Please Help | Idiot's guide to installing SSD with existing HDD

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Insulares

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Feb 18, 2016
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Ive been reading similar questions regarding this but so far I couldn't follow them because of jargons (clone, partition, etc).

Can you please give me a detailed step by step guide on installing a new SSD with an existing HDD?

I have an external closure for the HDD. Can I just pull out the old HDD, install SSD and OS, and basiclaly just use the HDD as an external HDD? But I'm guessing it's faster if the HDD is inside the pc.
 
Solution
JoeMomma

You seem to understand the basics, I will try to give a few details.

Unplug the old HDD, put in the SSD and install the OS.
Only have the OS drive wired when installing Windows.

Plug the HDD back in. The internal SATA connection is usually faster than a external connection.

Now the hard part...
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JoeMomma

JoeMomma

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Nov 17, 2010
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You seem to understand the basics, I will try to give a few details.

Unplug the old HDD, put in the SSD and install the OS.
Only have the OS drive wired when installing Windows.

Plug the HDD back in. The internal SATA connection is usually faster than a external connection.

Now the hard part.
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I will use Documents as an example.
Copy your Documents from the HDD:\Users\name\Documents folder and paste to the root HDD:\ folder for easy access.

Go into Windows Explorer left panel and right-click on each of your Libraries.
Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, Downloads. They be in your SSD:\Users\folder

Go to the bottom and click Properties, then the Location tab, then Move.
Select the Documents folder on your HDD as the new location for your Documents library.
Do the same with the other Pictures, Videos, Music, Downloads Libraries.
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Copy your program files from HDD to SSD.
Most of them won't work, because they aren't in the Registry, but some will.
In this way your old settings will be saved and it speeds up the reinstall.
-------------------
Once you get everything running well for a week...
Then you can delete the Windows, program files and users folders from your HDD to make space.
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edit:
One thing I forgot to mention is to configure the drives in BIOS.
Make sure the SSD is set to AHCI mode and is the boot device.
When you install Windows temporarily set the USB install drive to boot (usually by pressing F8).

After installing Windows you can hook up the HDD, but double check that BIOS is still booting from the SSD.
It should be automatic, but you know how "it should just work" often goes.
 
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Solution
smorizio

smorizio

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Jan 22, 2010
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from a working pc with a 8g usb stick use windows media creation tool make a bootable windows installer medium. when done put the usb stick in a safe place. once windows is installed and boots. make sure all of the device drivers are installed and all of the windows updates. make sure the mb bios has been updated too. before you move your data check under setting/ updates /activation....make sure your windows is registered and active.
 
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