Install Windows 8.1 on a new SSD

[Kaeso]

Hello,

I am looking at buying a new SSD. Is it possible to migrate my Windows 8.1 OS from my current HDD to the new SSD? If so, how difficult would this be?

Thanks!

P.S. My system is the following:

Intel i5 4590S
Asus H97 motherboard
8 GB ram
1 TB HDD
MSI r9 270
Windows 8.1

 

[ronintexas]

If you buy the Samsung SSDs, they come with migration software to move it from the HDD to the SSD (it allows you to choose your library files to stay on the HDD).

Quite a few drives have disk cloning software - and there are free ones out there.

That being said, it is always better to reinstall from scratch (with the HDD removed), then add the HDD back in.

 

[rhysiam]

You can, there's migration software that usually works (Samsung bundles one with their SSDs).

If you can it's not a bad idea to reinstall the OS from scratch though. When you install it Windows knows that you're installing to an SSD and optimises things appropriately (disables scheduled defrags, enables TRIM, etc).

I haven't used the migration software myself so I can't comment personally, but people have reported that it works fine so it's certainly an option if you're pushed for time. It's non-destructive too, so you can always try it out, and then if it doesn't work, go back to you HDD OS until you find the time to install from scratch on the SSD.

 

[orlbuckeye]

Actually it's called Cloning software and I have used Acronis True Image. I purchased a system with a HD and a second empty bay. I purchased a SSD kit with the software and a USB external drive case. I put the SSD in the external case and used the software to clone the drive. The system was a month old so it was almost like installed the OS fresh. When you clone you copy everything on the drive including malware there is some on the drive. I cloned a second time to a Bigger SSD. My boot times went from close to minute to 20 seconds max.