[SOLVED] Put windows 10 on a new Harddrive

[Deleted member 2729451]

I just got a new harddrive and I want to move windows 10 to it, how would I go about doing that? Do I just reset the pc and will it let me choose where windows 10 will install to?

 

[rgd1101]

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

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"Before you begin the installation, whether now or after you create your installation media, it is of utmost importance that you disconnect ALL system attached storage drives EXCEPT for the target drive. "

 

[USAFRet]

I just got a new harddrive and I want to move windows 10 to it, how would I go about doing that? Do I just reset the pc and will it let me choose where windows 10 will install to?

No. The "reset" within Windows will only write to the original drive.

You can either do a fresh install on the new drive. This means you will also reinstall all your applications, drivers, etc.
or
Migrate the whole thing from old to new.

Questions:
Desktop or laptop?
How much space is consumed on the current drive?
What is the size/make/model of the new drive?
Does the OS work to your satisfaction? No issues?

 

[Deleted member 2729451]

No. The "reset" within Windows will only write to the original drive.

You can either do a fresh install on the new drive. This means you will also reinstall all your applications, drivers, etc.
or
Migrate the whole thing from old to new.

Questions:
Desktop or laptop?
How much space is consumed on the current drive?
What is the size/make/model of the new drive?
Does the OS work to your satisfaction? No issues?

Desktop
The one that has windows on it is 1.52tb free of 1.81, and the one I want to use for windows is brand new nothing on it
Link to new one [https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barr...eywords=hard+drive&qid=1607186756&sr=8-3&th=1]
Yes, just want to move it to new one

 

[USAFRet]

Desktop
The one that has windows on it is 1.52tb free of 1.81, and the one I want to use for windows is brand new nothing on it
Link to new one [https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-BarraCuda-Internal-Drive-3-5-Inch/dp/B07H2RR55Q/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=hard+drive&qid=1607186756&sr=8-3&th=1]
Yes, just want to move it to new one

(written for SSD, but works the same for HDD)


-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specifiy the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------

 

[USAFRet]

Why are you wanting to move from one HDD to another?

 

[Deleted member 2729451]

(written for SSD, but works the same for HDD)


-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specifiy the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------

I'm a little lost on some parts, couldn't I just remove the harddrive and put new one in and just put my Product key into the new hardrive? Then just install windows on that put old harddrive in as well and remove windows from it like that? Or worst case just don't use the old hardrive anymore? I have a external I could use instead of the old one, this old one is pretty loud so It wouldn't be that bad not using it anymore

 

[USAFRet]

I'm a little lost on some parts, couldn't I just remove the harddrive and put new one in and just put my Product key into the new hardrive? Then just install windows on that put old harddrive in as well and remove windows from it like that? Or worst case just don't use the old hardrive anymore? I have a external I could use instead of the old one, this old one is pretty loud so It wouldn't be that bad not using it anymore

As said....2 options.
Either a fresh install on the new drive. Which means a reinstall of everything else as well. ALl the applications and drives that exist on the old drive will not work.
Steam games are no problem, but everything else - reinstall of that as well.

Or

Migrate the entire contents of the old drive to the new one.
Then, you wipe the old drive clean and use it for whatever.


Again, why adding this new HDD? If the current one is operating just fine, all you need do is to connect this one. No messing with the OS needed. No install, no migration...

 

[Deleted member 2729451]

As said....2 options.
Either a fresh install on the new drive. Which means a reinstall of everything else as well. ALl the applications and drives that exist on the old drive will not work.
Steam games are no problem, but everything else - reinstall of that as well.

Or

Migrate the entire contents of the old drive to the new one.
Then, you wipe the old drive clean and use it for whatever.


Again, why adding this new HDD? If the current one is operating just fine, all you need do is to connect this one. No messing with the OS needed. No install, no migration...

Well it is VERY loud. I wanted to take it out and open it to see if something is wrong. If I take it out and just put a new one in all I have to do is just reactivate windows 10 right? I have my key for it

 

[USAFRet]

Well it is VERY loud. I wanted to take it out and open it to see if something is wrong. If I take it out and just put a new one in all I have to do is just reactivate windows 10 right? I have my key for it

You won't even need the license key. Just install on the new drive. When the system goes online later, it will activate itself.
You WILL have to reinstall whatever applications you use on this.
Along with drivers.

You'll be starting from a completely blank slate. A bare Windows 10.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[SkyNetRising]

I wanted to take it out and open it to see if something is wrong. If I take it out and just put a new one in all I have to do is just reactivate windows 10 right? I have my key for it

Don't do that. You can throw your hdd in trash bin after opening it. It will get contaminated and unusable. HDDs can be opened only in specialized clean room environment.

Also - your new Seagate Barracuda drive is SMR drive. Usable for storage, backups, archives.
Not usable for installing windows on it. Windows will become unusable on such drive. Continuous 100% disk activity - is what you'll get with windows on it.

Get 500GB sata SSD instead for windows. Crucial MX500 or Samsung 860 evo.

 

[USAFRet]

I wanted to take it out and open it to see if something is wrong.

Thereby killing it completely.
No user serviceable parts inside.

 

[DSzymborski]

Well it is VERY loud. I wanted to take it out and open it to see if something is wrong. If I take it out and just put a new one in all I have to do is just reactivate windows 10 right? I have my key for it

The only reason to open a hard drive is if you're curious about learning about the insides first-hand before you send it to a recycling center for processing.

Otherwise this is the condition in which someone is opening up a hard drive to see if something is wrong:

Is this your situation?

 

[Deleted member 2729451]

Don't do that. You can throw your hdd in trash bin after opening it. It will get contaminated and unusable. HDDs can be opened only in specialized clean room environment.

Also - your new Seagate Barracuda drive is SMR drive. Usable for storage, backups, archives.
Not usable for installing windows on it. Windows will become unusable on such drive. Continuous 100% disk activity - is what you'll get with windows on it.

Get 500GB sata SSD instead for windows. Crucial MX500 or Samsung 860 evo.

Alright, so Ill will just keep windows on it for now until I get a ssd, should I move steam and everything else to the new drive then?

 

[USAFRet]

Alright, so Ill will just keep windows on it for now until I get a ssd, should I move steam and everything else to the new drive then?

What, specifically, do you refer to with "move steam and everything else"?
You can't move applications around.

Steam games, yes. Applications like the Steam client, no.

 

[Deleted member 2729451]

What, specifically, do you refer to with "move steam and everything else"?
You can't move applications around.

Steam games, yes. Applications like the Steam client, no.

Just resetting my whole pc and will just put all games on new hard drive and leave the old harddrive for windows 10 and small stuff

 

[USAFRet]

Just resetting my whole pc and will just put all games on new hard drive and leave the old harddrive for windows 10 and small stuff

OK, a full reinstall of everything.

Personally, I would just leave it as is.
No "reset".

Install some games on the new drive.
And prepare for the SSD that you really want...