly to put the operating system on and a few programs. How can I just transfer the o.s ?

You can't transfer 'just' the OS.

How much total used space is on your 1TB drive?

 

[Tomhueb]

I have a 1TB HD and am thinking of getting a 250 GB SSD mainly to put the operating system on and a few programs. How can I just transfer the o.s ?

You can't transfer 'just' the OS.

How much total used space is on your 1TB drive?

500GB

 

[USAFRet]

I have a 1TB HD and am thinking of getting a 250 GB SSD mainly to put the operating system on and a few programs. How can I just transfer the o.s ?

You can't transfer 'just' the OS.

How much total used space is on your 1TB drive?

500GB

Then you're mostly stuck.
To migrate to a 250GB drive, your total used space must be below 200GB or so.

What else is on that drive? Movies, games, etc.
Do you have another drive you can move stuff to?

 

[GauthamReddy]

If you are using upgraded Win 10 then you can always create a Bootable USB drive and install fresh copy on SSD. your Upgraded Win10 keys and digital certificate is attached to to your Email.

 

[Rabmac]

Here is one solution:

1. Take everything but your program files and OS files off the 1TB drive and put on external drive.
2. Run disk cleanup on everything to shrink the size of the image you will make.
3. Run CCleaner to remove all the junk/temporary files, etc.
4. Install Macrium Reflect Free
5. Create boot disk using macrium reflect
6. Image your hard drive using macrium reflect and external drive
7. Switch PC off and disconnect your HDD and connect SSD.
8. Boot up PC using the boot disk you made
9. Copy image to SSD.
10. Boot PC using SSD as your boot drive.

 

[USAFRet]

Here is one solution:

1. Take everything but your program files and OS files off the 1TB drive and put on external drive.
2. Run disk cleanup on everything to shrink the size of the image you will make.
3. Run CCleaner to remove all the junk/temporary files, etc.
4. Install Macrium Reflect Free
5. Create boot disk using macrium reflect
6. Image your hard drive using macrium reflect and external drive
7. Switch PC off and disconnect your HDD and connect SSD.
8. Boot up PC using the boot disk you made
9. Copy image to SSD.
10. Boot PC using SSD as your boot drive.

#5, 6, 7, 8, 9 are not needed.
Given sufficient space, you can clone directly from 1 drive to another. No need to make an inage on a different drive, then copy that to the new SSD.
Direct drive to drive cloning.