Transferring OS, Applications, Games and more to SSD

T

TomNav

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Hi,

Is there a way to transfer my operating system, applications and games over to a SSD from a HDD and just leave the non essential stuff like photos and videos on my current HDD and if so how?

I basically want my current 1TB hard drive which everything is on to be my second hard drive and my new 2TB SSD to be my main storage.

Thanks for any help
 
easiest way would be to use what ever software came with the ssd to clone the entire hdd to the ssd. then delete whatever you don't want on the ssd. it will take a bit longer but will be easier. otherwise you'd need to try and use something like norton ghost and see if you can do a selective clone to eliminate the files you don't want copied. I recently did this for my mom on her new laptop. it even worked from within windows!

edit: ps this should have been under the SSDs & Data Storage forum. maybe someone will move it for you...
 
Paragon Migrate OS to SSD can do selective migration from drive to drive, it's only $20. You have a 2TB SSD so you can afford the $20 for the app.
paragon-migrate-04.jpg
 
Yes. If it's Linux or a newer version of Windows (only ever used it on 7 and up), you can do this

- Clone the drive to SSD (as others have said)
- If it's a library folder (ie: it uses the Windows libraries), you can redirect those in the properties. Otherwise, you can use symbolic links to move the folder.

Complete Guide to Symbolic Links (symlinks) on Windows or Linux

For example, I have my Steam folder on a HDD drive. But for games I want to open quicker, I move to an SSD and symbolic link it.

My last computer had an entire drive redirected. I had upgraded harddrives (and retired smaller ones) and didn't want to reinstall everything that was on my D and E drives, so I merged them and symbolic linked it together (going to E: put you in D: ) never had a problem.
 
Last edited:
pendragon1 said:
easiest way would be to use what ever software came with the ssd to clone the entire hdd to the ssd. then delete whatever you don't want on the ssd. it will take a bit longer but will be easier. otherwise you'd need to try and use something like norton ghost and see if you can do a selective clone to eliminate the files you don't want copied. I recently did this for my mom on her new laptop. it even worked from within windows!

edit: ps this should have been under the SSDs & Data Storage forum. maybe someone will move it for you...
Click to expand...

Yeah sorry I put the thread in the wrong place
 
Both Paragon and Macrium will get the job done.

If most of your data is Steam-related, there's actually a pretty easy way to go about it. Just move your whole Steam folder over to your backup drive. You can just copy+paste. If you have games with no cloud save option, be sure to copy those folders, too. They're typically in your document folders. You can just copy your whole personal folders, too.
After a fresh Windows install, just copy the folders over where you want them to be.
Even on a new machine, Steam will see your games and will recognize them. Just click the "verify install" function after copying them over and it'll make sure all of the redist stuff, install info, and saves are accounted for.
 
Most hard drive and SSD manufacturers have a software available for just this task. All of these will work as long as you have their brand drive in the system. Some will give you a full license for the software. I've used WD Acronis many times by just connected an external WD drive., I transferred OS from an Intel to a Micron SSD just the other day.

WD Acronis: Software and Firmware Downloads | WD Support
FREE if you have a WD drive

Seagate Acronis: DiscWizard | Seagate
FREE if you have a Seagate Drive

Crucial: Crucial.com - SSD support
FREE (Uses key provided with Crucial SSD)

Samsung: http://www.samsung.com/semiconducto...software/Samsung_Data_Migration_Setup_v30.zip
FREE if you have a Samsung Drive

Intel: Download Intel® Data Migration Software
FREE if you have an Intel Drive

Corsair: The Corsair SSD Toolbox
FREE if you have a Corsair Drive

ADATA: Valuable Software_Downloads_Support_ADATA Technology
FREE (Uses key provided with ADATA SSD)


Kingston: Acronis True Image Download and Instructions | Kingston
FREE (Uses key provided with Kingston SSD)

I know this is an old thread, but people should be aware of this stuff by now.



