Installing or Moving Windows 7 onto a new SSD

Jenna Cat · Feb 21, 2015

I recently purchased an SSD (Samsung 850 pro) and now just need to transfer the files.

I think all the files are simple to move except for windows 7 right?
(Btw can someone explain how to move simple files like google chrome to the ssd because i heard its simple just need to know how :^) )

My friend said to move all my files into a separate storage, and move all the files to the storage using linux to store the files onto the storage device. I was to store it all, then plug in my ssd, then boot up on linux once again, and restore the stored files that i want onto the ssd, onto the ssd. However my motherboard (z87-a) seems to have issues with running non-eufi disk. (i googled this problem to find a solution, to find out my motherboard is likely the issue and my bios settings needs to be change to allow for such disks) However i could not find anything that told me what settings to have in bios to allow the linux disk to load.

lol im sorry if this seems like this is hard to understand, because i myself dont understand what im doing, just doing what i was told to do, and appear to be doing it wrong.

Anyway, thanks in advance for help!

If theres any suggestions of easier ways to setup this ssd with files please do say :3

USAFRet · Feb 21, 2015

"My friend said...."
Don't listen to him. That is some weird advice.

Questions:
What size is the new SSD?
How much space is currently used on the existing drive?
How 'old' is the install?

Personally, I always recommend a clean install of the OS on a new SSD. But there are various cloning applications.
Success depends on the answers to the above questions.

jitpublisher · Feb 21, 2015

Your friend is telling you to go all the way uptown just to cross the street. What you want to do is actually quite simple with cloning software. Its available to download from the maker of your ssd's web site.

ArtPog · Feb 22, 2015

Jenna Cat:
With respect to installing the Linux OS. I would be very, very cautious about doing this. While I recognize many Linux users are quite satisfied with this OS, working with Linux is a different kettle of fish and it takes a fair amount of acclimation on the part of the average user. I would advise you to give a lot of thought before you take this leap and if you so decide it would be highly desirable to have you friend who is experienced with that OS to be at your side to help you with the installation of that OS and at least help you through the basics of that OS.

It's great that you purchased a Samsung 850 Pro SSD. You couldn't do better.

It really would help if you provided a good deal more info re your system and your precise objectives. For example...

1. What kind of PC are you working with? A laptop? Desktop?

2. Do you know the make/model of your motherboard?

3. Are you planning (or would you like) to transfer the total contents of your system to the new Samsung SSD? How much total data is there?

4. Do you have any idea why your friend advised you to "move all (your) files into a separate storage". Do you have an enormously large amount of programs, applications, personal data, music/photo/video files?

4. Specify the drives in your PC? Are you planning to utilize 1 or more of them in a new setup?

5. You mention Google Chrome which is an internet browser of course. Anything special about it? It's just your internet browser of choice, yes?

It really would be helpful if you would provide any other pertinent details re your present system and specific information as to what you hope to accomplish. I'm sure if you do this you'll receive good suggestions from the many experts on this forum.

Jenna Cat · Feb 22, 2015

USAFRet :

the ssd is 254 Gb and currently i used about 300 Gb so i wont be able to transfer everyhting over at once
um the install? i dont know what you mean exactly

Jenna Cat · Feb 22, 2015

ArtPog :

its a desktop

um the maker of the motherboard is asus - its an asus z87-a

and no i dont plan to move everything (Cant anyway i have 300 gb currently used, 254 on ssd). I plan to only move some games and of course windows 7 and google chrome

lol i dont know why he had suggested to do it in such a matter. I know he explained that windows 7 would be tricky to simply back up with the windows 7 back up because i belive it was 10 important windows 7 files that he said would be lost. Thats where Linux came into play, since linux would not care about what certain files on window 7 are (refering to the 10 that would be lost) and would store it anyway (which we want, we want all files from windows 7)

And yes google chrome is my browers and just used it as an example. moving files such as google chrome are simple? just copy and past from the disk to the ssd right? Not sue

Jenna Cat · Feb 22, 2015

jitpublisher :

oops lol accidently made yours the solution. Is there a way to take that off because i want people to still come and help on the fourm :3. ehhh

Anyway you know whats weird. On the ssd the setup guide used parts that were not included. However i watching some unboxing videos and realize the parts were actually supposed to not be included. lol idk

USAFRet · Feb 22, 2015

Jenna Cat :

Unselected, as per your request.

USAFRet · Feb 22, 2015

So, to continue:

Getting the OS onto the SSD is done one of two ways. A clean install, or a migration from the old drive to the new SSD.
This is where the space question comes in.
Currently, you have ~300GB used space, and a 256GB drive. Obviously, that won't fit.
In fact, the Samsung clone tool won't even try it until you are below 200GB used space.

So, 2 options:
Again, a clean install of the OS and applications on the SSD
or
Reduce the current used space to well below 200GB, and clone it over.

And don't listen to your Linux friend. That path leads deep into the Fail Forest.

