Windows on SSD & Delete Old Windows

[tonytran]

I want to install a fresh copy of Windows on my brothers new SSD
To do so I gotta unplugged the HDD ok ?

Once Windows is installed replug the HDD and delet the old windows Pertition on the HDD & assign a new letter to the SSD right ?

My only concern is will he loose everything that is on the Desktop like founders/files/pictures/work ?
Will he loose everthing that is in Downloads Folder ?
After I have deleted the old Windows Partition ?
Do those need to be backed up?

 

[rhysiam]

Your early steps are correct: Unplug HDD, install Windows on SSD, reconnect HDD once all is working.

You do NOT assign a new letter to the SSD... leave it as your C Drive as configured by Windows.

You may need to assign a drive letter the the HDD.

You do NOT actually need to delete the old Windows install if you're worried about losing things. You can access all those folders on the HDD by browsing to them (may need to take ownership first - you should be prompted). Most thing will be under "Users", then the username, then the folders are there. If you want you can just copy Desktop, Downloads, Documents, etc from the old HDD to the new libraries on the SSD.

If space on the SSD is limited you can even just redirect the appropariate library (like Downloads, Documents, Desktop, etc) from their default location to the HDD where they were stored in the last install.

The "Windows" folder on the HDD, containing the old Windows install, doesn't tend to contain any documents/downloads, etc, so can usually be safely deleted. But if you have the space, you can leave it there for a while until you're sure there's nothing important missing.

 

[tonytran]

If I delete the partition on the old windows in the old HardDrive can I delete the Windows Folder on there as well to make space?

Now since I'm booting from my new Windows on the SSD will everything be there on my Desktop like how it was where I left them ?

Or will everything get jumbled up now pushed to one side of the screen ?

Same as my download folder will everything still be there after I install the new Windows & delete the old windows Partition/Windows Folder on hdd?

Is it possible to clone everthing on the hdd except Windows and then put it on the SSD with the Freah install of Windows ?

 

[rhysiam]

If I delete the partition on the old windows in the old HardDrive can I delete the Windows Folder on there as well to make space?

Now since I'm booting from my new Windows on the SSD will everything be there on my Desktop like how it was where I left them ?

Or will everything get jumbled up now pushed to one side of the screen ?

Same as my download folder will everything still be there after I install the new Windows & delete the old windows Partition/Windows Folder on hdd?

Is it possible to clone everthing on the hdd except Windows and then put it on the SSD with the Freah install of Windows ?

Deleting the "partition" on the HDD will delete all data... don't do that, at least until you're 100% sure you have everything you want.

As I said in my post, you need to manually copy the desktop & download folders to get that data back.
The desktop won't keep the same organisation/layout that you have at present, you'll need to rearrange things back the way they were.

You also realise that a fresh reinstall requires you to reinstall all your programs too?

I don't understand why you'd want to clone everything except Windows... you can still access files after the rebuild. Because you're not touching the HDD, it's an entirely non-destructive process.