Trying to Migrate Only the OS to Samsung SSD 850 EVO (250GB)

[Wyatt Earp]

I have two disks right now. My C: (Seagate Barracuda 2tb HDD) and the new letter D: (My new SSD).

I want to make my SSD my boot drive, but when I try to clone my HDD it tells me there's not enough space, which is right because I'm using 1.12 tb.

Can't I just switch my C: and D: drive and make Windows installed on the SSD with everything else on the HDD.

 

[DelroyMonjo]

You can't clone a larger drive to a smaller capacity drive. I've been in the same situation and have just done a fresh install of Windows to the SSD, with the HDD unplugged, and used the SSD as the boot drive and the HDD as the D: or E: drive. You will still have a copy of the OS on the original drive.

 

[Wyatt Earp]

You can't clone a larger drive to a smaller capacity drive. I've been in the same situation and have just done a fresh install of Windows to the SSD, with the HDD unplugged, and used the SSD as the boot drive and the HDD as the D: or E: drive. You will still have a copy of the OS on the original drive.

I see. The only issue is that I don't have another copy of Windows available. I have a Windows 8.1 OEM disk, but I've installed that on another build of mine and upgraded my main build to Windows 10. How would I go about installing Windows 10 onto my SSD without a disk or a key for that matter?

 

[USAFRet]

You can't clone a larger drive to a smaller capacity drive. I've been in the same situation and have just done a fresh install of Windows to the SSD, with the HDD unplugged, and used the SSD as the boot drive and the HDD as the D: or E: drive. You will still have a copy of the OS on the original drive.

I see. The only issue is that I don't have another copy of Windows available. I have a Windows 8.1 OEM disk, but I've installed that on another build of mine and upgraded my main build to Windows 10. How would I go about installing Windows 10 onto my SSD without a disk or a key for that matter?

This PC you're attempting to clone...
What OS is on it? It's not clear from your description.

 

[Wyatt Earp]

You can't clone a larger drive to a smaller capacity drive. I've been in the same situation and have just done a fresh install of Windows to the SSD, with the HDD unplugged, and used the SSD as the boot drive and the HDD as the D: or E: drive. You will still have a copy of the OS on the original drive.

I see. The only issue is that I don't have another copy of Windows available. I have a Windows 8.1 OEM disk, but I've installed that on another build of mine and upgraded my main build to Windows 10. How would I go about installing Windows 10 onto my SSD without a disk or a key for that matter?

This PC you're attempting to clone...
What OS is on it? It's not clear from your description.

The OS on the PC I am trying to clone is Windows 10.

 

[USAFRet]

You can't clone a larger drive to a smaller capacity drive. I've been in the same situation and have just done a fresh install of Windows to the SSD, with the HDD unplugged, and used the SSD as the boot drive and the HDD as the D: or E: drive. You will still have a copy of the OS on the original drive.

I see. The only issue is that I don't have another copy of Windows available. I have a Windows 8.1 OEM disk, but I've installed that on another build of mine and upgraded my main build to Windows 10. How would I go about installing Windows 10 onto my SSD without a disk or a key for that matter?

This PC you're attempting to clone...
What OS is on it? It's not clear from your description.

The OS on the PC I am trying to clone is Windows 10.

This was Upgraded from something else?
If so, no problem.
Go here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/home
Download the tool and create your install media. Either DVD or USB.
Install on the SSD.

 

[Wyatt Earp]

You can't clone a larger drive to a smaller capacity drive. I've been in the same situation and have just done a fresh install of Windows to the SSD, with the HDD unplugged, and used the SSD as the boot drive and the HDD as the D: or E: drive. You will still have a copy of the OS on the original drive.

I see. The only issue is that I don't have another copy of Windows available. I have a Windows 8.1 OEM disk, but I've installed that on another build of mine and upgraded my main build to Windows 10. How would I go about installing Windows 10 onto my SSD without a disk or a key for that matter?

This PC you're attempting to clone...
What OS is on it? It's not clear from your description.

The OS on the PC I am trying to clone is Windows 10.

This was Upgraded from something else?
If so, no problem.
Go here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/home
Download the tool and create your install media. Either DVD or USB.
Install on the SSD.

Won't I need a key for that?

 

[USAFRet]

You can't clone a larger drive to a smaller capacity drive. I've been in the same situation and have just done a fresh install of Windows to the SSD, with the HDD unplugged, and used the SSD as the boot drive and the HDD as the D: or E: drive. You will still have a copy of the OS on the original drive.

I see. The only issue is that I don't have another copy of Windows available. I have a Windows 8.1 OEM disk, but I've installed that on another build of mine and upgraded my main build to Windows 10. How would I go about installing Windows 10 onto my SSD without a disk or a key for that matter?

This PC you're attempting to clone...
What OS is on it? It's not clear from your description.

The OS on the PC I am trying to clone is Windows 10.

This was Upgraded from something else?
If so, no problem.
Go here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/home
Download the tool and create your install media. Either DVD or USB.
Install on the SSD.

Won't I need a key for that?

If this was Upgraded from a valid qualifying OS, then NO, you do not need a 'key'.
In the Upgrade and activation, your previous license key and some info of the hardware is your license key. This info lives in the activation servers at MS.

During the install, when it asks for the license key, click Skip.

Now...if that original OS license (Win 8.1) has also been used elsewhere, all bets are off. You can't Upgrade that license and continue to use the original license in another PC.

