Hard Drive to SSD

[CaptainKoda]

i am thinking about getting an ssd for my os and os only but first i want to make sure you can do that. Can you move a os from a hard drive to an ssd without moving the rest of your files?

[eelnico09]

I think you can copy it to the SSD.

[RedSphyxis]

Here's a tut by  jayztwocents 

[CaptainKoda]

I think you can copy it to the SSD.

 

 

a tut by  jayztwocents 

so can you partition it so it only puts the os on the new ssd?

[soaringchicken]

Make a system image and restore it to the new Hard drive, works errytim

[DevilishBooster]

If I am correctly understanding what you are asking, I think the answer is no. If you currently have one HDD in your system with both your OS and personal data, then you would have to clone the entire HDD to the SSD. You will not be able to move over only the OS. You will need to do a fresh install of the OS on the new SSD. I would recommend backing up all your files on an external drive, install the OS on the new SSD, then format the HDD to remove the OS data, and copy your personal data back to the HDD. Unless there is some trick I haven't learned yet that allows you to move only the OS to a new drive...

 

EDIT: The exception to this is if you have two partitions on the one HDD, in which case you should be able to clone over the OS to the new SDD and then delete that partition from the HDD allowing you to store other data on those sectors of the HDD.

[RedSphyxis]

so can you partition it so it only puts the os on the new ssd?

I think that wouldn't work, every time I clone drives it's always the whole drive since my other files are in another drive

[d3sl91]

i am thinking about getting an ssd for my os and os only but first i want to make sure you can do that. Can you move a os from a hard drive to an ssd without moving the rest of your files?

 

If I am correctly understanding what you are asking, I think the answer is no. If you currently have one HDD in your system with both your OS and personal data, then you would have to clone the entire HDD to the SSD. You will not be able to move over only the OS. You will need to do a fresh install of the OS on the new SSD. I would recommend backing up all your files on an external drive, install the OS on the new SSD, then format the HDD to remove the OS data, and copy your personal data back to the HDD. Unless there is some trick I haven't learned yet that allows you to move only the OS to a new drive...

 

EDIT: The exception to this is if you have two partitions on the one HDD, in which case you should be able to clone over the OS to the new SDD and then delete that partition from the HDD allowing you to store other data on those sectors of the HDD.

Devilish is close. you do need to copy full drive, but you can at least move some of the larger files and accomplish that:

 

1. Copy your libraries (Documents, Videos, Pictures, Etc) files to an external drive, then delete from your system.

2. Do general system maintenance, delete temp files and uninstall large programs you dont need.

3. Copy your steam, origin, games to external drive, remove from main drive.

4. Clone your drive (Ive had best luck with Macrium Reflect)

5. Format old drive.

6. copy your libraries to a "libraries" folder on old drive.

7. Tell windows to use those for your libraries locations http://www.faqforge.com/windows/relocate-library-folders-in-windows-7-and-windows-8/

8. Copy games to old drive, tell Steam and Origin to use that.