Question What's the best way to install a new hard drive for my OS?

Jeff Kaos

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I built my system about 7 years ago and the way I set it up is that I have a 128GB SSD for my operating system and a 4TB hybrid HDD where all my games and media are installed. I'm currently running out of space on my SSD and I've moved pretty much everything I could to my HDD but I still get messages saying I need to free up space. Anyway, I purchased a new SSD with 1TB of space and I want to move my OS to that drive but while I'm good at the hardware stuff I'm not so skilled with the software stuff.

Here's a few details I think are important:

I'm running Windows 10 and this PC is primarily used for gaming and online activities like paying bills. The SSD is Drive C and my HDD is Drive D. Drive C has Windows, all of my drivers and all of my gaming platforms like Steam and Uplay. All of the games I install through Steam or Uplay (as well as about a half-dozen other platforms) are installed on the D Drive.

I'm wondering what's the best way to move Windows to the bigger drive? If I do a clean install, what sort of issues would I have when I reinstalled Steam since all the games are installed on another drive? I found this article with instructions on cloning the drive onto an external drive, installing the new SSD and then booting the PC from a Windows Installation Media ( I have a USB with this on it) and then using the system recover tool to use the drive image from the external drive and just clone it to the new drive. A straight up move like this is the one I prefer but since I'm not a software person I'm wondering what sort of corruption might happen?

Any advice and suggestions would be appreciated.
 
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I built my system about 7 years ago and the way I set it up is that I have a 128GB SSD for my operating system and a 4TB hybrid HDD where all my games and media are installed. I'm currently running out of space on my SSD and I've moved pretty much everything I could to my HDD but I still get messages saying I need to free up space. Anyway, I purchased a new SSD with 500GB of space and I want to move my OS to that drive but while I'm good at the hardware stuff I'm not so skilled with the software stuff.

Here's a few details I think are important:

I'm running Windows 10 and this PC is primarily used for gaming and online activities like paying bills. The SSD is Drive C and my HDD is Drive D. Drive C has Windows, all of my drivers and all of my gaming platforms like Steam and Uplay. All of the games I install through Steam or Uplay (as well as about a half-dozen other platforms) are installed on the D Drive.

I'm wondering what's the best way to move Windows to the bigger drive? If I do a clean install, what sort of issues would I have when I reinstalled Steam since all the games are installed on another drive? I found this article with instructions on cloning the drive onto an external drive, installing the new SSD and then booting the PC from a Windows Installation Media ( I have a USB with this on it) and then using the system recover tool to use the drive image from the external drive and just clone it to the new drive. A straight up move like this is the one I prefer but since I'm not a software person I'm wondering what sort of corruption might happen?

Any advice and suggestions would be appreciated.
If you have enough internal SATA or NVMe ports then cloning the drive is the easiest way to go. You would just install the new drive in the system and run the cloning software. I have used Macrium Reflect when doing this. It is easy to use, fast, and you can extend the volume all in the software. After the drive is cloned you would just need to go into BIOS and change your boot order. Then you can delete the old partition on the 128GB SSD in Disk Manager in Windows and reformat to have a 128GB spare SSD in the system. https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree
 
I found this article with instructions on cloning the drive onto an external drive, installing the new SSD and then booting the PC from a Windows Installation Media ( I have a USB with this on it) and then using the system recover tool to use the drive image from the external drive and just clone it to the new drive.
Any advice and suggestions would be appreciated.
This is a desktop system. Right?
Then there's no need for external drive.

In your link, there's section, how to do cloning with macrium reflect.
Use that.

Also note - first boot from cloned drive has to be done with old drive physically disconnected.
Or you'll have to redo cloning.
 
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Jeff Kaos

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If you have enough internal SATA or NVMe ports then cloning the drive is the easiest way to go. You would just install the new drive in the system and run the cloning software. I have used Macrium Reflect when doing this. It is easy to use, fast, and you can extend the volume all in the software. After the drive is cloned you would just need to go into BIOS and change your boot order. Then you can delete the old partition on the 128GB SSD in Disk Manager in Windows and reformat to have a 128GB spare SSD in the system. https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree
Thanks for the advice. I Definitely have enough s SATA ports so that isn't an issue. I think the only thing I need to do is make sure the ports are covered up by the GPU like in my kids PC. I installed a second HDD in his rig but the port was under the GPU so...he doesn't have a DVD drive. Not that we ever use the DVD drives in our PCs it's just that I have about 10 in my basement so I always toss one in any new build.
 
An overly full C drive ssd can lead to abysmal performance.
What is the make/model of your new ssd?
If it is samsung, run the samsung ssd migration aid.
Instructions and app here:
Otherwise, macrium reflect is a good utility with a bit more of a learning curve.

The process is the same.
You install the new SSD into an open data port or m.2 slot.
No need to permanently mount it.
You run the utility to copy the C drive to the new ssd.
When done, remove the original ssd which will remain unchanged and replace with the new ssd.
 

Jeff Kaos

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An overly full C drive ssd can lead to abysmal performance.
What is the make/model of your new ssd?
If it is samsung, run the samsung ssd migration aid.
Instructions and app here:
Otherwise, macrium reflect is a good utility with a bit more of a learning curve.

The process is the same.
You install the new SSD into an open data port or m.2 slot.
No need to permanently mount it.
You run the utility to copy the C drive to the new ssd.
When done, remove the original ssd which will remain unchanged and replace with the new ssd.
The new drive is a Crucial MX500 1TB drive. I made a mistake in my original post saying it was 500TB. But yeah, I think I'll use the Macrium software everyone is telling me about. It looks pretty easy to use and I think I'd be okay with it.
 

USAFRet

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The new drive is a Crucial MX500 1TB drive. I made a mistake in my original post saying it was 500TB. But yeah, I think I'll use the Macrium software everyone is telling me about. It looks pretty easy to use and I think I'd be okay with it.
-----------------------------
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
Both drives must be the same partitioning scheme, either MBR or GPT
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung target SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, you may need to 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

Verify the system boots with ONLY the current "C drive" connected.
If not, we have to fix that first.

Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

[Ignore this section if using the SDM. It does this automatically]
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 specify the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing
[/end ignore]

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD. This is not optional.
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD


(swapping cables is irrelevant with NVMe drives, but DO disconnect the old drive for this next part)
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.
-----------------------------
 

Jeff Kaos

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Actually, I managed to figure it out. I followed your instructions and when I could't find the Cloned Partition Properties button I ended up going online and I found a video on the Macrium website and between your excellent directions (seriouly, I actually printed them out so I could follow them) and the video I think I have everything squared away. I'm about 50% cloned right now. I'll update when I'm done. Thanks!
 
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Jeff Kaos

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Please show us a screencap of where you are now.
(upload your pic to imgur.com, post the link here)
Between your instructions and the video everything is working as desired. I just booted up my system from the new drive and I where I had 1.9 GB before I now have 930 GB on Drive C. I'll reboot a few times before reconnecting my Media drive and the old OS drive. I'll probably just delete the contents from that drive in BIOS and reformat it and use it for games.

Thanks again for your help.
 
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