[SOLVED] New SSD, upgrade to Windows 10 process- Help?

db45acp

Honorable
Feb 12, 2013
3
0
10,510
I am running an older (2012) Acer M3970G system that was upgraded from Win7 Home to Win 7 Ultimate.
It has been great & flawless for 8 years.
1TB WD HDD 75% full.
Graphics upgraded to NVidia GTX 660Ti
Primary use is personal business and son's gaming.

We are going to install a new Samsung 860 EVO 500 GB and after that upgrade from the Win7 Ultimate to windows 10.
My plan is to take out the WD HDD and do a fresh install of Win 7 Ultimate on the SSD as the main/boot drive.
Finish all the updates to get Win 7 current.
Reinstall the HDD as a secondary drive, then reinstall or move (if possible) all the programs back to the SSD.
After that do the Win 10 upgrade.

I essentially did this with my other system, a Gigabyte rig I put together from all new components, and it still runs great.
I don't remember how I moved the programs from the HDD to the new SSD.
I thought I just opened the files and copied them or dragged them from one drive to the other.
I don't remember using any cloning software or anything else, which similar posts say I need to do.
I'm pretty sure I just copied to the new drive.

Am I correct, or mistaken in what I remember?
I can give more details if needed.
I'm just looking for the simplest, easiest move to accomplish this without having to clone, buy software, and all that.
Thanks for your help.
-DB
 
Solution
So am I correct in the ability to simply drag or copying programs from the HDD over to the new SSD?
No.
Absolutely not. Not ever.

You presumably want the OS and applications on the SSD?
Then do that. You can't simply drag n drop applications from one OS to a different drive. Tears will result.

Those applications will need to be reinstalled with the new OS on the SSD.

db45acp

Honorable
Feb 12, 2013
3
0
10,510
You can just fresh install W10 on the SSD and then enter the W7 key. The W7 key should work to activate w10.
!DOH!
See, that's why I ask the smart guys. Don't know why I didn't think of that.
Thanks.
So fresh install on the HDD, then put the HDD back in as secondary drive.
I suppose the new Win 10 will add whatever it needs by default to the HDD, if anything, for compatibility.
So am I correct in the ability to simply drag or copying programs from the HDD over to the new SSD?
Thhanks again,
-DB
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
So am I correct in the ability to simply drag or copying programs from the HDD over to the new SSD?
No.
Absolutely not. Not ever.

You presumably want the OS and applications on the SSD?
Then do that. You can't simply drag n drop applications from one OS to a different drive. Tears will result.

Those applications will need to be reinstalled with the new OS on the SSD.
 
Solution

db45acp

Honorable
Feb 12, 2013
3
0
10,510
No.
Absolutely not. Not ever.

You presumably want the OS and applications on the SSD?
Then do that. You can't simply drag n drop applications from one OS to a different drive. Tears will result.

Those applications will need to be reinstalled with the new OS on the SSD.
Ok, thanks for the warning. I'll follow that, for certain.
-DB