If you don't go that route which is by far the easiest:

CloneZilla
Norton Ghost
CloneHD

Are all viable options.
 
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I used some Acronis software to clone my HDD to SSD when I moved which included OS and all the other crap. Was far easier to do and basically just went to boot order and switched to SSD boot and was back to faster loading and all the sex in no time.
 
ShepsCrook said:
Most hard drive and SSD manufacturers have a software available for just this task. All of these will work as long as you have their brand drive in the system. Some will give you a full license for the software. I've used WD Acronis many times by just connected an external WD drive., I transferred OS from an Intel to a Micron SSD just the other day.

WD Acronis: Software and Firmware Downloads | WD Support
FREE if you have a WD drive

Seagate Acronis: DiscWizard | Seagate
FREE if you have a Seagate Drive

Crucial: Crucial.com - SSD support
FREE (Uses key provided with Crucial SSD)

Samsung: http://www.samsung.com/semiconducto...software/Samsung_Data_Migration_Setup_v30.zip
FREE if you have a Samsung Drive

Intel: Download Intel® Data Migration Software
FREE if you have an Intel Drive

Corsair: The Corsair SSD Toolbox
FREE if you have a Corsair Drive

ADATA: Valuable Software_Downloads_Support_ADATA Technology
FREE (Uses key provided with ADATA SSD)


Kingston: Acronis True Image Download and Instructions | Kingston
FREE (Uses key provided with Kingston SSD)

I know this is an old thread, but people should be aware of this stuff by now.



If you don't go that route which is by far the easiest:

CloneZilla
Norton Ghost
CloneHD

Are all viable options.
Click to expand...



Thank you for the information! This is very helpful and I have a couple of questions.

I've never cloned a HD before, normally I just wipe and re-install. However, I have a laptop which has Mercedes Benz software on it which can not be re-activated. If the harddrive fails the laptop is completely useless to me so I want to avoid any issues. The current laptop is windows 7 pro with a 150gb Intel SSD. I have spare SSD drives, but they are not intel, they are Samsung. From your above information does the source and destination drives have to be the same in order to use the software? IE: Will the intel software work even though the destination drive is a Samsung?

I was going to use the software called Clonezilla which seems like it will do the job 100% via booting to USB (like a live Linux disc), then choose source/destination.

What I want to do is clone the 150gb drive to a new SSD (probably larger, I think mine are 250gb) and be able to take the clone drive, pop it in the laptop and have it boot up like it's the original without any complications via activate windows or other software. This is to only be used as a last resort if the original SSD craps it's pants so to speak.

Thanks,
-Nigel
 
NewShockerGuy said:
Thank you for the information! This is very helpful and I have a couple of questions.

I've never cloned a HD before, normally I just wipe and re-install. However, I have a laptop which has Mercedes Benz software on it which can not be re-activated. If the harddrive fails the laptop is completely useless to me so I want to avoid any issues. The current laptop is windows 7 pro with a 150gb Intel SSD. I have spare SSD drives, but they are not intel, they are Samsung. From your above information does the source and destination drives have to be the same in order to use the software? IE: Will the intel software work even though the destination drive is a Samsung?

I was going to use the software called Clonezilla which seems like it will do the job 100% via booting to USB (like a live Linux disc), then choose source/destination.

What I want to do is clone the 150gb drive to a new SSD (probably larger, I think mine are 250gb) and be able to take the clone drive, pop it in the laptop and have it boot up like it's the original without any complications via activate windows or other software. This is to only be used as a last resort if the original SSD craps it's pants so to speak.

Thanks,
-Nigel
Click to expand...
As long as the laptop is the source, then putting the old drive back in if the SSD fails will be fine. I've had to do that a few times when I was upgrading to Windows 10 on one of my machines, after the upgrade, all of my USB ports were disabled so I couldn't do anything on the machine.
popped in the original SSD, found out what the issue was, it was the ASUS AI Charger software, removed that, cloned the drive again, and then upgraded to Windows 10 on the clone and everything worked.
 
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