Moving Hard Drive and Multiple SSD's into newly built computer

[nastynas]

So my current PC had 1 TB hard drive and 3 SSD's with 1 of the SSD's containing Windows where I would boot from.

Now I am getting a completely new PC (still intel) including new motherboard, GPU, CPU, Power supply etc. But I want to keep everything from my old storage drives and bring them over.

Now I understand I cant bring over the SSD with Windows installed and expect it to work. So what I am going to do is a fresh install Windows on one of my other SSD's (one that doesn't have an OS on it) make sure it is working and updated and then hook up all my other drives. From here I will be able to delete the Windows installation that I had used on my SSD on my old system and keep all my files and such.

Is this going to work? Do I have to have an completely empty SSD to do a fresh install of windows on? Im not totally sure I have an empty one but I'm sure it has enough space for windows on it.

 

[Rogue Leader]

In the process of installing windows you will be able to format and partition the drive, and as well you should. Windows can't be installed into just the space you have not used yet. Otherwise this plan will work.

 

[James Mason]

Yes it will work.

The SSD doesn't have to be completely empty, but it needs an empty partition that's big enough to hold the Windows install, and any updates and other programs you might need to put on it. (So like, 50GBs at the minimum)

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Partition

 

[USAFRet]

1. What is on the other drives?
2. It is highly preferable to designate a whole drive for the OS. You can mess about with partitions, but that will be a majopr pain.
3. What size are these drives?
4. Be careful what you consider 'files'. Doc/music/video, no problem. But too many people include "applications" in that word 'files'. Those will have to be reinstalled with the new OS.

 

[nastynas]

1. What is on the other drives?
2. It is highly preferable to designate a whole drive for the OS. You can mess about with partitions, but that will be a major pain.
3. What size are these drives?
4. Be careful what you consider 'files'. Doc/music/video, no problem. But too many people include "applications" in that word 'files'. Those will have to be reinstalled with the new OS.

1. The main things I am concerned about keeping and migrating over are simple items like Word Docs, notepad files, pictures etc.
Applications, programs, and all my games can be re-installed no problem I don't care about those.

The size of my SSD that I will be putting the OS on as my boot drive is a Samsung Evo 256GB, I have a 1 TB hard drive and my other SSD's are for games that I just want to load fast and are both 128gb

I am probably going to just format the 256 SSD to have a clean Windows install on it. Just wanted to make sure once I do that and plug in all the other drives their data will all still be there (programs will obviously need to be re-installed) but everything will be intact.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes. The data living on those other drives will be fine.