[SOLVED] How to move windows and games from HDD to SSD? HELP!

[ToastyGuRu]

I recently built my pc 3 months ago and only bought a HDD. The HDD I bought was the Western Digital Blue 2 TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive. I have installed everything on the HDD my windows 10, games, and everything else. Everyone is telling me to get a SSD. My mobo, Asrock B450M Pro4, has two M.2 slots on it. I Was doing research and found that I should install my games and Windows 10 on the SSD. How do I transfer my Windows 10 and games from my HDD to my SSD SAFELY? Any tips I really do not want to have to get a new copy of windows 10 and wipe my hard drive. Is it even possible? Would it make a big difference for my pc? Please help! (Also, if I some how was able to transfer windows 10 and games onto the M.2 SSD would i have to transfer my drivers there As well?)

 

[Eximo]

Convenient video released recently:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZBDluCITmE

 

[USAFRet]

How much space is consumed on the current HDD?
What is the specific make/model/size of the new SSD?

Detailed steps to follow.

 

[Eximo]

USAFRet is correct, the total data you have used up needs to be smaller than the destination drive. You might need to sacrifice (uninstall) a few of your games if you are over.

To answer more direct questions:
Yes, this will benefit general Windows performance and game loading, but not your in-game performance (baring some games that need an SSD for loading in game textures and stuff, Cyberpunk 2077 is a good example)
Cloning the drive moves everything over, OS, games, drivers, it is as if nothing has changed except the speed of the drive. When you are done you can simply reformat the hard drive and treat it as additional storage.
You will not need an additional copy of Windows.

Not all games should go on the SSD, only those where you want the load times to be quick.

 

[ToastyGuRu]

How much space is consumed on the current HDD?
What is the specific make/model/size of the new SSD?

I have used 0.11. (1.70 Tb Free of 1.81 Tb)

 

[USAFRet]

I have used 0.11. (1.70 Tb Free of 1.81 Tb)

And the new drive?
Make/model/size, please.

 

[ToastyGuRu]

Oh, I haven't bought it yet. I would probogey the m.2 western digital 500gb

 

[USAFRet]

Oh, I haven't bought it yet. I would probogey the m.2 western digital 500gb

When you do get it.....

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Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
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Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specifiy the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
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