Is there a way to move just windows to a separate drive?

[ConnorB]

I just got an SSD, and I'd like to move ONLY Windows to it. Is this possible without reinstalling windows?

[TheKDub]

No. Do a fresh install if you only want to "move Windows".

[ConnorB]

Just now, TheKDub said:

No. Do a fresh install if you only want to "move Windows".

Then I would select my ssd as my boot drive, and keep my hard drive in, right?

[TheKDub]

2 minutes ago, ConnorB said:

Then I would select my ssd as my boot drive, and keep my hard drive in, right?

After Windows is installed, yes. It'd be a good idea to move everything you want to keep off the old hard drive and then completely format it, that way there aren't any Windows partitions or any Windows data sticking around. (Then you could move everything back onto it after it's clean, ofc)

[ConnorB]

Just now, TheKDub said:

After Windows is installed, yes. It'd be a good idea to move everything you want to keep off the old hard drive and then completely format it, that way there aren't any Windows partitions or any Windows data sticking around. (Then you could move everything back onto it after it's clean, ofc)

Thanks dude! You're the best

 

[Vishera]

19 minutes ago, ConnorB said:

I just got an SSD, and I'd like to move ONLY Windows to it. Is this possible without reinstalling windows?

There is a way,

Move games and movies to a new partition on the HDD,

Then shrink the Windows partition,then you can mirror both the windows and boot partitions to the SSD.

[thx1138]

1 hour ago, ConnorB said:

I just got an SSD, and I'd like to move ONLY Windows to it. Is this possible without reinstalling windows?

@TheKDub 

@ConnorB

ummmmmm okay....so.........

HasLeo WintoHDD is an extremely easy program that can clone your OS install...

 

https://www.easyuefi.com/wintohdd/index.html

the only real requirement...is that the OS install partition  (lets say..500gb)    has to be cloned to a 10% (ish)   bigger space.(so at least 550gb partition needed)

I have cloned from hdd to ssd. from hdd to hdd. and from ssd to ssd with this software...and some of the people I helped didn't believe that I had swapped the drive with how Seamless it is.

 

 

 

Also...You can also move any programs you have installed via commands in windows ...called "robocopy" and then create a 'junction' using the command "mklink"

[thx1138]

As an example....I moved my heavily modded oblivion/morrowind onto an ssd for faster loading times..

 

robocopy "C:\Program Files (x86)\Bethesda Softworks" "k:\Program Files (x86)\Bethesda Softworks" /sec /move /e

 

mklink "c:\Program Files (x86)\Bethesda Softworks\" "k:\Program Files (x86)\Bethesda Softworks\" /j

 

--------------

tab tab is the answer----('tab' auto-completes........so when typing in "program files x86"...if you just tab after typing "program" it finishes "program files" so when hitting 'tab' again....it then goes to "program files (x86)") 

------

Another example that I used to move my SaveGames
 

 

robocopy "C:\Users\Administrator\Documents\My Games" "k:\Users\Administrator\Documents\My Games" /sec /move /e

[TheKDub]

11 hours ago, thx1138 said:

@TheKDub 

@ConnorB

ummmmmm okay....so.........

HasLeo WintoHDD is an extremely easy program that can clone your OS install...

 

https://www.easyuefi.com/wintohdd/index.html

the only real requirement...is that the OS install partition  (lets say..500gb)    has to be cloned to a 10% (ish)   bigger space.(so at least 550gb partition needed)

I have cloned from hdd to ssd. from hdd to hdd. and from ssd to ssd with this software...and some of the people I helped didn't believe that I had swapped the drive with how Seamless it is.

 

 

 

Also...You can also move any programs you have installed via commands in windows ...called "robocopy" and then create a 'junction' using the command "mklink"

I'm not saying you can't clone a drive. I'm saying that if you want to only move Windows to a new drive, you're best off just doing a fresh install. The alternative being to clone the entire disk then remove what you don't want on there afterwards, but that can be a bit messy.

[thx1138]

4 hours ago, TheKDub said:

I'm not saying you can't clone a drive. I'm saying that if you want to only move Windows to a new drive, you're best off just doing a fresh install. The alternative being to clone the entire disk then remove what you don't want on there afterwards, but that can be a bit messy.

coolzz....also.......TRAINS!!!!!!!!

...also....I have to admit....if I had an extra HDD/SSD big enough...I was going to attempt to move a clone of Windows with the robocopy...and create a junction with mklink....and test it....supposedly the junction is at an extremely low level...so.....maybe could just move the OS/Windows???

I actually just realized that because I cloned my sisters 500gb into a 1tb...and i upgraded my storage from 2tb to 2x4tb(redundant = raid 1)

 

I have a 500gb HDD with an OS and a blank 2tb HDD

I will test this as soon as I have a day off from work.

[TheKDub]

6 hours ago, thx1138 said:

coolzz....also.......TRAINS!!!!!!!!

...also....I have to admit....if I had an extra HDD/SSD big enough...I was going to attempt to move a clone of Windows with the robocopy...and create a junction with mklink....and test it....supposedly the junction is at an extremely low level...so.....maybe could just move the OS/Windows???

I actually just realized that because I cloned my sisters 500gb into a 1tb...and i upgraded my storage from 2tb to 2x4tb(redundant = raid 1)

 

I have a 500gb HDD with an OS and a blank 2tb HDD

I will test this as soon as I have a day off from work.

You'd have to specify exactly what files belongs to Windows (unless the software is programmed to know). It's not just the Windows directory, but lots of application data, user data, settings, registry entries, and so much more. Things could change with every Windows Update, so the chances of that are very slim.

 

Not worth it IMO. Doing a fresh install is way easier and isn't going to cause a ton of problems. I think if you link a Microsoft account, you can use it to sync settings and such.

[thx1138]

On 8/25/2019 at 11:16 PM, TheKDub said:

You'd have to specify exactly what files belongs to Windows (unless the software is programmed to know). It's not just the Windows directory, but lots of application data, user data, settings, registry entries, and so much more. Things could change with every Windows Update, so the chances of that are very slim.

 

Not worth it IMO. Doing a fresh install is way easier and isn't going to cause a ton of problems. I think if you link a Microsoft account, you can use it to sync settings and such.

I was saying after cloning the install.....that you would transfer with robocopy Windows Command the programs/games that you wanted onto another drive.

Though IF you want fresh only windows.....why would you not just install a new windows.

The whole reason to clone is not having to re-install anything or mess with any settings at all(saves me about a month in time....though others a week)....and giving you a perfect backup/double of your install.

 

[TheKDub]

4 hours ago, thx1138 said:

I was saying after cloning the install.....that you would transfer with robocopy Windows Command the programs/games that you wanted onto another drive.

Though IF you want fresh only windows.....why would you not just install a new windows.

The whole reason to clone is not having to re-install anything or mess with any settings at all(saves me about a month in time....though others a week)....and giving you a perfect backup/double of your install.

 

And OP only wanted to transfer Windows, not any applications/games/etc... which is why I was suggesting just doing a fresh install on the new drive.

[homeap5]

First of all - what is the point to moving programs to slower drive and have ssd only for system? It's like to buy 30 years ago hdd for dos and still keeping all programs on floppy disks.