Need help after cloning my OS to my SSD

Hey, so I've just completed the "OS Migration" process which I thought would purely copy over my OS to the SSD but it turns out literally my entire HDD was cloned. My question is, can someone please tell me which Windows 10 directories/folders I need to keep in order to simply have the OS on the ssd? My goal is to simply delete everything cloned on the SSD but the operating system and my user data of course

Thank you

If that is possible, I don't know how. I suppose that you could delete every program. (Leave the drivers.)

I would have simply installed the SSD and clean installed Windows onto it. Under most circumstances, Windows should activate automatically online.

If you wish to continue running programs from the HDD without keeping it as the system drive, mostly it won't be possible. (The exception is "portable" program, which require no installation and make no significant changes to the Windows registry.)

bobkn said:

If that is possible, I don't know how. I suppose that you could delete every program. (Leave the drivers.)

I would have simply installed the SSD and clean installed Windows onto it. Under most circumstances, Windows should activate automatically online.

If you wish to continue running programs from the HDD without keeping it as the system drive, mostly it won't be possible. (The exception is "portable" program, which require no installation and make no significant changes to the Windows registry.)

I could still use your alternative and wipe the SSD with a fresh install of the OS but the reason I avoided this is simply my concern for keeping my "User" folder. Doesn't everything in the Users folder pertain to your account on Windows along with AppData, pictures, videos, etc?

I thought migrating the OS would be a simple solution but as I stated earlier, the process just cloned over the entire HDD instead

Edit: Basically my goal is simply to have the operating system on my ssd without losing any data

Ghost Prodigy said:

My goal is to simply delete everything cloned on the SSD but the operating system and my user data of course

Thank you

That's not an easy task. The problem is that most applications place files WITHIN the Windows directory structure so it's not as simple as manually pruning folders here and there.

Normally, if you want to clear out things that are not needed you would do the following:

1) Uninstall applications that you no longer need or want.

2) Make use of Start > Settings > System > Storage > Storage Sense to clean up various files such as temporary files, etc. on a regular basis.

3) In file explorer, right-click the C: drive (assuming Windows is on C:), choose Properties, and then select Disk Cleanup from the General tab. Select those items that you wish to cleanup.

4) Many user documents are often stored with the subfolders of "Documents" and these should be safe to delete (assuming that this user data is not something you want to retain).

However, if your goal really is to have only Windows, why not simply perform a clean install and then simply install those apps that you want on the new installation and copy over what user data you want to retain?

One additional thought...

Whenever I perform a clean, fresh install, I tend to simply keep the old HD around for a while, or an image of that HD. Tht way, if I discover I have forgotten to keep something, I can retrieve it from that disk or image. after a few weeks once I'm certain that all is well I can delete the backup image or wipe the old HD.

hsehestedt said:

One additional thought...

Whenever I perform a clean, fresh install, I tend to simply keep the old HD around for a while, or an image of that HD. Tht way, if I discover I have forgotten to keep something, I can retrieve it from that disk or image. after a few weeks once I'm certain that all is well I can delete the backup image or wipe the old HD.

This is the dilemma, my HDD has 1TB and my SSD has 500 GB

I can successfully clone everything to the SSD BUT my goal here is to simply have only the operating system on the SSD with a few other programs and what not that I use regularly. I've been using this HDD for 5 years now so as you can imagine it has a lot of important files. So with me having a fresh install on the SSD, what would I then do with the OS files existing on the HDD?

I just genuinely have no idea what to do, so simple yet to so complicated lol

Goal: Have the OS transferred/installed to my SSD without losing any existing data

dalchina said:

Try
Refresh Windows 10

Option Keep my files

Do you know if I can apply that process to a specific hard drive? It would be great if I can run that on my SSD without it touching the HDD

$Recycle.Bin
Documents and Settings
efi
boot
Program Files
Program Files (x86)
ProgramData
Recovery
Users
Windows
bootmgr