Moving Windows 8.1 from HDD to SSD

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nsaylor95

nsaylor95

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Jun 16, 2012
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Hey guys,

I just ordered a SSD and before it gets here I want to know the best way to move Windows 8.1 from my current HDD to my SSD. How would I go about doing this?
 
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You have 3 choices.
1: Install windows to the SSD fresh with no other drives attached and then attach the HDD and reinstall all your applications.
2: Clone the HDD to the SSD. First you would uninstall applications that you want to run from the HDD in an attempt to get the currently used space on the harddrive small enough to fit onto the SSD.
3: Purchase the only program I know of that will actually move only windows, to the ssd:
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/migrate-OS-to-SSD/index_new.html
 
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I think I'll do a fresh install. After I hook my hard drive up what do I do with the Windows files on it? Can I safely delete them since they'd be on my SSD also?
 
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Paragon version is not working for windows 8.1 fully yet. (only works for 8).
Their customer support emailed me they expect to have a new release at the end of November) which I guess will be working for windows 8.1
 
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It is my understanding, Easus has an 'advanced' mode when cloning a HDD with 8.1 to another drive that allows you to enter the Windows key so the new drive will boot up on the 8.1 PC. I was fortunate enough the Magical Jelly Bean worked on my Asus and pulled the code from the BIOS. I've never done it, and only read about it once, and was curious if anyone else has tried it before I dive in.
 
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NOT TRUE. Paragon is a piece of junk. I purchased the 4.0 version & tried to move my 8.1 OS to a SSD. The SSD would not bootup & there is no tech support available within 24 hours. So you are stuck with a piece of junk that does not work. Also, I downloaded the $49.95 version with a free 30 day trial. I tried to use it to migrate my OS but the program will not allow you to use the migration feature unless you buy it first. Probably because it does not work & they know it. I SPENT SEVERAL HOURS TRYING TO GET THIS TO WORK BUT PARAGON FAILED EVERY TIME!!!
 
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Nope, your right,, the trial wont do it. You need to spend the $20 and buy the migrate software. often you can find $5 off coupon codes on the net to make it $15 and I know for a fact it works on win8.1

 
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First of all, the best program hands down is Acronis. Google it.

Secondly, ALL the major HD makers offer a limited version of it for the express purpose of cloning your drive. Seagate, WD, etc. It is downloadable from their web sites. You MUST have at least ONE drive from that particular manufacturer for it to work.

I usually just hook up both drives to another machine I have laying around (need 2 SATA cables).and run the program. It has an easy mode where it will auto resize the partitions for you, etc etc.
 
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Hello all,
As a followup to this thread, I'm having an impossible time migrating my Windows 8.1 500G HD (Acer laptop - Aspire E1-472P-6860) to SSD. SSD is a Crucial MX100, 512gb SSD. I have tried both Acronis True Image (came with SSD), and Paragon Migrate OS to SSD (paid version). Neither one produces a bootable SSD. All I get is the spinning dots when I insert the SSD into the laptop It never gets any further, OR I get "Preparing Automatic Repair", which never runs either. Just hangs. The HD light comes on for about 10 seconds, then goes out.

An engineer at Paragon suggested I do the following after running Migrate OS to SSD:

Boot into recovery;

Then:
DISKPART> list disk
DISKPART> select disk #
(replace # with the number of SSD in the list, should be 0 if other disks are disconnected)

DISKPART> list partition
DISKPART> select partition 3
(it should be small ESP partition) (THIS FAILS: THERE IS NO SMALL PARTITION 3, JUST THE MAIN OS PARTITION IS NUMBER 3)

DISKPART> assign letter=Z
(this partition should be now mounted as Z)

DISKPART> list volume

Remember the letter of partition where OS is installed, probably it is C

DISKPART> exit

After exit from DISKPART, type:

bcdboot c:\Windows /s z: /f: UEFI


Running EASEUS Partition Manager reveals the cloned SSD is not the same as the original HD after Paragon runs. The partitions look the same after Acronis, but the SSD does not boot either way.

Also, I cannot get the recovery USB stick to run no matter what I do. I promote it to the top in the bios. Zip. I hit F12 and select it as the boot drive. Zip. The system boots from the USB stick, gets part way, then apparently switches over to the SSD. FAIL.

Anybody have any words of wisdom? I'm about at the end of my rope.
Thanks, Dan

 
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As an addendum to my last post:
I booted WinPE and was able to successfully do what the Paragon engineer suggested, with the SSD mounted in a USB3 to SATA drive box. I thought I had it licked until I put the SSD into the laptop. Another FAIL. With the SSD in the laptop, I cannot boot WinPE either. So, with the SSD in the laptop, NOTHING will boot from a USB stick... Huh??
 
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Farstone drive-copy, does it with 3 clicks. (free)
and then boots, (old HDD removed after copy)
if you leave in the old HDD, you now have to HDD (SSD) with same drive signatures.
and it gets confused.
so, use Partition-wizard, and hide the old, HDD boot partition, bam, now you have a working SSD (boot again)
and tons of space on the Old HDD. (and can be regressed!)
i was able to trick my new HP laptop in to seeing the old D: recovery partition, on the old HDD.
my HDD is in a DVD caddy, inside LT. DVD kicked to the curb for ever.

farstone allows copying only the C:/ boot partition and all that it needs to boot, the EFI and other parts , GPT style.
The farstone also defrags the data to the new SSD. on the fly, beat that huh? (not sector copy mode, )
The Farstone knows what you want, simple, a boot-able system.no matter what.
the Paragon failed. $40 down drain.