 

[Wyatt Earp]

You can't clone a larger drive to a smaller capacity drive. I've been in the same situation and have just done a fresh install of Windows to the SSD, with the HDD unplugged, and used the SSD as the boot drive and the HDD as the D: or E: drive. You will still have a copy of the OS on the original drive.

I see. The only issue is that I don't have another copy of Windows available. I have a Windows 8.1 OEM disk, but I've installed that on another build of mine and upgraded my main build to Windows 10. How would I go about installing Windows 10 onto my SSD without a disk or a key for that matter?

This PC you're attempting to clone...
What OS is on it? It's not clear from your description.

The OS on the PC I am trying to clone is Windows 10.

This was Upgraded from something else?
If so, no problem.
Go here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/home
Download the tool and create your install media. Either DVD or USB.
Install on the SSD.

Won't I need a key for that?

If this was Upgraded from a valid qualifying OS, then NO, you do not need a 'key'.
In the Upgrade and activation, your previous license key and some info of the hardware is your license key. This info lives in the activation servers at MS.

During the install, when it asks for the license key, click Skip.

Now...if that original OS license (Win 8.1) has also been used elsewhere, all bets are off. You can't Upgrade that license and continue to use the original license in another PC.

Well... I had that 8.1 installed onto one PC, then upgraded that PC to Windows 10, then used the 8.1 on another computer... sooooo am I in trouble?

 

[USAFRet]

You can't clone a larger drive to a smaller capacity drive. I've been in the same situation and have just done a fresh install of Windows to the SSD, with the HDD unplugged, and used the SSD as the boot drive and the HDD as the D: or E: drive. You will still have a copy of the OS on the original drive.

I see. The only issue is that I don't have another copy of Windows available. I have a Windows 8.1 OEM disk, but I've installed that on another build of mine and upgraded my main build to Windows 10. How would I go about installing Windows 10 onto my SSD without a disk or a key for that matter?

This PC you're attempting to clone...
What OS is on it? It's not clear from your description.

The OS on the PC I am trying to clone is Windows 10.

This was Upgraded from something else?
If so, no problem.
Go here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/home
Download the tool and create your install media. Either DVD or USB.
Install on the SSD.

Won't I need a key for that?

If this was Upgraded from a valid qualifying OS, then NO, you do not need a 'key'.
In the Upgrade and activation, your previous license key and some info of the hardware is your license key. This info lives in the activation servers at MS.

During the install, when it asks for the license key, click Skip.

Now...if that original OS license (Win 8.1) has also been used elsewhere, all bets are off. You can't Upgrade that license and continue to use the original license in another PC.

Well... I had that 8.1 installed onto one PC, then upgraded that PC to Windows 10, then used the 8.1 on another computer... so will I need a key then?

You can't use the same license on 2 PC's. Even if one has been Upgraded from 8.1 to 10.
You need to purchase another valid OS. About $100.

 

[Wyatt Earp]

You can't clone a larger drive to a smaller capacity drive. I've been in the same situation and have just done a fresh install of Windows to the SSD, with the HDD unplugged, and used the SSD as the boot drive and the HDD as the D: or E: drive. You will still have a copy of the OS on the original drive.

I see. The only issue is that I don't have another copy of Windows available. I have a Windows 8.1 OEM disk, but I've installed that on another build of mine and upgraded my main build to Windows 10. How would I go about installing Windows 10 onto my SSD without a disk or a key for that matter?

This PC you're attempting to clone...
What OS is on it? It's not clear from your description.

The OS on the PC I am trying to clone is Windows 10.

This was Upgraded from something else?
If so, no problem.
Go here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/home
Download the tool and create your install media. Either DVD or USB.
Install on the SSD.

Won't I need a key for that?

If this was Upgraded from a valid qualifying OS, then NO, you do not need a 'key'.
In the Upgrade and activation, your previous license key and some info of the hardware is your license key. This info lives in the activation servers at MS.

During the install, when it asks for the license key, click Skip.

Now...if that original OS license (Win 8.1) has also been used elsewhere, all bets are off. You can't Upgrade that license and continue to use the original license in another PC.

Well... I had that 8.1 installed onto one PC, then upgraded that PC to Windows 10, then used the 8.1 on another computer... so will I need a key then?

You can't use the same license on 2 PC's. Even if one has been Upgraded from 8.1 to 10.
You need to purchase another valid OS. About $100.

Son of a...

You are absolutely sure that I can't use the same license on two computers? Because my second build is running with no issues with my old key while this PC I'm at right now is running Windows 10 but upgraded from that same key. I'm really confused now.

 

[USAFRet]

Son of a...

You are absolutely sure that I can't use the same license on two computers? Because my second build is running with no issues with my old key while this PC I'm at right now is running Windows 10 but upgraded from that same key. I'm really confused now.

Absolutely, 100%, sure.
You can read the MS licensing agreement here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/useterms

In your case, it is simply because the activation servers have not caught up yet. One or the other (or both) will eventually become unactivated .

 

[Wyatt Earp]

Son of a...

You are absolutely sure that I can't use the same license on two computers? Because my second build is running with no issues with my old key while this PC I'm at right now is running Windows 10 but upgraded from that same key. I'm really confused now.

Absolutely, 100%, sure.
You can read the MS licensing agreement here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/useterms

In your case, it is simply because the activation servers have not caught up yet. One or the other (or both) will eventually become unactivated .

Alright, well thanks for your help.