SSD transfer questions

sekramer10 · 24 Jan 2020

I am new to installing windows. I think I want to move Windows10 to a SSD. The thing is I don't have the budget for a large SSD, and my HDD is 500GB. I'm going to get a 120GB SSD, because my PC is getting slow. As I understand it, right now, the OS, my programs, their data, and my files are all on the HDD. Can I just move the OS to the SSD? If I do this can I still run the programs that are on the HDD? Do I have to move the programs onto the SSD to run them? Do I have to re-install any programs anywhere after moving the OS to the SSD? Just curious how this works. It seems like I could also move programs from the HDD onto the SSD and they might be even faster? Do I have to format the HDD after moving the OSS to the SSD? I'd rather not. I just want the OS to work from the SSD I think and have everything else the same, unless moving programs to the SSD will make them faster too. Can I have programs run from the HDD and the SSD after moving the OS? Also, my HDD is currently compressed, is that a problem with any of this?

Many questions,
Thanks.

farrellart · 24 Jan 2020

120gb will be OK but it's not future proof. 240gb would be better and for a few extra quid(bucks) it would be preferred.

I would uninstall your programs, keep your personal files on the HDD and take out the HDD. Put in the new SSD and clean install win10.

Fresh install all your programs on the SSD.

Put the HDD back in and use that as your personal file drive.

If you move/copy and paste your files from the HDD to the SSD without reinstallation you are opening yourself up for a world of frustration. Best to it all clean and from scratch. You'll save yourself time and headaches in the long run.

Samuria · 24 Jan 2020

500 gig see is very cheap now £50 in the UK

NavyLCDR · 24 Jan 2020

You have to either copy the whole, entire C: drive partition from the HDD to the SSD, or start over from scratch and re-install everything.

AddRAM · 24 Jan 2020

This is all you need. A 120GB would be pushing it, it`s too small.

SSD 860 PRO 2.5" SATA III 256GB Memory & Storage - MZ-76P256BW | Samsung US

Your OS and all your programs should be on the SSD, and you certainly DO NOT want the OS compressed.

You can and should store all your data on the hard drive, but windows and all your programs should be installed on the new SSD, or there would be no purpose to getting a SSD.

Berton · 24 Jan 2020

I have a 128GB SSD on a Dell Latitude 13.3" Notebook, after 2 months use still have 79GB free. I move most of my downloads to a NAS drive, especially the larger ones. The biggest problem with smaller lighter and thinner is the 32GB SSDs, should be at least 64GB but even that may not be enough in the scheme of future-proofing.

AddRAM · 24 Jan 2020

It would be nice if you could post a shot of Disk Management so we can see what`s going on before you proceed.

sekramer10 · 24 Jan 2020

Thanks I really do have a limited budget right now so I appreciate it. I'm just wondering does someone know if the transfer should work ok if my files are compressed, I tried doing this yesterday (compressing) and it's still processing! I think it compressed the OS files.

Questions:
1. If I get win10 on the SSD, I have to reinstall the programs - can I install them on either the HDD or the SSD?

2. Do I have to remove Win10 from the HDD, is formatting the only way to do this if I want to remove Win10 from the HDD? I don't have a drive to back up my HDD files on, so I don't want to format it. I do have a 1TB back up drive but it is full of File History.

- - - Updated - - -

disk management screenshot attached

NavyLCDR · 25 Jan 2020

The first thing I would do is clean install Windows 10 to the SSD. With as much space used on your current C: drive HDD, cloning just isn't going to work. You can even dual boot between the SSD and HDD for a wile, if you want, during the transition. Then install MiniTool Partition Wizard in the new Windows 10, and shrink the old HDD OS partition by as much as you can. You could also delete the recovery partition at the end of the HDD. Create a new NTFS partition in the empty space. Change the drive letters around so the new partition is D: drive and the old Windows partition is E: or F: drive. Move your old user library folders and data from the old OS on the HDD, such as Users\Username\Documents to the new D: drive. Mine are in a folder on my drive drive called my name, John. So on my D: drive I have John\Documents, John\Pictures, John\Downloads, etc.

Once you get all your data moved to the D: drive under a username folder, then you can start remapping your user folders on your new Windows 10 to the folders on D: drive which contain your old data files:
Move Location of Documents Folder in Windows 10

Do the same for all your "library" folders. Once you get set up with your data on D: drive, your new OS running on the SSD, then you can use Minitool Partition Wizard to delete the old partitions from the HDD (but not your Data partition!), and expand the data partition to fill the entire drive.

jimbo45 · 25 Jan 2020

AddRAM said:

This is all you need. A 120GB would be pushing it, it`s too small.

SSD 860 PRO 2.5" SATA III 256GB Memory & Storage - MZ-76P256BW | Samsung US

Your OS and all your programs should be on the SSD, and you certainly DO NOT want the OS compressed.

You can and should store all your data on the hard drive, but windows and all your programs should be installed on the new SSD, or there would be no purpose to getting a SSD.

Hi there

depends on what you want to run on your Windows machine --It's always better to keep OS + apps separate from user data, multi-media etc etc

I've found for a windows drive 80 GB more than enough and I've loads of things like Office, Photoshop, VLC, etc etc installed on it.

Keep other stuff on another partition or drive --BUT I agree if 500GB costs very little these days --you've nothing to lose by getting that. Then create separate partition for data.

Cheers
jimbo