How do you transfer an OS from a HDD to an SSD

[Jayliss]

How do you transfer an OS from a HDD to an SSD? I'm wanting to put my windows 10 from my HDD to SSD

[makinbacon21]

2 minutes ago, Jayliss said:

How do you transfer an OS from a HDD to an SSD? I'm wanting to put my windows 10 from my HDD to SSD

Lol i'm literally doing this as we speak--download minitool partition wizard and make sure nothing important is on the target drive. Use the "Transfer OS from HDD to SSD" function.

[Shimejii]

Im my honest opinion, you dont ever want to do that. Fresh install results in a lot less problems, and saves you time in the long run. Windows SHOULD automatically detect your motherboard when installing it on the SSD (remove the HDD first) and should keep the key.

 

Otherwise there are Migration software.

[Hugs12343]

5 minutes ago, Jayliss said:

How do you transfer an OS from a HDD to an SSD? I'm wanting to put my windows 10 from my HDD to SSD

I wouldn't. You will have so much stuff on the old windows install that will make your computer feel really slow. Take @Shimejii's opinion and just reinstall windows. Then use the hdd as a storage drive. Partition some of it away. Copy your documents you need. Delete the old windows install on that drive and extend the storage partition to the full capacity of the hdd.

[beyonddc]

I have been using Macrium Reflect Free Edition to move OS from a mechanical drive to SSD multiple occasions with success.

 

https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree

 

Usage of it is pretty self explanatory or you can use Google to search for some tutorials.  Good luck

[Lady Fitzgerald]

3 hours ago, Shimejii said:

Im my honest opinion, you dont ever want to do that. Fresh install results in a lot less problems, and saves you time in the long run. Windows SHOULD automatically detect your motherboard when installing it on the SSD (remove the HDD first) and should keep the key.

 

Otherwise there are Migration software.

It takes far less time and work to clone the OS and programs over to another drive than it does to to install Windows and all your programs and drivers, then retweak all your settings. Often, finding drivers can be a real pain, sometimes even impossible. Cloning eliminates that issue.

 

The Migration software I've tried (Samsung Magician and Paragon) did not work well for me. I found Macrium Reflect and Macrium Reflect Free to be 100% reliable. I recommend the free version since the company that handles payments for the paid version is flaky and can't be trusted.

 

3 hours ago, Hugs12343 said:

I wouldn't. You will have so much stuff on the old windows install that will make your computer feel really slow. Take @Shimejii's opinion and just reinstall windows. Then use the hdd as a storage drive. Partition some of it away. Copy your documents you need. Delete the old windows install on that drive and extend the storage partition to the full capacity of the hdd.

The one caveat for cloning an exising installation is the installation has to be in good working order. All the times I've done it, my installation was working just fine and continued to do so after cloning. I've even cloned from an HDD to an SSD, then much later cloned the SSD to a larger SSD and everyting worked just fine.

[Yvette222]

I tried the same thing using MiniTool Partition wizard. Both Copy Disk and Migrate os function can copy OS.

[MandoPanda]

https://clonezilla.org/

[NineEyeRon]

Fresh install is the way to go.

 

Grab any installers you want from the web and store them on a drive. I have a folder on my mass storage device for this purpose.

 

This just gets you up and running quickly.

 

I think I was back to normal running less than an hour after a fresh installl.

 

It helps to have nothing much on your OS drive and all your other stuff on other drives.

 

Steam is great as you can fresh install and it finds files other drives if you try to install anything to that drive, no need to redownload.

 

After the OS I think I just our video drivers on, downloaded steam again plus a few security things, got steam to find the files and then pointed windows at the my docs, pics and video folders on the storage drive.

 

 

 

[SSD Sean]

 

12 hours ago, Shimejii said:

Im my honest opinion, you dont ever want to do that. Fresh install results in a lot less problems, and saves you time in the long run. Windows SHOULD automatically detect your motherboard when installing it on the SSD (remove the HDD first) and should keep the key.

 

Otherwise there are Migration software.

 

43 minutes ago, NIneEyeRon said:

Fresh install is the way to go.

 

Grab any installers you want from the web and store them on a drive. I have a folder on my mass storage device for this purpose.

 

This just gets you up and running quickly.

 

I think I was back to normal running less than an hour after a fresh installl.

 

It helps to have nothing much on your OS drive and all your other stuff on other drives.

 

Steam is great as you can fresh install and it finds files other drives if you try to install anything to that drive, no need to redownload.

 

After the OS I think I just our video drivers on, downloaded steam again plus a few security things, got steam to find the files and then pointed windows at the my docs, pics and video folders on the storage drive.

 

 

 

There’s really no issues with cloning. I do it daily for my clients and for my review work. Clean installs cause more headaches than cloning...and take up so much time for many. 

 

When you clone, it is literally a 1:1 copy of your data, but on a faster storage medium. No need to waste time reinstalling everything when it gives no benefit.

 

macrium reflect works fine, so so many other free wares. I use acronis true image and aomei backupper all the time.

[NineEyeRon]

1 hour ago, SSD Sean said:

 

 

There’s really no issues with cloning. I it gives no benefit.

But there is always that lovely feeling of a fresh OS install. Maybe I am just living in the XP era when a fresh install was like buying a new PC.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

3 hours ago, NIneEyeRon said:

But there is always that lovely feeling of a fresh OS install. Maybe I am just living in the XP era when a fresh install was like buying a new PC.

Personal preference is another story. If you prefer the results of a clean install over cloning, go for it. But becasue someone prefers clean installs over cloning just because of the feel doesn't always mean it is better. My preference is to keep things as fast and simple as possible. If the OS and program installaton on a drive is performing satisfactorily, there is no point in doing the extra work of a clean install of the OS, programs, drivers, etc.