Moving Windows from HDD to SSD?

[AntonChigurh]

So I acquired an SSD for my PC a few months back (after multiple months of having Windows and all my games installed on a 1TB HDD), and I want to migrate Windows from my HDD to my SSD, as my HDD seems to be bottlenecking it in some way (start menu and search take forever to load, applications take ages to open whilst playing even low requirement games, etc). However, after researching, it seems that I can't move just Windows to my SSD. All the sources I see say you need to wipe both your drives and do a fresh install of Windows on your SSD, which I am very reluctant to do, as I have approximately 3 million games and double that in mods for said games installed. I'd like to find a way to move just my windows files to my SSD and use it as my boot drive without wiping my entire PC clean.

 

TL;DR: OP needs to find a way to move Windows to his SSD without doing a complete fresh install and losing all his files

[Snipergod87]

You can either move all or nothing.

[AntonChigurh]

Just now, Snipergod87 said:

You can either move all or nothing.

Don't have room, it's only a 120gb SSD

[fargonaz]

Plenty of disk dupe utils out there, easus for one.  Worked for me.

[fargonaz]

1 minute ago, HingaDingaDurgen said:

Don't have room, it's only a 120gb SSD

3 million games on a 120GB... really?

[Snipergod87]

4 minutes ago, HingaDingaDurgen said:

Don't have room, it's only a 120gb SSD

Then reinstall windows on SSD (unplug HDD during this) after replug HDD and try repointing to game files, most games /apps will need to be reinstalled due to missing reg and dll's.

 

You can't move just Windows.

[Raudi_]

Easiest way to go about this is just reinstall windows and wipe the HDD. I went through a nightmare trying to do it my last time as windows does not enjoy being cloned or moved to another drive very much anymore.

[captain_to_fire]

Try using EaseUS or Macrium Reflect 

[AntonChigurh]

2 hours ago, fargonaz said:

3 million games on a 120GB... really?

Obvious hyperbole. Plus, most of my games are on my HDD. My SSD has the handful of games I play the most (TF2, Rainbow Six, DS3, etc)

[burnttoastnice]

It's gonna have to be either all or nothing unfortunately like snipergod87 said. Save up some mula and grab yourself a 1TB ssd, format the hard drive and keep any new games on there.

 

If you knew you were gonna migrate to an SSD beforehand you could have pre-partitioned it so a utility such as EaseUS/Macrium Reflect/Partition Wizard could easily migrate the OS while keeping your games on the hdd. In future, limit your Windows partition to say 100GB, while leaving the rest of the hdd for data files, so if you choose to migrate to an SSD you can just clone the windows partition over while keeping all the data intact on the hdd.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

2 hours ago, HingaDingaDurgen said:

...I have approximately 3 million games and double that in mods for said games installed...

 

I've told you a million times not to exaggerate. And I don't want o hear about your hyper pole. 

 

All seriousness aside, 120GB is really going to limit you, especially since you're a gamer. I would return the 120GB SSD and exchange it for someting much larger, one that can also hold your games. If you can't return the SSD, can't afford a larger one, or don't mind keeping the games on your HDD, there is another route you can do to avoid having to reinstall everything the hard way.

 

First, I recommend using Macrium Reflect Free, then clone your HDD to your back up drive. Don't have a backup drive? For shame; get one (two would be better). You should be keeping backups of your data, etc. to avoid losing it should someting go horribly wrong on your maind drive(s).

 

Once you have cloned your HDD to another one, delete everything from the original HDD except your OS and any programs you want on the SSD. Use Macrium Reflect to clone what's left on the HDD to the SSD. Disconnect the HDD and try to boot from the SSD (you may have to change a few drive letters and, possibly, change the boot order in the BIOS).

 

If the SSD boots and everything runs correctly, reconnect the HDD. Erase the OS and programs you cloned to the SSD from the backup HDD, then clone the backup back to the original HDD.

[homeap5]

There is also hardcore method. Install Windows on SSD, use second computer, plug both drives and use Directory Opus to copy Windows, Users and both Program Files directories with keeping their full permissions (remove old folders first). There is an option in configuration to do that (keeping permissions). You may try that just for fun for learn something about how it really works.

[SenKa]

Macrium Reflect, or Carbon Copy Cloner if you have a mac and an HDD dock. (I prefer CCC, personally. I want a Mac Pro for this reason)

 

Both can shrink drive partitions to fit on the SSD if it can be shrunk to fit.