Question New hard drive,Keep files?

[shurvir]

Hello im getting a new hard drive to be more specific a Samsung 970 EVO Plus Series - 500GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD (MZ-V7S500B/AM) i'm planning on making this drive my main boot drive and my current 1tb hdd as a second drive but i was wondering if i will lose all my files from my second drive? Like for ex will i keep everything that's on the second hdd? Will my bookmarks,desktop and say games look the same or will everything be lost? I know i have to install a new version of windows on my new drive but was not sure how this will work out.

 

[jojesa]

You could easily clone your HDD into your SSD using Samsung Data Migration Software and keep everything as is now just faster.
After you clone your HDD into your SSD, power off, remove the HDD and change your Boot order so the system will boot from the new drive.
Check that everything is working, then you could connect back the HDD and use it as you please.

 

[USAFRet]

Hello im getting a new hard drive to be more specific a Samsung 970 EVO Plus Series - 500GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD (MZ-V7S500B/AM) i'm planning on making this drive my main boot drive and my current 1tb hdd as a second drive but i was wondering if i will lose all my files from my second drive? Like for ex will i keep everything that's on the second hdd? Will my bookmarks,desktop and say games look the same or will everything be lost? I know i have to install a new version of windows on my new drive but was not sure how this will work out.

Specifically:
What drives do you have in the system now?
How much space is consumed on your current C drive?
What OS is this?

 

[shurvir]

Specifically:
What drives do you have in the system now?
How much space is consumed on your current C drive?
What OS is this?

I have 1 1tb hdd a
Model ST1000DM003-1CH162
I have about 430gb left on it
Windows 10 pro

 

[shurvir]

You could easily clone your HDD into your SSD using Samsung Data Migration Software and keep everything as is now just faster.
After you clone your HDD into your SSD, power off, remove the HDD and change your Boot order so the system will boot from the new drive.
Check that everything is working, then you could connect back the HDD and use it as you please.

Is that the only way?

 

[USAFRet]

To clone into a 500GB drive, your actual consumed space needs to be below 400GB.
Get to that point, and we can discuss migration options.

 

[shurvir]

To clone into a 500GB drive, your actual consumed space needs to be below 400GB.
Get to that point, and we can discuss migration options.

I don't necessarily want to clone the drive i just want to know if making my current drive my second drive will i still have access to my files?

 

[USAFRet]

I don't necessarily want to clone the drive i just want to know if making my current drive my second drive will i still have access to my files?

If you're doing a clean install on the SSD, you're starting out with a blank slate.
You get pretty much nothing of the original OS. Not the desktop, not the applications...
You can drill down and find your doc/music/video/pics, but it can be a pain.

Steam games living on the old drive can be used, but you do that through the new Steam client you'll install with the new OS.

Again, you're starting out with a blank drive and OS.

 

[ElectrO_90]

Trust USAFret - get your drive down to 400GB (remove Steam games as you can download them easily)
Then USAFret will inform you on how to make a clone.
From my own experience - you need to CLONE unless you want to spend hours/days looking for files/downloading apps etc.

 

[shurvir]

If you're doing a clean install on the SSD, you're starting out with a blank slate.
You get pretty much nothing of the original OS. Not the desktop, not the applications...
You can drill down and find your doc/music/video/pics, but it can be a pain.

Steam games living on the old drive can be used, but you do that through the new Steam client you'll install with the new OS.

Again, you're starting out with a blank drive and OS.

I thought that by making my 1tb hdd the slave drive even though i wasn't booting from it i could still access my files but it seems i'm wrong, thanks for the helpful suggestion

 

[ElectrO_90]

I thought that by making my 1tb hdd the slave drive even though i wasn't booting from it i could still access my files but it seems i'm wrong, thanks for the helpful suggestion

Technically you can, but it's a nightmare and wouldn't recommend trying to do it. Simple is best and that is to remove Steam Games as they are easily downloaded and normally take up the most space.

 

[shurvir]

As i stated up top i'm getting a Samsung 970 EVO Plus Series - 500GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD (MZ-V7S500B/AM) as my main drive now do i have to have the game or program on this drive in order to get the fast boot time and read/write benefits? Like for example can i have For honor on my hdd but still get the fast boot time from my m.2?

 

[USAFRet]

As i stated up top i'm getting a Samsung 970 EVO Plus Series - 500GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD (MZ-V7S500B/AM) as my main drive now do i have to have the game or program on this drive in order to get the fast boot time and read/write benefits? Like for example can i have For honor on my hdd but still get the fast boot time from my m.2?

That which resides on the SSD loads at SSD speed.
That which resides on the HDD loads at HDD speed.