Trying to upgrade my SSD and keep my files, help please?

[mynameisspectre]

Hello LTT fourms!

 

My current computer's SSD is 4 years old (Samsung 850 EVO 250gb) and recently started to die out on me. Due to the drive having multiple Windows installations installed on it throughout the years, plus semi-corruption through power outages, the drive is on it's final legs. My PC still works fine, except now startup times are much more slower (it originally started Win 10 in under a millisecond when I first got the SSD, now it goes upwards to 10 minutes), and the OS feels a teensy-tiny bit unstable. In fact, in most cases, Windows wouldn't startup at all and it would require me to open up Command Prompt in the rescue ROM that Win 10 drops, and rebuild the MCB and use chkdsk. Eventually, I said ENOUGH and asked my dad for a new SSD to help replace the dying one. The SSD I bought is a 500GB Western Digital Blue 3D NAND SSD, which I was able to get for $60 on Amazon. It's coming real soon, but I have a question: How do I upgrade my SSD to a new one, but at the same time keeping my files? More specifically what program to use and the steps to go through it. I don't have the money to buy an external hard drive, or a SATA to USB adapter to back up my current data, and I don't have the money for a GOOD USB Boot backup system like Acronis or Norton Ghost. So I was wondering, is there any good free Windows installation backup tools out there? And if so, I need instructions on how to transfer my old data from my dying SSD to my new one.

[Radium_Angel]

4 minutes ago, mynameisspectre said:

Hello LTT fourms!

 

My current computer's SSD is 4 years old (Samsung 850 EVO 250gb) and recently started to die out on me. Due to the drive having multiple Windows installations installed on it throughout the years, plus semi-corruption through power outages, the drive is on it's final legs. My PC still works fine, except now startup times are much more slower (it originally started Win 10 in under a millisecond when I first got the SSD, now it goes upwards to 10 minutes), and the OS feels a teensy-tiny bit unstable. In fact, in most cases, Windows wouldn't startup at all and it would require me to open up Command Prompt in the rescue ROM that Win 10 drops, and rebuild the MCB and use chkdsk. Eventually, I said ENOUGH and asked my dad for a new SSD to help replace the dying one. The SSD I bought is a 500GB Western Digital Blue 3D NAND SSD, which I was able to get for $60 on Amazon. It's coming real soon, but I have a question: How do I upgrade my SSD to a new one, but at the same time keeping my files? More specifically what program to use and the steps to go through it. I don't have the money to buy an external hard drive, or a SATA to USB adapter to back up my current data, and I don't have the money for a GOOD USB Boot backup system like Acronis or Norton Ghost. So I was wondering, is there any good free Windows installation backup tools out there? And if so, I need instructions on how to transfer my old data from my dying SSD to my new one.

Put the old SSD in as a slave drive in your computer, copy and paste your data from there.

The Steam library with all your games can be copied over as well (heck, just grab the entire folder) and re-install Steam over it, it'll pick up your games.

Other programs will have to be re-installed (Windows, Office, etc)

[mynameisspectre]

Just now, Radium_Angel said:

Put the old SSD in as a slave drive in your computer, copy and paste your data from there.

The Steam library with all your games can be copied over as well (heck, just grab the entire folder) and re-install Steam over it, it'll pick up your games.

Other programs will have to be re-installed (Windows, Office, etc)

Funny cause I keep my Steam games on a separate data hard drive, which is full of memes, trash, downloads, etc

 

By the way, i'm not too keen on dragging and dropping to back up, I would much rather have a bootable USB transfer suite like Norton Ghost or Acronis, but for free, and easy, since we're broke

[Radium_Angel]

2 hours ago, mynameisspectre said:

Funny cause I keep my Steam games on a separate data hard drive, which is full of memes, trash, downloads, etc

 

By the way, i'm not too keen on dragging and dropping to back up, I would much rather have a bootable USB transfer suite like Norton Ghost or Acronis, but for free, and easy, since we're broke

Can't help you, sorry. I've only ever used Norton GHOST to clone drives, and when cloning, you obviously get a mirror image, warts and all.