[SOLVED] SSD upgrade; help with windows migration

[TheLesko]

I'am currently using a 1tb hard disk and i would like to add a 240gb ssd to use as a boot device to load up windows faster. My question is, how to i migrate only the operating system? or the only solution is to do a fresh install of windows on the ssd, in that case do i keep all my previous data as an other disk on the system?

 

[USAFRet]

I'am currently using a 1tb hard disk and i would like to add a 240gb ssd to use as a boot device to load up windows faster. My question is, how to i migrate only the operating system? or the only solution is to do a fresh install of windows on the ssd, in that case do i keep all my previous data as an other disk on the system?

You cannot migrate "only the operating system".
There is no application or function to do that.

How much space is consumed on your current HDD?


A fresh install on the SSD also means a reinstall of your applications.

 

[TheLesko]

Currently 720gb are occupied, if i install a new windows on the ssd, can i still use my old drive as a data drive?

 

[USAFRet]

Currently 720gb are occupied, if i install a new windows on the ssd, can i still use my old drive as a data drive?

Yes.

Why only a 240GB SSD?
What is your budget for this?

 

[TheLesko]

I got it cause it was on sale (20 bucks) and i only needed to use it as a boot device and maybe one or two heavy games, but still wanted to keep the old stuff on my hdd.

 

[TheLesko]

Yes.

Why only a 240GB SSD?
What is your budget for this?

I have an other question, if i fresh install windows on the new ssd and use the hdd as data drive, do i need to reinstall drivers and all the things on the ssd?
And, are there any coexistency errors with an other drive with windows already in it?
Have i done a stupid thing by buying the ssd before checking if the thing i wanted to do was even possible?

 

[Nemesia]

A new Windows reinstall means reinstalling everything. Programs, drivers, everything.

The SSD is fine. It's just not much space. 256GB SSD is really easy to fill up and when it's filled up it causes a lot of issues. Most people will recommend a 512GB SSD for the OS drive so that at least you can install a few thing on it and still be far from filling it up.

 

[USAFRet]

I have an other question, if i fresh install windows on the new ssd and use the hdd as data drive, do i need to reinstall drivers and all the things on the ssd?
And, are there any coexistency errors with an other drive with windows already in it?
Have i done a stupid thing by buying the ssd before checking if the thing i wanted to do was even possible?

You need to reinstall everything.
Drivers, applications, etc, etc.

A fresh install on this drive is like the very first day you turned your PC on. A blank slate.

 

[TheLesko]

A new Windows reinstall means reinstalling everything. Programs, drivers, everything.

Ok but the data for the programs is still on my old drive, can't i just make links of them on the new windows desktop after i got it on ssd?

 

[TheLesko]

You need to reinstall everything.
Drivers, applications, etc, etc.

A fresh install on this drive is like the very first day you turned your PC on. A blank slate.

So it's basically useless cause my 700gb of data won't be accessible from windows booted on the ssd right?

 

[USAFRet]

Ok but the data for the programs is still on my old drive, can't i just make links of them on the new windows desktop after i got it on ssd?

No.
When an application is installed, there are dozens, sometimes thousands of entries in the Registry and elsewhere.
Your new OS knows nothing about these.

Things like Steam games can usually be worked around. But all that other stuff?
Reinstall.

 

[USAFRet]

So it's basically useless cause my 700gb of data won't be accessible from windows booted on the ssd right?

Depends what you mean by "data".

Your personal files...doc/music/video...those are just fine (mostly).

 

[TheLesko]

Depends what you mean by "data".

Your personal files...doc/music/video...those are just fine (mostly).

Ok thanks very much to everyone for the help, here is what im going to do, tell me if something is wrong about it, I'm installing fresh windows on the ssd and use it as boot device, save some important files on an external drive(usb drive) , wipe the old hdd drive, re-use it as a new drive into the sistem, reinstall all the old programs into the hdd that now is fresh but still booting windows from the ssd(where i only put 1-2 heavy games). Sounds right?

 

[USAFRet]

Ok thanks very much to everyone for the help, here is what im going to do, tell me if something is wrong about it, I'm installing fresh windows on the ssd and use it as boot device, save some important files on an external drive(usb drive) , wipe the old hdd drive, re-use it as a new drive into the sistem, reinstall all the old programs into the hdd that now is fresh but still booting windows from the ssd(where i only put 1-2 heavy games). Sounds right?

Mostly, yes.

Depending on what the applications are, install them on the SSD.
Applications don't take up a whole lot of room.
Games and video do.

 

[TheLesko]

Mostly, yes.

Depending on what the applications are, install them on the SSD.
Applications don't take up a whole lot of room.
Games and video do.

Yeah I'll put like steam, nvdia geforce, discord and some other gaming related apps on there, the rest of files will be on the hdd. Thanks to everyone, have a good night/day (night for me it's 1.32 am). Special thanks again to you USAFRet for the quick response, much love.