How To Separate OS Files From Other FIles within my HDD.

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The Walrus King

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So I'm looking to port over my OS from my HDD to my SSD. However the SSD i got can only support 232 gigs and my HDD is full of games and videos. Even clearing out all the stuff I no longer use still exceeds the SSD limit. As the thread title suggests, are there any decent ways to separate my OS files from my HDD to make it easier for the movement process? Thanks in advance.
 
Solution
USAFRet


You don't need the license key, nor do you need to use the WIn 7 thing..

If you wish to do a clean install on the SSD, just go here and create you own Win 10 install media. USB or DVD.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Install on the SSD, with only the SSD connected.
When it asks for the license key, select "I don't have a product key", at the bottom of that window.


Of course, a clean install also means a reinstall of all your applications.
Document all your username/passwords, etc.
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atljsf

atljsf

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what you have, steam? steam stores the games on a specific folder

you can cut that folder out of the hard disk and then paste them on another hard disk, then do the move form hard disk and then to the ssd with the method you choose

later reinstall steam and use that cut folder with steam library to add it to the list of libraries of games, on another hard disk, not the ssd you just created
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Do you have another drive? Either internal or external...with significant free space on it?

You could mess about with partitions and resizing, but this is pretty hazardous.
 
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Let me give a screenshot of my main HDD and why it's a problem, I have solved most of the steam issues but as you see it is a tad bit bigger than just that because of the weird why my computer decided to install everything
Update: Seems like the image doesn't want to work so I'm gonna just post the imgur link in this update http://imgur.com/0vAZNbn
 
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I have another HDD with 500gigs to put the stuff onto, I just need to know what not to move. It's explained why in one of my other responses.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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The actual OS and 'applications' shouldn't take up that much space.

Basically:
Steam games (the SteamApps folder)
Video, doc, music, pics
Items in your Downloads folder

Move all those.

If you're still over the size limit (200GB, non 232GB), install and run WinDirStat. You can almost certainly find something large that you forgot about.
 
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mjslakeridge

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Simply moving the OS files to the new SSD is not going to work. You will have to get the size of the files on the HDD to something less than the capacity of the SSD and create a disk image using software like Acronis True Image (or similar), and then restore the image to the SSD. As said above you will have to partition the existing HHD and resize the partition to a size smaller than the SSD. The OS files are scattered all around the HDD, and unless you plan to edit a bunch of registry entries, my suggestion is to do a clean install of Windows on the SSD.
 
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JackNaylorPE

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1. The best way is never to let them get there in the 1st place. We started building Windows PCs in 1992 and every one built to date has had the OS on it's own partition.

2. Back in the mid 90s, some marketing dude decided that they could fool their customers and make them think their Hds were bigger than they were by switching from base 2 which all of computerdom is based upon, to base 10. Competitors squawked for a while but eventually they adopted the practice. SSDs held out with 128 GB and 256 GB models but everything now everything is base 10 w/ SSGs too. So now we have to twist our minds around the fact that a 1 TB HD only fits 1,000 MBs and no longer 1024. That's the reason why ya 250 GB SSD only fits 232 GB worth of files. For whatever reason 1 GB of memory on an SSD requires only 1,000 MB of file space and when used on a RAM stick it needs 1024 ... go figure.

3. I would highly recommend that you do a fresh install of the OS on the SSD with the HD disconnected. You can simply install the programs over themselves to keep the programs functional. And that leaves you in a positioin to boot from the HD if the SSD dies or OS there gets fudged.

4. Alternately, you can use a migration tool but that still leaves some flotsam and jetsam on the new OS install.

5. Another option is to install the OS to the SSD as described in 3 above ... and then look at the contents of each and delete from the HD whatever you see on the SSD.



 
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USAFRet

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No, you don't have to do that partition thing anymore.
Macrium Reflect will look at only the actual used space, and clone only that.
A 1TB drive or partition, with 180GB actual used space, will easily migrate into a 250GB SSD.
 
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I know copy and pasting the OS isnt going to work, I have an entire thing for that alrady planned out.
 
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I would do that, however I don't have an install key and kept the OS from the purchase. I would run linux due to this but since the computer is for gaming mostly it would be more detrimental. Any idea how to factory reset the device and install the OS on my SSD after the reset?
 
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mjslakeridge

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You don't need the product key with Windows 10. If you log into your computer with your microsoft ID, they already have a record of your product key, and will authorize after installation. Go to Microsoft.com and download the Media Creation Tool. You can do a clean install using this method. Make sure you install the exact version of Windows 10 (Home, Pro, etc.)
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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You don't need the license key, nor do you need to use the WIn 7 thing..

If you wish to do a clean install on the SSD, just go here and create you own Win 10 install media. USB or DVD.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Install on the SSD, with only the SSD connected.
When it asks for the license key, select "I don't have a product key", at the bottom of that window.


Of course, a clean install also means a reinstall of all your applications.
Document all your username/passwords, etc.
 
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Solution
T

The Walrus King

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Thank you I never knew that, I'll probably end up doing that
 
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T

The Walrus King

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How big should the USB be? Largest one I got is 8 gigs.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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From MS:
"A blank USB flash drive with at least 5 GB of space or blank DVD (and DVD burner) if you want to create media. We recommend using a blank USB or blank DVD, because any content on it will be deleted. "

(they've changed this. It used to be 4GB)
 
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