New SSD** how do i install windows 10 installation

[Luke The Savage]

so i recently purchased a samsung 850 pro 256gb ssd and im not too sure how to set it up.

my hdd is 1tb and has win10 installed on it with all of my games music and everything it has currently 517gb used i want to use my ssd to make my computer faster in as many ways as possible whether that be boot up time and browsing speed or whatever im not sure how i would go about doing this.

My intial thought was i would have to buy a new digital code for win10 get a usb tool and fresh install windows10 onto my ssd i have a asus a88xm-a motherboard and even then im not sure what i should have for my partitions and how many i should have its all so confusing to me i want to still keep all of my data on my 1tb drive if possible if someone could give me a detailed answer on how to install all of this in the best way possible that would be great thank you to all.

 

[Cem Goker]

You can clone your HDD to your SSD. Make sure you back up all your files before you clone your Windows.

http://lifehacker.com/5837543/how-to-migrate-to-a-solid-state-drive-without-reinstalling-windows

http://www.todo-backup.com/backup-resource/clone/how-to-migrate-to-a-solid-state-disk-without-reinstalling-windows.htm

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Welcome to the community, @Luke The Savage!

Just like @Cem mentioned you have the option to clone your OS onto the SSD, however, the most recommended way to go about upgrading your primary/booting storage is to perform a clean install. You won't need a new genuine Windows installation, because the operating system is tied to the motherboard of the computer. Thus, you should be able to use the same activation code. However, there's an important thing to remember when having multiple storage drives inside the PC. A clean install of Windows 10 onto the SSD requires you to unplug the 1 TB HDD until the installation is complete. Having multiple SATA drives connected at that time could most probably lead to the so-called OS confusion that results in a lot of booting issues later on. So better keep the HDD disconnected until you have Win 10 up and running from the SSD.

You can also refer to this Windows Install & Optimization Guide for SSDs & HDDs. It's pretty detailed so the step-by-steps should help you with the whole clean install procedure and proper storage setup.

Keep in mind that doing a backup of your files from the 1 TB HDD somewhere externally (off-site) is the surest way to avoid any potential data loss. So better be safe than sorry and find an external drive or cloud storage where you can keep a duplicate of your files.

Let us know if you have more questions!
SuperSoph_WD

 

[Luke The Savage]

Welcome to the community, @Luke The Savage!

Just like @Cem mentioned you have the option to clone your OS onto the SSD, however, the most recommended way to go about upgrading your primary/booting storage is to perform a clean install. You won't need a new genuine Windows installation, because the operating system is tied to the motherboard of the computer. Thus, you should be able to use the same activation code. However, there's an important thing to remember when having multiple storage drives inside the PC. A clean install of Windows 10 onto the SSD requires you to unplug the 1 TB HDD until the installation is complete. Having multiple SATA drives connected at that time could most probably lead to the so-called OS confusion that results in a lot of booting issues later on. So better keep the HDD disconnected until you have Win 10 up and running from the SSD.

You can also refer to this Windows Install & Optimization Guide for SSDs & HDDs. It's pretty detailed so the step-by-steps should help you with the whole clean install procedure and proper storage setup.

Keep in mind that doing a backup of your files from the 1 TB HDD somewhere externally (off-site) is the surest way to avoid any potential data loss. So better be safe than sorry and find an external drive or cloud storage where you can keep a duplicate of your files.

Let us know if you have more questions!
SuperSoph_WD

now you see the problem is i no longer have the windows key anymore so that is what i am stumped about i don't know the best way to go could you please clarify if i still can go this way and if i can how would i go about doing that? if i cannot clean install windows what is my other option(s) and how would i go about those ways. Thank you

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hey there again, @Luke The Savage!

Since it was already installed on your motherboard, you shouldn't face any issues activating the same OS version. It should happen automatically once you go online. However, I'd still recommend you read through this MS article about Activation in Windows 10. If you need further assistance with this, get in touch with the MS support for more details.

As to how you should go about the clean install, please refer to the Windows Install & Optimization guide I shared in my previous post. Just don't forget to unplug your secondary drive from the system while running the installation.

Let me know if you have more questions.
SuperSoph_WD