Hopefully Quick Question!

[azurite2]

I would like to get my operating system on a SSD. But can I remove an operating system from my current hard drive while keeping everything else on it, like photos and game files?

 

-azurite2

[KemoKa]

I would like to get my operating system on a SSD. But can I remove an operating system from my current hard drive while keeping everything else on it, like photos and game files?

 

-azurite2

I'm not sure which ones, but there are cloning programs where you can move just your OS and system files.

[Oberon.Smite]

Good question, but no not really.

 

Best way to do it is to get all personal files on a completely separate USB drive or portable HDD.

 

Then, install the OS on the SSD and wipe the original HDD.

 

Sorry no other way that's proven safe known.

[Oberon.Smite]

I'm not sure which ones, but there are cloning programs where you can move just your OS and system files.

You can try this, just set the boot priority as the SSD.

[KemoKa]

You can try this, just set the boot priority as the SSD.

That's kind of the point of an OS drive is that it's the boot priority. OP is talking about migrating to an SSD, but all he wants to do is move all the system files and the OS over, and keep all his stuff on the HDD.

Pretty easy to do. If he had time he could easily do it himself.

[azurite2]

You can try this, just set the boot priority as the SSD.

Ok I'm not going to do it for a while but good to know

[azurite2]

That's kind of the point of an OS drive is that it's the boot priority. OP is talking about migrating to an SSD, but all he wants to do is move all the system files and the OS over, and keep all his stuff on the HDD.

Pretty easy to do. If he had time he could easily do it himself.

So how could I do it? Do you have a video or something I can take a look at?

[KemoKa]

So how could I do it? Do you have a video or something I can take a look at?

Well, maybe I exaggerated a bit when I said it was easy...

Find a good cloning software and do it that way

trust me, it's much much faster.

[Liamcal]

I would like to get my operating system on a SSD. But can I remove an operating system from my current hard drive while keeping everything else on it, like photos and game files?

 

-azurite2

Well, yes... it is possible. But then some programs get messed up, and everything works weird. It is a really long and laborious process. I tried a couple weeks ago. I recommend backing up your necessary files, and then just wiping your computer. Sometimes a nice clean wipe does wonders for a computer.

 

I really, REALLY, recommend that. I mean it. It only takes a couple hours. 

[LasersPewPew]

I've cloned HDD to SSD via Clonezilla and Acronis and never ran into any issues

 

Clonezilla is free but Acronis is not. 

 

BUT upgrading from HDD to SSD presents a good time for a clean install. Your call which route to take. I would suggest a Clean install and create a back up image of that after you configured everything so you can always have a fall back in case something happens.

[NannerBeans]

If you just install a new OS on the SSD and set that as the boot priority, you can leave the other hard drive alone and it'll still have the files but this is not really recommended. I did that for a while with some files I didn't care about and was too lazy to wipe the drive. The hard drive became super slow to access the files and eventually the data will be lost. Better to back up your files onto something external and then wipe the original drive.