Upgrading to SSD, original HDD is from an older PC

[Faisk8r]

Basically I built a PC a few years back. At that time I just kept my old 500GB HD from my old gateway PC and just put it in the new case. I believe I had to call to reset the Key for Vista due to it being paired with the old mobo. I am looking to get a smaller (240gb or so) SSD to use for a new OS (8/10) and main files/games I use. IF I get an SSD and set it up as my main boot with windows 8/10, will I have access to my files on the HDD or are they tied to the Vista OS?


To sum is up, if I buy an SSD and put windows 8/10 on it, will I have access to my old HDD files (the way it is today without the SSD?

I feel pretty silly asking this question because I feel like this is a really dumb question.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hey there, Faisk8r!

It's highly recommended to backup the data from the old HDD to an external or some other storage device. This is the best way to prevent any potential data loss, just in case. You should be able to access your files from the drive on your new PC rig, however, you won't be able to load the software. The programs are, indeed, tied to the old OS.
The most important thing to remember is to have the HDD unplugged when you are installing Windows on the SSD. If you have more than 1 drive connected to the SATA Ports on the motherboard, it's highly possible that you will encounter an OS confusion and experience some unpleasant booting issues later on.
I'd recommend you to still have another copy of your files from the hard drive located somewhere else before transferring it to the PC.
You can also refer to this Windows Install & Optimization guide for SSDs & HDDs http://www.overclock.net/t/1240779/seans-windows-8-install-optimization-guide-for-ssds-hdds for detailed step-by-step instructions on how to configure your newly-built rig.

Hope I was helpful. Good luck!
SuperSoph_WD