Moving Data from SSD to SSD

[Dextara]

Hi Everyone, I have been reading and searching all over for a few answers and couldn't find the right info, so I thought why not ask the fellow members of TH!

Ok, so I bought a 70 GB SSD back in 2011 and as you can imagine its been getting super full. I've been cleaning every nook and cranny of it to make it stay around 15ish GB. Today I finally bought a SAMSUNG 840 EVO 500GB so I can put some more applications on my SSD and not worry about running out of space.

My question is about doing a FRESH install. I know I could just copy my OS over, but I want to take full advantage of the new SSD. BUT this is where i'm a little confused. EVERY program I have on my computer is on other HDDs, but some of those programs also put some data onto my SSD I have currently. For example, Skyrim puts its saves into "My Games" on my SSD, or some programs put files onto the SSD even though when I install a program I always Browse>Install on {D:} Drive. So if I do a fresh install of Windows on my new SSD will most of my programs get corrupted because its missing files that were saved onto my old SSD?

Thanks 😀

 

[drtweak]

If you do a fresh install they will do the same thing. Now since you already have a SSD you can clone it with out issue. You don't have to make sure trim is on because well it already is.

Almost everyone will always reccommend a fresh install. Espcially after 3 years i'm sure Windows will run better. I say yank out your 70GB and have ONLY your new 500 installed. Install windows to that, then make sure the 500 is your first boot drive. The connect all the other drives back up. This way you can just access the Boot menu when you start up your PC, and select the 70GB if you need to access windows on there to see settings on your current stuff. Then once your comfortable on your new install you can just erase your 70GB and do what you want with it or leave it as it is.

 

[unksol]

All programs MUST be reinstalled. They will not work at all if you don't as windows won't even know they exist. Install windows on the new SSD, hook up the rest of your drives and reinstall all programs, then copy the save games and any data you want from the old SSD folders to the new one.

Note you do not have to redownload steam/origin games. You have to reinstall steam/origin to the same directory. Steam will auto install if you double click steam.exe in its current folder. The first time you launch a steam game it will then install without redownloading it.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

If it was a HD, I would not recommend cloning as I just can't see it being set up properly .... but of SSDs with same controller should work fine. For over 20 years I have had my OS on a separate partition..... when windows got fudged, I would just restore the image from a "cloned" backup and it would work fine..... all necessary registry entries and all common files stored on the SSD woill be restored so all ya programs and everythiung else does NOt have to be reinstalled.

 

[Dextara]

If you do a fresh install they will do the same thing. Now since you already have a SSD you can clone it with out issue. You don't have to make sure trim is on because well it already is.

Almost everyone will always reccommend a fresh install. Espcially after 3 years i'm sure Windows will run better. I say yank out your 70GB and have ONLY your new 500 installed. Install windows to that, then make sure the 500 is your first boot drive. The connect all the other drives back up. This way you can just access the Boot menu when you start up your PC, and select the 70GB if you need to access windows on there to see settings on your current stuff. Then once your comfortable on your new install you can just erase your 70GB and do what you want with it or leave it as it is.

Ok, so basically the best way to do this is to just do a fresh install and install all my programs that I had on my old drive and keep my old one for review until everything is good to go. Would you know by any chance on how much slower the drive would perform if I did clone it though?

 

[JackNaylorPE]

1. Unplug data cables for all other drives
2. Install Windoze to new SSD
3. Run Windoze Update the 6-7 times it takes before it says "No mas"
4. Install all latest drivers.
5. Connect other drive data cables including old SSD
6. Look in your program files folder and copy say 4 program folder from old installation to same spot on new installation.
7. Reinstall old programs over themselves to set up registry entries in new OS. In this manner step 6 will bring over all your toolbars, customizations and such so you don't have to recustomize everything all over again.
8. Rinse and repeat step 6-7 till all programs done.
9. Copy Data and whatever else ya want off old SSD to new SSD / HD
10. Format ya old SSD and MAKE SURE ya format the right one.

 

[Dextara]

1. Unplug data cables for all other drives
2. Install Windoze to new SSD
3. Run Windoze Update the 6-7 times it takes before it says "No mas"
4. Install all latest drivers.
5. Connect other drive data cables including old SSD
6. Look in your program files folder and copy say 4 program folder from old installation to same spot on new installation.
7. Reinstall old programs over themselves to set up registry entries in new OS. In this manner step 6 will bring over all your toolbars, customizations and such so you don't have to recustomize everything all over again.
8. Rinse and repeat step 6-7 till all programs done.
9. Copy Data and whatever else ya want off old SSD to new SSD / HD
10. Format ya old SSD and MAKE SURE ya format the right one.

Hmm, thanks for the info. I think what im going to do is just install my main programs and install other programs as I go. Ill make sure to keep my old drive connected for awhile to look over and do this method for a few things, like my browsers. Thanks for the info guys

 

[drtweak]

The only rason why the drive would run as slow is if windows is suffering from Bit Rot. I usually redo my windows and even my Android table and phone every year at least to keep it fresh. What i'm actually gonna start doing is just get the basics installed. Then make a Image of it, this way i can restore the image and not have to reinstall everything all the time.