Moving OS to a new SSD

[Jester196]

Hey guys, I just got a new SSD and I was wondering how to get my windows 8.1 on it. I've read a few things about just re-installing the OS but that wouldn't work as I've already used the activation key, right?

If I was able to do this how would I uninstall the OS from my current HDD.

I've already formatted the SSD and everything, I'm just waiting until I figure out how to move the OS. Any help is welcome.

Thanks.

[Retro]

Any HDD/usb cloning kit should do. 

 

http://www.amazon.com//dp/B00CI8MT9W/

[Vitalius]

Use AOMEI Backupper. It's free. There's a clone feature. It's literally as simple as "Click Clone. Click the drive you want to clone. Click the drive you want to clone to. Start clone." 

Then once it's done, switch which drive you boot from. 

I do it all the time at work when an HDD is about to die on a PC. The product key won't care.

[WoodenMarker]

Call Microsoft to renew the activation key. Just reinstall and wipe the old hdd afterwards.

Some ssd's come with migration software but it's recommended to reinstall for a cleaner system.

[UnknownEngineer]

You can re activate the key, you just need to call them to do the confirmation thing, cloning may cause some serious issues so it is not recommended. A fres install with the key reused is possible and the best option. /opinion

After you have the OS just format the HDD and you are done.

[Jester196]

Use AOMEI Backupper. It's free. There's a clone feature. It's literally as simple as "Click Clone. Click the drive you want to clone. Click the drive you want to clone to. Start clone." 

Then once it's done, switch which drive you boot from. 

I do it all the time at work when an HDD is about to die on a PC. The product key won't care.

I looked at this but I seemed that you had to clone the whole disk, it's just the OS I need

[Jester196]

Call Microsoft to renew the activation key. Just reinstall and wipe the old hdd afterwards.

Some ssd's come with migration software but it's recommended to reinstall for a cleaner system.

  

You can re activate the key, you just need to call them to do the confirmation thing, cloning may cause some serious issues so it is not recommended. A fres install with the key reused is possible and the best option. /opinion

After you have the OS just format the HDD and you are done.

This sounds perfect but if I wipe the the old HHD I will lose all my music, games ect

[WoodenMarker]

  

This sounds perfect but if I wipe the the old HHD I will lose all my music, games ect

You can still access the old files on the hdd if you decide not to wipe the hdd. Just move the music/game folders etc and point the locations to those folders.

[Xsilent(X)]

for full speed for the os please do clean install on the sdd do not clone from hdd to ssd...

[Vitalius]

I looked at this but I seemed that you had to clone the whole disk, it's just the OS I need

Ah, I fail. I've never done it from a larger drive to a smaller one. Only smaller to bigger, which it works fine for. My bad. 

If you want to do it the complicated way, which I don't exactly recommend, you could use whatever space is left on your HDD to make another partition, move the files to that partition, extend it using the space that was just made available, rinse and repeat until only our OS is on the C partition. 

Then clone the OS. I don't recommend it because it's time consuming, whereas calling M$ and getting the key reactivated takes all of 5 minutes. And a fresh Install of an OS is always best.

[Ginge620]

If your reinstalling on a notebook it may have the bios embedded in the bios so if you fresh install windows it should fetch the key itself. If not then samsung have migration software and hardware with there ssd's.