I have windows 7 on a 750GB drive at the moment, but I want to install 10 on my SSD which only has 30 GB of space. Of course, I don't want to have to re-install all my data. If I go the upgrade route, will I have an option to choose which drive I install the windows files to?
No and Maybe and No.
No, you must apply the upgrade onto the drive that you have Windows booted on at the time of the upgrade.
However, maybe if you only have your current OS on the C: Drive, and put everything else on other partitions of the 750gbyte drive, then perhaps.
Basically it comes down to if you can clone your operating system drive to the SSD. If so, then yes you do that first, shutdown and reboot to the SSD, then perform the upgrade. The upgrade must be performed against the booted drive that is running your current Windows.
However probably no since Windows 10 will take 20gbytes give or take- without any of your own apps installed. Leaving at most 10gbyte left. Very unhealthy amount of space left on your boot drive.
Do you know any way that I could move just the OS onto the SSD?
Other than reinstalling directly to the SSD, no.
All I can think of is to clone to the SSD then do in and delete everything other than the OS and uninstall all software.
Certain versions of certain imaging/cloning applications will allegedly give you considerable control over what you image/clone.
I don't know how well they work for that procedure, but I suspect it can get messy.
I'd upgrade to the 750 GB drive and after that's all done and activated to your satisfaction, then think about your next move. Changing to the SSD wouldn't cause any licensing issues, but the fact is that 30 GB is very very small to put Windows on----even if all applications are elsewhere. I'd give up on that idea.
I'm assuming 30 GB is the total capacity on your SSD, not just available space. If that's true, I'd get a larger SSD for $60 to $100.
There might be a way. Going to post this so others can comment on whether it would work:
1) Perform the Windows 10 upgrade on your existing Windows 7 installing- meaning onto your hard drive.
2) Reboot the computer, make sure Windows 10 is active, do all the upgrades, etc etc
When you are certain you have Windows 10 working properly off your hard drive, proceed as if you were replacing your hard drive.
First, let's assume you have a whack of data (non-programs) that you want to have access to afterwards. Let's also assume you do not have 750gbytes of data on your drive
1) Using Windows, repartition your 750gbyte drive in to several drives. Say 3 total of 250gbytes. The first remains your boot C: drive for now, then say D: and E:
2) Reboot the computer and make sure all is well.
3) Move, don't just copy, any data that you want to keep off of the C drive onto folders you create on the D and/or E drive.
4) Reboot the computer and make sure all is well.
Now assuming that your C drive is now mostly just your Win10 and programs, and thus not bigger than say 24gbytes, you can clone your C: partition to the new SSD, then shutdown and reboot to the SSD.
Again though, 30gbytes is very tight for now even, let alone the future.
PS: ignatzatsonic posted while I was typing this up...
I guess I'll buy a larger SSD and clone the drive onto that before doing the upgrade then.
Minimum 120GB ($70 on Amazon) but I would suggest a 250GB Samsung EVO SSD ($100 or so on Amazon).
I doubt that you need to do that.
I haven't done exactly this, but what I suggest is:
Use the Media Creation tool to download the appropriate .iso, or to create a bootable USB flash drive. (You could also do a DVD, but a flash drive, even a slow one, is much faster than a DVD for installing an OS.)
Perform the upgrade on the Win 7 installation on your spinner. (Start it from within 7. Make sure to keep all you files, settings, and applications, or the result may not activate.)
Once you have activated an upgrade installation once, you can do a clean install on the same hardware, and it will activate.
I'm fairly confident that "the same hardware" would extend to a new SSD in a system that is otherwise unchanged. (The hardware hash sent to the MS activation server may change, but I expect that it will stay within the tolerance range. That would be necessary to allow a hard drive to be replaceable, which is one of the commoner PC repairs/upgrades.) I suggest that you disconnect the spinner, install the SSD, and attempt a Win 10 installation on it. I'd bet that it activates.
What I'd have to research is how to eliminate the Windows installation on the spinner, if the one on the SSD goes well. It has been several years since I've done that. I imagine that you can simply use the startup device selection screen in the BIOS (F11 hotkey on my Asrock motherboard), boot from the SSD, and delete the Windows folder on the spinner.
If you find it worth a try, let us know how it comes out.
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