Adding SSDs and Replacing HDDs, how to transfer files?

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WDParsell

Honorable
Feb 22, 2015
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I feel like this will end up being a towers of Hanoi type question, but I just don't know what order to do it - or what to do.

I have a 120GB SSD + 1TB HDD. My brother has just a 500GB HDD. I've ordered a 500GB SSD and a 4TB HDD for myself. What I want to do is this: Replace old SSD with new SSD. Replace 1TB with 4TB. Give brother both of my old drives, SSD + HDD. Use brothers old HDD to be a backup drive for my new SSD.

Step by step, can you walk me through what to do and how to do it. Any programs I need? How will I get my brothers OS on the old SSD while putting the other files on old HDD? Can I avoid using discs ro reinstall windows?

I have plenty of sata cables.

Thanks.
 
Solution
USAFRet
Given the above list of drives and expected outcome, here is the order of battle I would do it in:

(for all clone operations, standard caveat exists. Do NOT wipe the source drive until the target drive is verified working 100%)
1. Clone the 120GB SSD to the new 500GB SSD
2. Clone the 1TB HDD to the new 4TB HDD

Now it gets a bit tricky. Getting the 500GB System 2 drive into a 120GB SSD...
Now that we have free space on the 1TB HDD, copy as much data off the System 2 500GB, so as to get the total used space on the 500GB HDD to below 100GB
3. Now clone the 500GB HDD to the 120GB SSD

So now the config is:
System 1 = 500GB SSD + 4TB HDD
System 2 = 120GB SSD + 1TB HDD

Assuming all is actually working...all thats left is to wipe the 500GB...
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D_Know_WD

D_Know_WD

Judicious
Jul 30, 2014
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Hi there WDParsell,

As you don't really want to reinstall OS, you will need to clone the drives. Most of the HDD/SSD manufacturers have their own cloning tools. Some third party ones should do the job as well. This process would create exactly the same copy.

- Clone your old SSD onto the new one. You will need to attach the new SSD either internally or externally. After that, you just take your old SSD out of the system and put the new one on it's place. When you make sure that your system boots up just fine, you can reformat the old SSD.
- You can clone your HDD as well. If you have only data, you can just transfer it somehow.(no need for cloning)
- You attach the already blank old SSD to your brother's computer and clone the HDD onto the SSD.
- Attach your old HDD to his PC and get the 500 GB drive.

Thread on cloning: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/277484-32-best-disk-cloning-software

Let me know in case you have some more questions,
D_Know_WD :)
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Mar 16, 2013
171,303
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Given the above list of drives and expected outcome, here is the order of battle I would do it in:

(for all clone operations, standard caveat exists. Do NOT wipe the source drive until the target drive is verified working 100%)
1. Clone the 120GB SSD to the new 500GB SSD
2. Clone the 1TB HDD to the new 4TB HDD

Now it gets a bit tricky. Getting the 500GB System 2 drive into a 120GB SSD...
Now that we have free space on the 1TB HDD, copy as much data off the System 2 500GB, so as to get the total used space on the 500GB HDD to below 100GB
3. Now clone the 500GB HDD to the 120GB SSD

So now the config is:
System 1 = 500GB SSD + 4TB HDD
System 2 = 120GB SSD + 1TB HDD

Assuming all is actually working...all thats left is to wipe the 500GB HDD, put it in System 1, and set up a backup plan.
Macrium Reflect will do this easily. Automated, on a schedule you set up.
 
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Solution
SkyNetRising

SkyNetRising

Titan
Jan 4, 2016
29,813
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  • 1. Clone 120GB SSD to 500GB SSD
    2. Copy contents of 1TB HDD to 4TB HDD
    3. Make sure system1 can boot from new SSD(500GB)
    4. Clean 120GB SSD and 1TB HDD
    5. Clone Windows partition of 500GB HDD to 120GB SSD (used space of windows partition must be smaller than size of SSD)
    6. Copy Data partition of 500GB HDD to 1TB HDD.
    7. Make sure system2 can boot from old SSD(120GB)
    8. Install old 500GB HDD to system1 and set up backup.
 
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A

ArtPog

Admirable
Sep 17, 2014
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And of course when you receive your new 4 TB HDD you'll probably want to initialize that disk with the GPT partitioning scheme before placing the drive into use. If you're unfamiliar with the MBR - GPT partitioning interfaces you might want to do some Google research on the subject.
 
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