SSD Swap between Computers?

simnerd · Oct 23, 2017

I'm running Windows 7 64 bit Pro OS with a 500Gb SSD, a Gigabyte Z68X-UD3-B3 motherboard with an i7-2600 CPU, 2x8Gb of RAM and a EVGA GTX 680 graphics card. I have another computer running Windows 7 Pro OS with a Foxconn MB but with a 1TB SSD which I now want to move onto my newer computer. When I connected the 1 TB SSD as a secondary drive my system seems to have created a new Local Disk (D

drive with 66.0 MB free of 99.9MB although when I try to see what's on that drive it says it's empty. The 1TB drive is showing as Windows (E

.
1. What is the Local Disk D drive?
2. As both SSDs have Windows 7 OS is there any way to swap over the drives so that the 1TB SSD becomes the primary drive? I realise that the 1TB drive won't have the drivers for the MB or graphics card etc but is there any way to drag and drop the necessary drivers between drives to allow it to take on that function?

t53186 · Oct 23, 2017

Short answer, sorry no. Drivers, like the OS are installed, which alters the registry and specifies the location or the drivers so that they can load at startup. The boot process is actually quite complex and if all software components/drivers don't load, hardware does not work as expected.

Best course of action is backup your data. Reinstall Windows, drivers, and all programs

SkyNetRising · Oct 23, 2017

Best course of action is to backup necessary data from 1TB drive, wipe it and clone 500GB drive to 1TB drive.

ArtPog · Oct 23, 2017

Assuming that your "old" 1 TB SSD from the Foxconn build contains a viable Win 7 OS, i.e., it's non-defective, bootable, and functions problem-free, it's conceivable that you can install that disk in your new build and it will boot & function just fine in the new system.

Please understand that the information I'm about to provide is based on our rather extensive experience re our attempts involving the transfer of a considerable number of systems from one PC to another PC.

As a general proposition we have found the chances of a successful transfer increase when...
1. Both the old & new PCs are non-OEM machines, and,
2. Both PCs are either Intel-based or AMD-based systems.

However, understand the above are not "hard & fast" rules. We've successfully transferred systems in spite of the above "criteria" not being met, especially in situations where the old PC is a OEM machine but the new PC is a non-OEM machine, i.e., self or custom built with non-proprietary components.

Obviously there are no guarantees that the transfer will be successful but it's worth a shot. There's little to lose since you always retain the option of returning the original boot drive that was installed in the Gigabyte system.

Now I'm sure you understand that if you attempt this transfer operation you would FIRST uninstall the present boot drive (and any other drive) from the "new" PC so that the ONLY installed drive would be the drive to be transferred, right?

So if by undertaking this transfer you're fortunate enough to gain a bootable, functional system as a result, you will, of course have all your programs, personal data, etc. available without going through that rather onerous task of installing a new system.

Obviously you may have to install different drivers of one type or another in the new system but of course these will be available from your new motherboard's driver installation CD. And you may be pleasantly surprised at Windows (Microsoft's) ability to pick up & install whatever drivers are necessary for your new installation without user intervention (especially if the OS is Win 10).

NOW...
IF YOU DO DECIDE TO UNDERTAKE THIS TRANSFER ATTEMPT WE STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT BEFORE DOING SO YOU CLONE THE CONTENTS OF THE DRIVE TO BE TRANSFERRED. SHOULD THE TRANSFER OPERATION FAIL, THE NEW SYSTEM MIGHT - REPEAT, MIGHT - MODIFY THE DRIVE'S CURRENT OS DURING THE TRANSFER OPERATION IN SUCH A FASHION THAT THE "OLD" DRIVE'S OS COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED, RESULTING IN AN UNBOOTABLE OS IF & WHEN THE DRIVE IS RE:INSTALLED BACK IN THE "OLD" PC. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SITUATION IN EXTREMELY RARE CASES. HOWEVER, THE DRIVE'S NON-OS DATA SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED; AT LEAST WE'VE NEVER RUN INTO THAT SITUATION IN THE EVENT OF A FAILED TRANSFER ATTEMPT. OBVIOUSLY THIS CAUTIONARY NOTE IS APPLICABLE ONLY IF YOUR INTENTION IS TO RETURN THE TRANSFERRED DRIVE BACK TO ITS "OLD HOME". Capiche?

We've undertaken successful transfers of the type described many times and we nearly always undertake this option when circumstances permit, i.e. the above criteria I mentioned above are met.

Assuming the transfer operation is successful there shouldn't be an activation problem in this situation. (I'm assuming, of course, that your Gigabyte system is activated.) But one never knows about these things at the outset of this type of transfer operation. The whole MS "activation" process is something of a mystery and we find time & time again it frequently differs in process from system to system.

