Install new SSD for operating system whilst keeping old apps and excluding windows running on the old one.

[sedateeddie]

I would like to get myself an SSD for my gaming PC, I was wondering if there was a way to keep all my old applications on my current HDD and for them to be usable after installing a new SSD and windows.

Would it also be possible to fully delete windows from my old HDD and keep my apps runnable?

I have, on a good day, 4mbps internet, the last thing I want to do is to re-download my Steam library, my Uplay library and my Origin library. This would literally take about a week.

 

[Mattios]

It is possible with some platforms to move games to another drive (Steam: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129)

I would suggest you install your OS on the new SSD, then plug the old HDD in after clean installing and then you can delete your old OS off the old drive but keep the games, where you can map Steam to the old drive accordingly.

Moving an OS to an SSD is messy without clean installing.

 

[Suztera]

Steam is quite easy to move around. It should work fine just copying the whole Steam directory.
Uplay is a different story. I have not managed to move games but other people said they could. Personally it doesn't work.
I believe Origin is the same but i haven't used Origin for half a year.
Would recommend reinstallation of the OS and other applications like Office etc.
I would recommend you use another hard drive to keep your Steam and others whilst you format the old hard drive.

 

[hang-the-9]

Use a clone program like Clonezilla and clone your old drive to the new one, assuming the data will fit. You can always move files (other than the OS and installed programs) to another drive and then do the clone if the new drive is too small to fit everything.