System and OS Drives are Different, Can they be Merged?

[flippedout777]

This problem started when I moved my system from a Small Business Server to Windows 8. As part of this move I changed out several components (motherboard, CPU, memory, added a HDD). I only connected the drive I wanted to install Windows 8 on. When I did so it said I did not have a proper boot disk (don't remember the exact phrase). Anyway, I connected all of the drives back and then the system booted just fine into Windows 8. I then noticed only 3 of my drives were visible to Windows. I tracked down the missing drive, disconnected it thinking it was bad and tried to boot the machine. No dice - missing boot drive. So, I figured out the boot.ini and other required boot files resided on that drive while Windows was on another.

Fast forward to present day. I have upgraded to Windows 10 and I now want to install an SSD as the primary drive and remembered...I still have this issue of a 1TB drive that is just sitting there taking up SATA cables and a lot of available space just to be the boot drive. I've come to the conclusion I have two options - clean install Windows 10 with just the SSD installed to force everything there during that process (I hope) or (my preference) move the boot files from the wasted drive over to my current OS drive and then simply clone that drive onto the SSD.

For the life of me I cannot figure out how to access/move/etc. the boot files. Anyone have suggestions?

 

[basroil]

You should always reinstall if moving from HDD to SSD. That would solve 100% of your issues, all you need to do is install on the SSD normally then reformat the other disk.

 

[flippedout777]

You should always reinstall if moving from HDD to SSD. That would solve 100% of your issues, all you need to do is install on the SSD normally then reformat the other disk.

I had a feeling that would be the answer. So, here is another question I have then. One of my big hesitations from a clean install is I have 320 Gb of files backed up on OneDrive that are sitting on my D:. With a clean install, is OneDrive going to want to download every file even though I already have them? Or will it scan and see the exact same folder structure, etc. and just give it a check mark like it did after my upgrade to Windows 10?

Thank you!

 

[basroil]

With a clean install, is OneDrive going to want to download every file even though I already have them? Or will it scan and see the exact same folder structure, etc. and just give it a check mark like it did after my upgrade to Windows 10?

You will need to set up the path again (it will be reset to default after all), but it should only download things that are different

 

[flippedout777]

With a clean install, is OneDrive going to want to download every file even though I already have them? Or will it scan and see the exact same folder structure, etc. and just give it a check mark like it did after my upgrade to Windows 10?

You will need to set up the path again (it will be reset to default after all), but it should only download things that are different

Thank you basroil. Much appreciated! Looks like I have some work ahead of me!