Installing an SSD and keeping old HDD

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OliverHob

Commendable
Jan 14, 2017
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Hi, I have purchased a Samsung 850 eve 250gb and would like to add it to my PC, clone my old hard rive onto it and then wipe the old hard drive and use the SSD as the boot drive.

All the guides I have seen have been slight different, such as some talking about the BIOS and some not. How do I go about doing this?

Thanks in advance.
 
Solution
USAFRet
Specific, tested, steps for a successful clone operation:

-----------------------------
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
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...
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ArtPog

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Sep 17, 2014
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There's nothing inherently wrong in undertaking a disk-cloning operation provided the following criteria are met...

1. Your present boot drive boots to its OS and functions without problems.
2. Your SSD (the destination drive for the cloned contents of the boot drive) is non-defective.
3. The disk-space capacity of your SSD is sufficient to contain the TOTAL contents of the boot drive.

Assuming an apparent successful disk-cloning operation, shut down the PC, disconnect the "source" disk - your old HDD boot drive - from the system, and boot ONLY WITH THE CLONED SSD CONNECTED.

Assuming all goes well in that the SSD boots & functions without any problems, you can then shut down the PC and reconnect the HDD so that you can use that drive as a secondary drive in your system for storage, backup, etc.

The system BIOS should reflect the SSD is now first in boot priority order but you can confirm that by accessing the BIOS. If it's practical to do so (it is NOT mandatory) it's also a good idea to connect the SSD to the motherboard's first SATA connector/port (usually designated SATA 0 or SATA 1).

(When you post a query such as the one you have it's a good idea to provide some detailed information about the system components (including the OS) you're working with).

 
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traxxmy

traxxmy

Distinguished
BANNED
Dec 1, 2015
136
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It is better for you to install window on new SSD than cloning. This way Window automatically make proper SSD optimisation like trimming, disable superfetch. Cloning will not make Window know you are using SSD as it still assume that it is still installed on HDD
 
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ArtPog

Admirable
Sep 17, 2014
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Just one addendum to my previous post...
Assuming the disk-cloning operation is successfully carried out in that the SSD boots & functions without problems, DO NOT IMMEDIATELY "WIPE" YOUR HDD (the former boot drive) UNTIL YOU'VE WORKED WITH THE SSD FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS OR SO TO DETERMINE ALL IS ABSOLUTELY WELL WITH YOUR NEW BOOT DRIVE. CAPICHE?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Mar 16, 2013
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No, Windows does see that SSD as an SSD, and adjusts accordingly.
Just like if you were to connect a new random SSD as a secondary drive. The OS sees it as an SSD and does or doesn't do whatever it is supposed to.
 
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O

OliverHob

Commendable
Jan 14, 2017
5
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1,510


So, connect the SSD to my computer and load normally. Clone the data from the HDD to the SSD (its big enough to contain all the files). Turn off computer, take out HDD and reload using just the SSD. If this is fine I can then plug the HDD back in and it should be a secondary drive.

Will plugging the HDD back in not make the computer revert back to using it as the boot device?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Mar 16, 2013
171,698
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Specific, tested, steps for a successful clone operation:

-----------------------------
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
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
-----------------------------
 
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Solution
6

6StringJazzer

Reputable
Oct 11, 2016
6
0
4,510
I just followed these steps and it worked like a charm, precisely as described. I have not reinstalled the old HDD yet, but I will be doing that for the 1TB of capacity.



 
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