What is the easiest way to migrate a boot partition from one hard drive to an SSD

redtedredemption

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Jul 18, 2017
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For a while now I have been using a 1tb hard drive that i partitioned into a boot partition (About 30 GB) and a files partition (the rest of it). I just bought an SSD and was wondering what the easiest way migrate my boot partition over would be.
 
Solution
OK then, no problem.

Clone to your new SSD, like this:
{pay attention to the changes in RED)
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive Except the large F partition
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same...

redtedredemption

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Jul 18, 2017
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510


It's my C drive. It holds all my windows OS files and related stuff. the F (file) partition holds everything else. I designed it so that if I had to reinstall windows I could just wipe the C partition and keep all my files easily. I want to move that to an SSD.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Well...a 30GB partition is TOO SMALL for the OS partition.
Which OS is this?

What you seek can be done, but that partition really, really needs to be larger.
(specific steps later)
 

redtedredemption

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Jul 18, 2017
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I am on windows 10. That partition only contains the operating system files and some other misc things, All of my games, documents, etc are on the other partition. I expanded the first partition to 57GB a while back.

 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


OK...so it's NOT 30GB, but rather 57GB. Better.
Again, a screencap of your Disk Management window would help.
 

redtedredemption

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Jul 18, 2017
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here's a screencap of my partition manager: http://imgur.com/a/ZUneK
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
OK then, no problem.

Clone to your new SSD, like this:
{pay attention to the changes in RED)
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive Except the large F partition
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe as necessary.
Delete the original boot partitions, here:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/4f1b84ac-b193-40e3-943a-f45d52e23685/cant-delete-extra-healthy-recovery-partitions-and-healthy-efi-system-partition?forum=w8itproinstall
-----------------------------


However...if you notice, your 57GB C partition is already getting slim on space. Only 5GB free.
The next large Win 10 update in the fall will probably not work with that little free space.
 
Solution

redtedredemption

Prominent
Jul 18, 2017
6
0
510


here's a screencap of my partition manager: http://imgur.com/a/ZUneK


Thanks for the help!