Windows 7 Laptop with SSD - Transfer to new Desktop win Windows 10


  1. dabutter90
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7
       New #1

    Windows 7 Laptop with SSD - Transfer to new Desktop win Windows 10


    Hi There!

    Here is my scenario:

    -I have a HP Laptop with Windows 7 Professional installed, in addition to a Samsung 850 EVO SSD.
    - I just purchased an Hp 8200 SFF Desktop with Windows 10 and a 2tb HDD

    I have purchased the proper mount to install the SSD in the desktop, an have a SATA cable for potential data transfer. My question is, what is the best way to setup my SSD as the main drive on the new desktop while keeping my current configuration? In addition, how do I set up the 2tb hard drive ONLY for storage.

    *Note - I cannot install Windows 10 in my laptop because my graphics card does not support it.

    Thanks in advance!

    Hardware

    New Desktop - HP Elite 8200 SFF High Performance Business Desktop Computer (Intel Quad Core i7 up to 3.8GHz Processor), 2TB HDD, 16GB DDR3 Memory, DVD RW, Windows 10 Professional

    Laptop (Spec File Attached)

    HP Elitebook 8560p
    Windows 7 Laptop with SSD - Transfer to new Desktop win Windows 10 Attached Files
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  3. dalchina
    Posts : 42,922
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #2

    Hi, there's a whole range of issues here.
    Key question; are both machines 64 bits for example?

    Some thoughts.
    Desktop
    1. You can reinstall Win 10 freely on your desktop after swapping to the SSD.
    2. When you put the SSD in your desktop, you should enable AHCI in your BIOS. I'd wipe the SSD before putting it in your desktop.
    AHCI vs IDE - Difference and Comparison | Diffen
    3. You would then install Win 10 to your SSD (I'd take out the existing drive for simplicity).

    Transferring your installed programs etc from Win 7 to 10. (I assume that's what you mean by 'keeping your current configuration').
    1. Some programs may not be compatible.
    2. You can't do this if your laptop is 32 bits, and your desktop 64 bits.
    3. If they are both 64 bits and you have enough programs installed to make it worthwhile, explore Laplink products. I would recommend using the product which uses disk imaging, so you can create a disk image of your laptop as a backup.
    4. Data transfer is relatively easy, of course. But if you have an email client, you will want to give that special consideration. There may be other examples.

    There's a lot more detail to consider. I'm sure you'll get quite a lot of comment.

    Note: here I've assumed a clean install of Win 10. There's another approach where you simply transfer an OS intact to different hardware and the drivers are replaced as appropriate - in disk imaging terms 'restore to dissimilar hardware'. I've never tried this, so can't comment, and there could well be license implications I don't know about.
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  4. dabutter90
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       New #3

    Thanks. In terms of physically installing the SSD. Should I simply unplug the HDD and plug in the SSD? And then boot up?
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  6. Samuria
    Posts : 8,100
    windows 10
       New #4

    Welcome to the forum. It should be straightforward you simple clone the drive to the new one most OEMs offer a cloning tool to do this if you can use any free clone tool it should take care of size difference on its own. Once cloned remove the old drive and boot SSD try it for a couple of days to make sure it's all working and you have the old one safe if there were any problems. Once happy you can add the other drive and format it or repartition depending on your needs
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  7. dabutter90
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    But I don't want to clone the HDD to the SSD? I want to setup the SSD to run the OS and change the HDD (on new desktop) to a storage device....
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  8. NavyLCDR
    Posts : 18,430
    Windows 11 Pro
       New #6

    Is the laptop legacy BIOS or UEFI? The new desktop is more than likely UEFI. If the laptop is legacy BIOS you will have problems moving the OS from the laptop to the desktop.

    Is the laptop SATA controller operating in IDE mode? If it is, and the desktop is running in AHCI mode like it should be, you will have problems moving the OS from the laptop to the desktop.

    The easiest method to overcome all potential incompatibilities would be to install the SSD in the desktop first as the second drive, not the primary drive. Leave the HDD and DVD drive connected where they are and connect the SSD to a higher numbered SATA port. Make an image of the SSD with Macrium Reflect Free installed on the Windows 10 on the desktop and save the image to the HDD.

    Disconnect the HDD, leave it disconnected, move the SSD to the primary drive position (lowest numbered SATA port), boot the computer from a Windows 10 installation USB flash drive or DVD, erase the SSD and install a fresh Windows 10 to it. After the installation is done and the OS is running from the SSD, reconnect the HDD to the higher numbered SATA port. Then we can talk about partitioning and/or wiping the HDD for secondary storage.
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  9. Samuria
    Posts : 8,100
    windows 10
       New #7

    You say But I don't want to clone the HDD to the SSD? I want to setup the SSD to run the OS and change the HDD (on new desktop) to a storage device....

    but you asked My question is, what is the best way to setup my SSD as the main drive on the new desktop while keeping my current configuration? In addition, how do I set up the 2tb hard drive ONLY for storage.

    If you dont clone it then you have to do a clean install of the o/s on the ssd drive its one or the other
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  10. NavyLCDR
    Posts : 18,430
    Windows 11 Pro
       New #8

    I believe the OP wants to keep and transfer everything he has on the old laptop to the new computer.
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  12. Samuria
    Posts : 8,100
    windows 10
       New #9

    Confussing as he says what is the best way to setup my SSD as the main drive on the new desktop while keeping my current configuration? I am assuming he want to keep win10 and put it on the ssd for the desktop in which case its clone or clean install?
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