Jenna Cat · Feb 22, 2015

USAFRet :

Thanks for unselecting the answer

and lol the fail forest and i are best friends. I'll do a fresh install of windows 7 on the ssd. just to make sure i know what im doing is this how its done:

take out my current disk.
Plug in my ssd
go into bios and start up on cd (cd being Windows 7)
then afterwards windows 7 is on the ssd

plug back in my hdd
And doneeeee

(but then technically thered be two windows 7 er would that be a problem?)

Also to move files other than windows 7, its just a simple drag of folders from one disk to the other right? like in the folders menu i just go into the c drive and drag the folders onto the ssd.

USAFRet · Feb 22, 2015

Basically, this:

First, be sure you have a valid copy of ALL your critical files. Personal docs, username/password, Favorites, etc, etc. Elsewhere and offline during this process.

Disconnect ALL drives except the DVD and the target SSD
Boot from the install disk, and install on the SSD
Once the install is done, either wait for the Windows updates to run and then reconnect the HDD, or reconnect the HDD
If there is NOTHING needed on the old HDD, consider deleting all partitions on it and reformatting it.
Then reinstall your applications. Most/all on the SSD, maybe some on the HDD.
Then copy over your personal docs/etc from wherever you saved them

Jenna Cat · Feb 22, 2015

USAFRet :

wait, applications (my games and chrome :3 ) are to be reinstalled? i thought all i had to do was move the folders, or is that only possible with documents and photos and such.

USAFRet · Feb 22, 2015

Jenna Cat :

Documents, photos, yes.
Applications, no.

Games, specifically Steam and Origin based games, can mostly be moved about as needed.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?p_faqid=231
(I believe Origin has a similar function)

For a good install of a LOT of basic applications (incl Chrome), see ninite.com. Select what you want, download a small exe file.
Run it and let it do its thing. That is my goto for all new installs.

Jenna Cat · Feb 23, 2015

USAFRet :

lol how does one use the ninite site

Also to clarify, to "move" applications i download the setup as i always had and when it asks for the where to save i put in on the ssd instead of the c: drive x86 that it usually would go to right?

also i have no idea what its like having an ssd, it is like a normal disk with program files x86 and such? Cause if it is i hope you were able to understand what i have previously stated because it wouldnt make sense :3

USAFRet · Feb 23, 2015

Yes, the SSD is just another drive. Just really, really fast. Once the OS is on it...it looks exactly like your old drive.
And the SSD will be the C drive.

For ninite.com? Select the individual applications you wish to install. Download the small exe installer
Run that. Let it run. It automatically goes and downloads the most current version of what you have selected, and installs it.
Bonus, it automatically deselects any extra toolbars or possible junkware that sometimes appears.

I use it on every new build.

giantbucket · Feb 23, 2015

there are ways of simply "moving" your current system from your hard drive to your ssd, and keeping all the installed applications. windows 7 has this feature built in, but there's some prep work that needs to be done. however, in my opinion, that prep work is easier and less "i hate this" than having to reinstall all your apps, all the windows updates, etc etc etc.

if you're in my city, i can do it for you. it's not that hard, but writing it out would take a while.

basically, you would need:

1 - shrink your windows partition down to UNDER 250GB so that you can "clone" it to your new 256G SSD. if that means moving some personal files like docs / movies / pics to an external drive, then do that.
2 - make sure that your current drive doesn't have any other partitions that are past the 250G point. the windows tool takes a copy of the drive's own partition table, whether it's a system partition or an extra "movies" partition. there can't be a pointer to something that's at the 278G point, for example.
3 - use the built-in tool to make a recovery CD (or DVD). can probably also make recovery onto USB stick.
4 - use the built-in tool to create a system image on another hard drive. it'll take up about 250G of space, so you may need an extra drive for that.
5 - turn off, disconnect current drives, connect SSD and that image drive ONLY, boot using the CD/DVD you made, and go through the menus to restore system image

this is the native and totally free way of doing things. i've done it a bunch of times in Win7 and twice in Win8. it's easy to do, less easy to write about.

there are likely programs which can replace steps 3/4/5, but i've never used them. clonezilla is probably one. acronis trueimage is another.

Jenna Cat · Feb 23, 2015

USAFRet :

o snap lol thats awesome that it skips over ads and toolbars and stuff like that, gotta start using ninite more often.

And for the ssd, it becomes the c drive @.@ ? Whaaaaa so my original would be renamed to like d drive or something like that. Oh is this done because the default for installs are set to go into the c drive, and you would want those installs on the c drive. ehh i think im over thinking it

. But why does it become the c drive >.>

and ohh i deleted like half my games (kept the install

) and i now used a total of 121 gb. :3

giantbucket · Feb 23, 2015

because historically the A and B drive were floppy disks. the big 5.25" ones that nobody has seen in 20 years.

Installing or Moving Windows 7 onto a new SSD

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