Bought SSD to use as Boot drive. Have questions.

[UndeadEnigma]

So I recently bought and installed a SSD. I disconnected my HDD and booted the computer to install windows on the SSD since it's going to be used for games and as a boot drive. After fully installing and updating windows, I then shut down my computer and then reconnected my HDD. When it booted the desktop is still a clean install of windows since its basing it off the SSD. I was wondering if there's any way to get my computer set up now where it looks the same as the HDD before I bought and installed a SSD to use. Basically i want the HDD desktop with all its icons and shortcuts and everything and only want the SSD to boot windows and launch games from. Idk what is exactly possible as its my first time with an SSD. Any kind of help is appreciated.

 

[USAFRet]

There is no automatic way to do this.
Your applications will need to be reinstalled with the new OS.
Stuff on the Desktop? Sure...copy paste to the 'desktop' folder in your new OS. NOTE, this is only applicable for pics and files. Not shortcuts that happen to live on the Desktop.

 

[gdmaclew]

Or you could clone your HDD to your new SSD and everything will look and operate as before.

 

[UndeadEnigma]

I have a TB of stuff on my HDD only have a 500 gb SSD so cant clone. Ill just have to make due and make new shortcuts.

 

[geofelt]

I have a TB of stuff on my HDD only have a 500 gb SSD so cant clone. Ill just have to make due and make new shortcuts.

If your new ssd is Samsung, they have a free ssd migration tool.
It is not a clone which is a bit for bit copy.
It is a C drive mover. It does not need to move all 1tb.
If the used portion of your 1tb hard drive is too large, you can exclude large data folders from the move.
Read the details in the downloaded instructions.

 

[UndeadEnigma]

It is a crucial 525 gb ssd

 

[USAFRet]

It is a crucial 525 gb ssd

Makes no difference SSD or HDD. It's just another drive, just way faster.

Other than cloning from the old drive to the new drive, there is no automagic way to make it look 'exactly' like the original.

 

[UndeadEnigma]

Well the only thing thats causing grief is having to find all the paths to files again due to it being a broken path now. Due to my ssd is now my c drive

 

[USAFRet]

Well the only thing thats causing grief is having to find all the paths to files again due to it being a broken path now. Due to my ssd is now my c drive

Right.
All your applications will not work.
You 'files' just need to be found, and copied to somewhere where you know where they are.

Ideally, you copy all your personal data off the old drive, wipe it, and copy them back.
The existing Windows on that drive is a pain to navigate through, and just takes up space.

 

[RolandJS]

This might not work for your situation, long ago, I "DiskMgt'd" my 2nd HD to be D period. Then, I simply changed one letter from C to D in all my shortcuts that pointed to stuff existing on the now "D drive". These shortcuts involved paths to folders and non-program files, not to any installations.

 

[USAFRet]

This might not work for your situation, long ago, I "DiskMgt'd" my 2nd HD to be D period. Then, I simply changed one letter from C to D in all my shortcuts that pointed to stuff existing on the now "D drive". These shortcuts involved paths to folders and non-program files, not to any installations.

That's a good way to break a LOT of applications.
Shortcut properties is only one thing involved in where an application lives.

 

[RolandJS]

"...That's a good way to break a LOT of applications..."
You failed to notice my earlier comment:
"...These shortcuts involved paths to folders and non-program files..." Nowhere did I mention to do that to applications.
By folders, I mean data folders.
I should have said: non-program, non-application data-only, folders

 

[USAFRet]

"...That's a good way to break a LOT of applications..."
You failed to notice my earlier comment:
"...These shortcuts involved paths to folders and non-program files..." Nowhere did I mention to do that to applications.
By folders, I mean data folders.
I should have said: non-program, non-application data-only, folders

OK, yes. I missed that...