Migrated OS, how do I use backup?

[yoyoran]

I migrated my OS to my SSD from my HDD, i made a backup of the HDD, how do I use this backup so that I get everything back on my HDD working with the new OS? And is this even possible?

Like, how do I make sure that I get office again? And is it possible to use the backup in such a way that I dont have to reinstall every game?

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Welcome to Tom's Hardware, @yoyoran!

Can you please share what kind of backup utility you have used when creating this backup in the first place?
Since you already have migrated the OS successfully to the SSD, you should plug your HDD back in the system and then use Disk management in Windows to format the secondary HDD. Once you have wiped it clean if the old OS installation, connect your backup storage drive and transfer all the needed data back to the hard drive. If you have used a third-party backup tool, make sure you install the same software again before retrieving the backup onto the HDD. If you were using Windows Backup & Restore, then maybe this MS article will shed some light.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have more questions!
SuperSoph_WD

 

[yoyoran]

Welcome to Tom's Hardware, @yoyoran!

Can you please share what kind of backup utility you have used when creating this backup in the first place?
Since you already have migrated the OS successfully to the SSD, you should plug your HDD back in the system and then use Disk management in Windows to format the secondary HDD. Once you have wiped it clean if the old OS installation, connect your backup storage drive and transfer all the needed data back to the hard drive. If you have used a third-party backup tool, make sure you install the same software again before retrieving the backup onto the HDD. If you were using Windows Backup & Restore, then maybe this MS article will shed some light.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have more questions!
SuperSoph_WD

I made an Windows Image Backup, the HDD is already connected. But I want to use the HDD as a mass storage drive and the SSD for some games that I play the most, I have everything still on the HDD but I just cant use it. And how do i delete the old OS?

 

[13thmonkey]

for reference, did you do what you were advised to do here: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-3216367/install-windows-ssd.html#18745440

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

In order to be able to use the HDD as a mass secondary storage, you need to make sure you have that data backed up somewhere else (off-site to an external HDD, for example), @yoyoran. Afterwards, you need to follow the instructions I shared from the link in my previous post that explains how to partition & format your hard drive through Disk Management. After you have wiped it clean, you can simply transfer the backup onto the HDD again without having the old Windows installation there (since you have already erased the partitions & created a new simple volume).
What exactly do you mean that you cannnot use it? Are you able to see the HDD in Disk Management? Posting some screenshots from there would be really helpful to us.

I just saw your other thread that @13thmonkey shared. Did you clean install the OS onto the SSD or did you use a cloning utility to migrate Windows form the HDD to the SSD?

SuperSoph_WD

 

[yoyoran]

In order to be able to use the HDD as a mass secondary storage, you need to make sure you have that data backed up somewhere else (off-site to an external HDD, for example), @yoyoran. Afterwards, you need to follow the instructions I shared from the link in my previous post that explains how to partition & format your hard drive through Disk Management. After you have wiped it clean, you can simply transfer the backup onto the HDD again without having the old Windows installation there (since you have already erased the partitions & created a new simple volume).
What exactly do you mean that you cannnot use it? Are you able to see the HDD in Disk Management? Posting some screenshots from there would be really helpful to us.

I just saw your other thread that @13thmonkey shared. Did you clean install the OS onto the SSD or did you use a cloning utility to migrate Windows form the HDD to the SSD?

SuperSoph_WD

Yes i did what I was adviced to do, of course. I can see the HDD and I will just format it since I already made an backup, thank you for your help!

 

[13thmonkey]

formatting it will lose everything on that disk, and from what I recall you had a lot you wanted to keep?

 

[yoyoran]

formatting it will lose everything on that disk, and from what I recall you had a lot you wanted to keep?

Yes, but I can use the backup to get the files that I wanted right? I havent formatted yet, because I cant figure out how though. Or can I just delete the old OS and how do I do this?

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Is there's something unclear in the formatting tutorial, @yoyoran?
You simply need to go to Disk management in Windows. Did you figure out how to get there? Can you see both your SSD & your HDD there? Share a screenshot, if you are uncertain about which volume is your hard drive. (Make sure you really have your important files from it backed up somewhere off-site!)
Once you get to Disk Management and you have determined which is the HDD that you will be erasing, right-click on the partitions (since it still has your old OS, it most probably has all the same partitions as your SSD) and then select Delete Volume on each of them, until all the space on the HDD becomes Unallocated (displayed with a black bar). Afterwards, when click on it, you should be able to see the option Create a New Simple Volume, which will assign a new drive letter to the now secondary HDD and make the capacity accessible via the file explorer (This PC/My Computer).

Hope this helped.
SuperSoph_WD

 

[yoyoran]

Okey, what I did was I made an backup of everything that I wanted to keep. Then I formatted the HDD (So everything got deleted including the old OS) and now I am putting the files I wanted to keep on my HDD again, everything works as I wanted it and I am very happy with a very fast Windows. Thanks everybody for your help and time!

 

[13thmonkey]

So are you saying that it's all done and OK? or that windows is good, but you still need to sort the backup out?