Prepping new drives

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tinpanalley

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I've got a new HDD for my media storage (sits in the tower) and a SSD to replace my current HDD system drive. I have two questions...
1. I've got almost a TB of data to transfer from this 1TB 7200rpm drive to the new HDD. I use Teracopy now but is there maybe some other copying tool that's good for doing this job? The content is all photos, audio, and some video, if that matters.
2. Is there something I need to know at all about copying my current system drive to the new SSD? I've never done this before. When I've created new system drives in the past it's been on new systems. Can I use Samsung's program for this new EVO 840 or is there something else?

Thanks!!
 
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kenrivers

kenrivers

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You can use the Samsung software to clone the drive though you may need to visit the Samsung site to get it. I'm not sure it is made by Samsung. Should have asked this first, is the data on the drive you are replacing? What size SSD did you get? Cloning a larger drive to a smaller one could be a problem. A clean install is the best way to go. If you decide to do a clean install make sure the SSD is the only drive connected. After the install add the new HDD. You could then get a cable or external enclosure for the HDD you removed and copy the data files from the old drive to the new one. (USB to SATA cable)
 
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tinpanalley

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Let me expand.
There are 150GB of system drive on a 1TB HDD right now. The 250GB SSD will be replacing THAT and be the new system C: drive.
The media storage drive of 1TB HDD will be replaced by a new 2TB HDD.

 
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kenrivers

kenrivers

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Were both of the current drives in place when the OS was originally installed? If not then you should not have any problem cloning the drive. Does the case have room for three drives? If yes, you could add the
new drive and copy the files to it.

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/MZ-7TE250LW
Link to updated Samsung Magician software. Not sure if that is the model you purchased but you can find it on the site.
 
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tinpanalley

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The current 1TB C: drive was installed and all system and program installs went there.
The 2nd 1TB D: drive is and has only ever been storage for audio, photo, and video.
They are both in the tower, and there is room for more drives, optical or HDD/SSD. Why does it matter if that 2nd media drive was there from the beginning? (I think it was, but why does it matter?)
 
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tinpanalley

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Is there any way to scan for this boot loader? I'm about 99% sure that this drive went in after installation of Windows, and was just dumped into with content.
 
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tinpanalley

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Just on C:, the boot drive.
rXZ3yZd.jpg
 
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tinpanalley

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Ok, but I'm still not sure on two things...
1. Can I just connect the SSD in my tower now via SATA and use the tool to migrate even though the tool is running on the C drive being cloned?
2. Am I good using TeraCopy to copy the 2nd media drive to the new media drive?
 
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kenrivers

kenrivers

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1. In the past I have connected the drive externally with a USB to SATA cable to clone a drive. If you didn't get a desktop kit then you might want to consider purchasing the cable. You might be able to install it and then clone it but I'm not sure I would.
2. Having never used TeraCopy I can't say for sure. If you have used it successfully in the past then it should work fine. I've always just used the Windows copy command.
 
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tinpanalley

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I've got an enclosure with a SATA port. What's the difference running a USB-SATA cable externally to a USB port and just connecting it to a SATA port on the motherboard?
Also, TeraCopy is just great because you can get a log to prove everything copied fine.
 
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kenrivers

kenrivers

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Either way will work. I just prefer the external method as it is less work to only remove and replace one drive. Basically just clone and swap. Connecting internally should not make a difference. I'll keep TeraCopy in mind as I copy many project files to externals just in case.
 
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tinpanalley

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Ohhh.. I see. I've got 2 3.5" bays and 2 2.5" bays free and 2 SATA-III ports free on my desktop. So swapping isn't an issue for me. Somebody else told me as well that they kept suggesting an adapter because they assumed I was doing this on a laptop. Are there no desktop owners anymore? I guess having built my own desktop makes me even more rare.
 
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kenrivers

kenrivers

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I built my own desktop as well. It's the only way to go. Glad you posted as it got me motivated to move the bootloader to the same drive as the OS. I had not disconnected the other drives when I installed Windows.
 
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tinpanalley

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I'm debating now between doing a fresh install of Windows (Win7) or just cloning the C drive to the SSD. I like the idea of a fresh install but I'm HATING the idea of all the system settings, program reinstalls, individual program settings, drivers, reboots, etc etc etc... Thoughts? Know of spme magic method that takes the work out of that stuff?
Not sure what to do. I'll start by just backing up the 2nd harddrive while I think about it.
 
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Y0GI

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Most definitely back up first!

When I built the system in my sig, I only had the Seagate 1 TB HDD and I later added the 128 GB Samsung 840 Pro by cloning my C: partition from the HDD to the new SSD using Samsung's "Data Migration" software.

Before cloning, I shrunk my C: partition on the HDD to 109 GB, just to be sure that it would all fit on the new 128 GB SSD.

Next, I installed the SSD and rebooted into Windows on the HDD.

I ran Data Migration from the HDD while Windows was running and at first it would not work. After about the third try, I got a prompt to update Data Migration. After the update, the program worked flawlessly and I have been booting and running Windows from the SSD ever since.

Just a suggestion.....

Yogi

 
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tinpanalley

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Cool, thanks.
I'm confused here... I don't know why, but I'm lost on order of operations. Overthinking mixed with it being something you don't do every day, no doubt.

I have Win7 installed on C now obviously. Its license is registered to that install.
Confusions:
- If I install Win7 fresh on the SSD, how will I get the license off the old HDD and onto the new install on the SSD?
- With Windows running on the HDD, current C, and then being installed on the new SSD, will there not be any conflicts with which one to run Windows from or will it continue to run from the HDD until I tell it not to in the BIOS?
- Are there any other crucial things to do to a SSD system drive? I read somewhere randomly about turning off defrag but are there other things like that?

Thanks, everyone!
 
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Y0GI

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Windows is linked to the mobo, not the HDD or SSD.



If you use Data Migration, it will take away the "C:" designation from the HDD and assign it to the SSD. Then it is just a matter of being sure that the SSD is first in the boot order in the BIOS, but it really isn't a big deal because the Windows installation on the HDD no longer has a drive letter assigned to it. It is all still there, it just has no drive letter.




Here is a list of optimizations: http://www.thessdreview.com/ssd-guides/optimization-guides/the-ssd-optimization-guide-ultimate-windows-8-edition/




You're most welcome!

Yogi

 
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