Transfering my hdd to a ssd

[rice4thewin]

Found out my hdd is dying and is running super slow so i bought a ssd to replace it. Its coming in tonight and I was wondering where do i start? I dont want to lose any files from my c drive and I want everything to be exactly how I left it. Also will I need to find my windows key again or will windows automatically install without problems on its own?

[TheGlenlivet]

10 minutes ago, rice4thewin said:

Found out my hdd is dying and is running super slow so i bought a ssd to replace it. Its coming in tonight and I was wondering where do i start? I dont want to lose any files from my c drive and I want everything to be exactly how I left it. Also will I need to find my windows key again or will windows automatically install without problems on its own?

Either clone the drive to the SSD, or install windows to it and transfer all the files over.

[Br3tt96]

Just now, TheGlenlivet said:

Either clone the drive to the SSD, or install windows to it and transfer all the files over.

Like this Dude. I'd reinstall windows and move things over

[seagate_surfer]

Hello rice4thewin,

 

Use EaseUS, it is very helpful when it comes to cloning from one HDD to SSD:

• https://www.easeus.com/backup-utility/migrate-windows-10-to-ssd.html?utm_expid=268318-503.IqMRwcxGRVqa3_thctdA6w.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

[rice4thewin]

2 hours ago, TheGlenlivet said:

Either clone the drive to the SSD, or install windows to it and transfer all the files over.

which one would be faster? cloning or installing and transferring?

[TheGlenlivet]

Just now, rice4thewin said:

which one would be faster? cloning or installing and transferring?

Faster would probably be cloning, but there is a risk of corruption with cloning.

The safest way is with a new install.

What SSD do you have?

[rice4thewin]

5 minutes ago, TheGlenlivet said:

Faster would probably be cloning, but there is a risk of corruption with cloning.

The safest way is with a new install.

What SSD do you have?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072R78B6Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[TheGlenlivet]

6 minutes ago, rice4thewin said:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072R78B6Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've never cloned to that SSD before.  If you can, I'd transfer everything over instead of cloning.

[rice4thewin]

29 minutes ago, TheGlenlivet said:

I've never cloned to that SSD before.  If you can, I'd transfer everything over instead of cloning.

how would i do that? just install windows on the ssd and then copy and paste the whole drive onto the ssd?

[TheGlenlivet]

4 minutes ago, rice4thewin said:

how would i do that? just install windows on the ssd and then copy and paste the whole drive onto the ssd?

No, just the files, not the windows boot partition or the back ups.

[rice4thewin]

2 hours ago, TheGlenlivet said:

No, just the files, not the windows boot partition or the back ups.

But I’m trying to get rid of the hdd and fully replacing it with the ssd. So how would I get windows on to the ssd 

[TheGlenlivet]

11 minutes ago, rice4thewin said:

But I’m trying to get rid of the hdd and fully replacing it with the ssd. So how would I get windows on to the ssd 

Install new windows on the SSD and activate it with the code from the old one.You can make an install tool here.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

[rice4thewin]

3 hours ago, TheGlenlivet said:

No, just the files, not the windows boot partition or the back ups.

ok so should i just drag over all these folders but the windows folder onto the ssd?

[hazeyez]

2 hours ago, TheGlenlivet said:

Install new windows on the SSD and activate it with the code from the old one.You can make an install tool here.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Isn't the Windows key used once locked to the original HDD it was installed on?

[rice4thewin]

18 minutes ago, hazeyez said:

Isn't the Windows key used once locked to the original HDD it was installed on?

i think its locked to the mobo, right?

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I've cloned HDDs to SSDs many times using Macrium Reflect without any problems. The free version, Macrium Reflect Free, is plenty for most people.

[dodomangus]

PCMover? Or diskimage? Try checking stuff from laplink.com tried using PCMover 3 months ago and it went smooth for me. 

[Lifeisataco]

PCmover is definitely the easiest way to accomplish this. Install Windows on the SSD, run PCmover (on the SSD) and choose the HDD as the source hard drive.