Question Moving SSD from my old computer to new one ?

[Khaos526]

I have my old Windows 10 computer in which the CPU doesn't qualify for Windows 11, so I bought a new one.

The new computer has a 1TB NVMe for the OS and I added a 2nd 8TB NVMe into the motherboard without issues.

I want to take my 4TB data SATA SSD (Samsung SSD 870 QVO and only has files, games, photos, etc, it's not the OS SSD) and add it to one of the spare SATA slots on the new computer to use as a 3rd drive and keep all the data on it, as it's still in good condition and I want to have a lot of links to that drive which is G: on the old computer.

I have the SATA slots, the power connectors avaliable and the bay in the new system to put this drive in. I want to make sure I do this correctly (yes it's all backed up online, but that takes many days to restore it all). Everything I've tried to research though online just talks about adding a brand new SSD, addin the OS SSD and booting or not booting from that, or transfering data from the old one to a new one. I just want to put the old one in the new computer and use it as another drive as I have in my old system.

So I am thinking all I would have to do is mount it in the bay, connect the SATA cable to the motherboard's (G16chr ASUS) SATA slot, connect the power and ideally reboot the computer and then go into Disk Management and initilize it to be the G: drive and to not format it.

Is this correct or not?

Thanks

 

[Lafong]

Offhand, I think that should work if I understand you correctly.

I assume the complete path to the files on the Samsung 870 when connected on the new PC will be identical to the path to those same files on the old PC.

Are there ANY installed programs on the Samsung 870?

 

[Khaos526]

Offhand, I think that should work if I understand you correctly.

I assume the complete path to the files on the Samsung 870 when connected on the new PC will be identical to the path to those same files on the old PC.

Are there ANY installed programs on the Samsung 870?

There are Steam Games, but those should be fine once I activate them through Steam as it should be able to find the main files it uses for them.

All programs were installed on the C: drive, if any were installed on this one, I'd just have to re-download them and reinstall, but that's not really an issue as there wouldn't be many.

Besides the Steam Games, Epic Games (already reinstalled those launchers for the games), the rest are mostly photos, videos, mapping stuff, phone crap and documents which I've installed all the programs to read all those.

That's about it. And yes I am keeping all the paths the same and using the same Drive letter as well G:

 

[Lafong]

I know absolutely nothing about Steam or gaming at all beyond solitaire and pinball. It appears you know how to handle that.

I do have a "data only" drive with all kinds of traditional data on it...pix, mp3s, documents, video, etc and have never had any problem simply moving it onto a new PC. It is always the D drive. D on the old PC and D on the new PC.

I wouldn't have any problem making it the E, F, or G drive on a new PC, but I've had no reason to do that.

 

[Moonstick2]

Basically yes, you're right: you plug your old drive into the new computer, turn it on, and your new computer will see the drive and all your data and stuff will be there. Because the old drive isn't bootable, there should be no problems at all.

The only confusing thing is the G: stuff: I'm not sure how you think the links pointing to G: on your old computer have ended up on your new one, unless you mean some other backed-up data transferred, or you mean links on the old drive pointing to itself. Regardless, if you don't currently have a G: there's no issue with installing this old drive and naming it G: in Disk Management, although I'd advise doing the letter change as soon as possible after installing it.