On some systems here is a ploy: (small SSD, say 100gb) your backed up... sure... as always.
both SSD and HDD plugged in. SSD is empty.

1: Defrag the C: and remove unused programs from C: program files, , in future put all Prog. installs on HDD partitions.
then if necessary shrink the partition below SSD size. (any partition tool can do that)
2: run far stone. clone it, done.
3: remove old HDD.
4: boot, see it work, happy feet, nice.
5: now put back in old hDD< and set the old C: to hidden. Partition Wizard is free. google it.
6: reboot, now 2 drives working, and SSD C: active.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU !
 
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one more hint
the newer lap top has Boot security on , in the BIOS
i hand to flip 2 bios bits or 3
1: SATA legacy on, 2014 HP LT.
2: Boot security off.
3: set boot order as you want, if you are using a stick, set it to first.

remember BIOS is dumb and easy to fool. its just Bios.
if it thinks a bad drive is bootable and cant , it gets lost.
 
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hint 2,
no DVD needed
no Win PE , no boot mem sticks, nada
must install FARSTONE and run it, ontop of the desk top.
can't be more easy.

Dan post system spec, full. and year. made.
 
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Thank you for the update, I was not aware of that.

 
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I've been having the same issues with my new Crucial MX100. I'm trying to get it set up in my new Dell Inspiron 11.6" convertible 2 in 1.
The Acronis doesn't give me a drive which wants to work properly. Have you found a good solution.

 
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I'm trying to do the exact same thing with the Dell 11 3000 convertible. Any luck?
 
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I tried 3 different cloning programs and none of them worked right. I finally decided to install Windows 8.1 fresh and see what happened. It installed ok, but without the correct drivers for the Dell Wifi card - so I had no internet to complete the installation and download the programs I wanted. Finally, I decided to try the recovery drive I made on a USB flash drive. I booted from the flash drive, recovered to factory settings and rebooted. Everything worked great. I used my SATA cable to move my data, music, pictures from my original HDD onto the SSD installed in the computer. Then I installed fresh downloads of programs I wanted. So, it has worked great since I did this.
beloved patriot luck on yours.
 
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Just cloned a HDD to a SSD using HDClone 5. At first windows got an error and recoved something. But now, everything looks fine...
Just a little time before logon - but I had the same problem with the HDD, must be some of my programs.
 
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I've had nothing but trouble from Acronis. "Coincidently" 3 of my previously made CLONES with Adonis ALL generated the same error message that a driver "SNAPMAN" suddenly all failed at exactly the same time - my C:\ drive that was active and 2 clones that were 10 feet away - really POWERFULL MOJO errors! HUH!!!??? I spent 6 HOURS trying to rip out the defective Acronis TRUE IMAGE 2014. Acronis demanded that I give them REMOTE control of my computer. They executed 2 programs to totally UNINSTALL the defective product (WIN 8.1 UNINSTALL couldn't remove the Acronis TRUE IMAGE 2014.) Still the newly downloaded program wouldn't install. Finally, I went though the REGISTRY and deleted over 300 references to Acronis!!! This was AFTER their tools "removed" the program. They have 2 types of backups, neither of which work. You can CLONE a drive (until the SNAPMAN "driver" suddenly fails on active and disconnected drive all in the same hour). You can also make file backups. I validated my C:\ drive before and after the backup file was created. Days later, 95% of the Iron Clad Validated backup files were ALL CORUPTED. Stay as far away from Acronis as you can get! John A. Leo
 
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I tried different application to move my preinstalled Windows 8.1 from hdd to ssd - no luck. I was almost ready to make clean installation but decided try Paragon Hard Disk Manager 14 Pro. And it did it. Just click on migrate OS task, select sourse OS and target disk. This application copy not only OS partition, but mrb record partition that allow use ssd as bootable device. After this task finished, restart laptop\pc and make ssd in BIOS first in boot chain.
Good luck!
 
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I'd just like to a say, Paragon's tool worked great for me, so thanks for that. Just migrated Windows 8.1 from my old HDD to a new SSD RAID 1, took about 25 mins, no problems. To anyone having issues, keep in mind you may also need "Boot Media Builder" thing installed too if you're on a UEFI mobo (also comes in the download email, it has to be installed AFTER the main program).

It was so seamless I wasn't sure it actually worked at first :lol:

(I would have loved to use Intel's free tool, but it doesn't recognize the drives in RAID, but anyone with Intel SSDs running outside of a RAID may want to try that first. $20 was worth not needing to re-install Windows and all my programs though.)
 
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Reading what you guys had to do makes my skin crawl. I think y'all should ditch the PC and get a Mac. Macs now come with SSD but if you have one with HDD, cloning that to SSD and having a bootable SSD drive that is identical to your old HDD is a piece of cake!
 
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