If you do decide to effect this transfer as described above please let us know if it was successful or not.

simnerd · Oct 25, 2017

ArtPog :

Assuming that your "old" 1 TB SSD from the Foxconn build contains a viable Win 7 OS, i.e., it's non-defective, bootable, and functions problem-free, it's conceivable that you can install that disk in your new build and it will boot & function just fine in the new system.

Please understand that the information I'm about to provide is based on our rather extensive experience re our attempts involving the transfer of a considerable number of systems from one PC to another PC.

As a general proposition we have found the chances of a successful transfer increase when...
1. Both the old & new PCs are non-OEM machines, and,
2. Both PCs are either Intel-based or AMD-based systems.

However, understand the above are not "hard & fast" rules. We've successfully transferred systems in spite of the above "criteria" not being met, especially in situations where the old PC is a OEM machine but the new PC is a non-OEM machine, i.e., self or custom built with non-proprietary components.

Obviously there are no guarantees that the transfer will be successful but it's worth a shot. There's little to lose since you always retain the option of returning the original boot drive that was installed in the Gigabyte system.

Now I'm sure you understand that if you attempt this transfer operation you would FIRST uninstall the present boot drive (and any other drive) from the "new" PC so that the ONLY installed drive would be the drive to be transferred, right?

So if by undertaking this transfer you're fortunate enough to gain a bootable, functional system as a result, you will, of course have all your programs, personal data, etc. available without going through that rather onerous task of installing a new system.

Obviously you may have to install different drivers of one type or another in the new system but of course these will be available from your new motherboard's driver installation CD. And you may be pleasantly surprised at Windows (Microsoft's) ability to pick up & install whatever drivers are necessary for your new installation without user intervention (especially if the OS is Win 10).

NOW...
IF YOU DO DECIDE TO UNDERTAKE THIS TRANSFER ATTEMPT WE STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT BEFORE DOING SO YOU CLONE THE CONTENTS OF THE DRIVE TO BE TRANSFERRED. SHOULD THE TRANSFER OPERATION FAIL, THE NEW SYSTEM MIGHT - REPEAT, MIGHT - MODIFY THE DRIVE'S CURRENT OS DURING THE TRANSFER OPERATION IN SUCH A FASHION THAT THE "OLD" DRIVE'S OS COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED, RESULTING IN AN UNBOOTABLE OS IF & WHEN THE DRIVE IS RE:INSTALLED BACK IN THE "OLD" PC. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SITUATION IN EXTREMELY RARE CASES. HOWEVER, THE DRIVE'S NON-OS DATA SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED; AT LEAST WE'VE NEVER RUN INTO THAT SITUATION IN THE EVENT OF A FAILED TRANSFER ATTEMPT. OBVIOUSLY THIS CAUTIONARY NOTE IS APPLICABLE ONLY IF YOUR INTENTION IS TO RETURN THE TRANSFERRED DRIVE BACK TO ITS "OLD HOME". Capiche?

We've undertaken successful transfers of the type described many times and we nearly always undertake this option when circumstances permit, i.e. the above criteria I mentioned above are met.

Assuming the transfer operation is successful there shouldn't be an activation problem in this situation. (I'm assuming, of course, that your Gigabyte system is activated.) But one never knows about these things at the outset of this type of transfer operation. The whole MS "activation" process is something of a mystery and we find time & time again it frequently differs in process from system to system.

If you do decide to effect this transfer as described above please let us know if it was successful or not.

simnerd · Oct 25, 2017

Thanks for your detailed response ArtPog. I'm going to take things very slowly this coming weekend as I think I will need to be careful not to mess things up. First thing I'm going to do is what the other guys have already said - back up everything. I'll let you know how I get on but you've all been most helpful thanks.

Oh yes, by the way, before I go, what was my answer to my first question - what is the new "Local Disk" drive and how/why did that get created?

SkyNetRising · Oct 25, 2017

simnerd :

It's probably bootloader partition. Post screenshot from Disk Management, to confirm that.

ArtPog · Oct 25, 2017

simnerd :

From the net...as good an explanation as you can get...
"A local drive or local disk is a hard drive that is physically installed or connected to your computer and is not part of another computer on a network. For example, with most Microsoft Windows computers the local drive or local disk is the C: hard disk drive."
In your situation the 1 TB secondary HDD is simply another installed physical drive. It's of no consequence.

It's always wise to pursue comprehensive backups of one's system before undertaking major configuration changes in the system. Assuming you do undertake the system transfer operation let us know how it worked out one way or another.

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SSD Swap between Computers?

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