SSD Windows Transfer

[Misinthe]

Hey everyone, I just got a new SSD for my laptop and I had a couple of questions if anyone could help me. My SSD is a SanDisk SSD Plus 240GB. And I know the best is to do a clean install but I don't have time to do that right now (juggling two jobs and school), so I just want to move OS from HDD to SSD and then use the HDD as storage.

 

1. What's the best software to move my OS from my HDD to my SSD?
2. Does my HDD end up blank or would it be just like a copy and I need to re-format it after?

Thank you all for your help!

[lx_srs]

2 minutes ago, Miguel552 said:

Hey everyone, I just got a new SSD for my laptop and I had a couple of questions if anyone could help me. My SSD is a SanDisk SSD Plus 240GB. And I know the best is to do a clean install but I don't have time to do that right now (juggling two jobs and school), so I just want to move OS from HDD to SSD and then use the HDD as storage.

 

1. What's the best software to move my OS from my HDD to my SSD?
2. Does my HDD end up blank or would it be just like a copy and I need to re-format it after?

Thank you all for your help!

If the software has to be free, Macrium Reflect will do a nice job of it.  If you're willing to pay a bit, Acronis is the best imho.

 

Your hard drive will just be read from, so the data will still remain on it.

 

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

[Misinthe]

Just now, AnnoyedShelf said:

If the software has to be free, Macrium Reflect will do a nice job of it.  If you're willing to pay a bit, Acronis is the best imho.

 

Your hard drive will just be read from, so the data will still remain on it.

 

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

How much for the Acronis? It's just a one time or two time thing. 

 

So if it only copies from one to the other, I would need to format the HDD after the copying is done to have an empty storage device?

[lx_srs]

Just now, Miguel552 said:

How much for the Acronis? It's just a one time or two time thing. 

 

So if it only copies from one to the other, I would need to format the HDD after the copying is done to have an empty storage device?

Acronis is $79 for the basic license, so maybe just go with Macrium.

 

If you connect the hard drive to an existing system, you will have to initialize the disk in Disk Management.  You can also re-create the partitions if you wish to have a "fresh" disk.  If you plan on installing an OS fresh on the disk, you can just go ahead and install it right away.

 

On the other hand, if you are looking to completely wipe the drive to give to somebody else, you're going to need software like Darek's Boot and Nuke (DBAN), Eraser, or other erasing software.

[Misinthe]

1 minute ago, AnnoyedShelf said:

Acronis is $79 for the basic license, so maybe just go with Macrium.

 

If you connect the hard drive to an existing system, you will have to initialize the disk in Disk Management.  You can also re-create the partitions if you wish to have a "fresh" disk.  If you plan on installing an OS fresh on the disk, you can just go ahead and install it right away.

 

On the other hand, if you are looking to completely wipe the drive to give to somebody else, you're going to need software like Darek's Boot and Nuke (DBAN), Eraser, or other erasing software.

Yeah, I'll go with Macrium.

 

What I want to do is move the OS from my current drive to my new SSD and then keep the old one in there for storage. So it would be like 250GB SSD + 1TB HDD configuration. So I need to erase everything on the old HDD after I move everything on the SSD.

[lx_srs]

Just now, Miguel552 said:

Yeah, I'll go with Macrium.

 

What I want to do is move the OS from my current drive to my new SSD and then keep the old one in there for storage. So it would be like 250GB SSD + 1TB HDD configuration. So I need to erase everything on the old HDD after I move everything on the SSD.

Just so that you know, you will have to eliminate all of the data on the hard drive that will not fit on the SSD before you clone it.

[Misinthe]

1 minute ago, AnnoyedShelf said:

Just so that you know, you will have to eliminate all of the data on the hard drive that will not fit on the SSD before you clone it.

Yeah, I know that, I did a fresh install not long ago so I got like 50GB on the hard drive atm.

[Zando_]

24 minutes ago, Miguel552 said:

How much for the Acronis? It's just a one time or two time thing. 

 

So if it only copies from one to the other, I would need to format the HDD after the copying is done to have an empty storage device?

Crucial SSD's (At least the MX300, the one I've used) come with an Acronis key. 

[Misinthe]

1 minute ago, Zando Bob said:

Crucial SSD's (At least the MX300, the one I've used) come with an Acronis key. 

Oh right, I got a license from my PNY SSD for Acronis, can I use the key on multiple devices though?

[Zando_]

54 minutes ago, Miguel552 said:

Oh right, I got a license from my PNY SSD for Acronis, can I use the key on multiple devices though?

I'd try it and see. Worst they can do is tell you it can't be used. 

[Blake]

On 4/27/2017 at 11:31 AM, Miguel552 said:

Hey everyone, I just got a new SSD for my laptop and I had a couple of questions if anyone could help me. My SSD is a SanDisk SSD Plus 240GB. And I know the best is to do a clean install but I don't have time to do that right now (juggling two jobs and school), so I just want to move OS from HDD to SSD and then use the HDD as storage.

 

1. What's the best software to move my OS from my HDD to my SSD?
2. Does my HDD end up blank or would it be just like a copy and I need to re-format it after?

Thank you all for your help!

Easiest thing I found was to just boot from a 3rd drive (such as the windows install DVD), and then just use robo copy:

 

ROBOCOPY <OLDDRIVE> <NEWDRIVE> /MIR /SEC /SECFIX /R:0
BOOTSECT /nt60 <NEWDRIVE>

after this you may want to disconnect the HDD and do a BCD rebuild.

If you running a new efi based install it may not work. may or may not need a /b on that robocopy command also.

 

Been a while since I actually did this as normally i'd just say fuck it, clean build time as 99% of issues disappear if you do that.