Questions about replacing my HDD with a SSD.

[trevor67]

I'm going to replace my 1TB HDD with a 1TB SSD, in my 6yr old Lenovo at a local shop in Pattaya, that I have been using for years. The cost will be 5000baht total, which is acceptable to me.
I'm going to back everything up on an ext. hard drive before switching as a precaution.
I'm wondering how the process works, is it like doing a fresh install? Will I lose all my programs etc?
I am not that technically minded...so keep it simple.
please and thanks.

[Mavideol]

26 minutes ago, trevor67 said:

I'm going to replace my 1TB HDD with a 1TB SSD, in my 6yr old Lenovo at a local shop in Pattaya, that I have been using for years. The cost will be 5000baht total, which is acceptable to me.
I'm going to back everything up on an ext. hard drive before switching as a precaution.
I'm wondering how the process works, is it like doing a fresh install? Will I lose all my programs etc?
I am not that technically minded...so keep it simple.
please and thanks.

better ask/contact @Bruno123 he's the specialist on these type of stuff

[robblok]

Maybe there is a way to have both in the system at the same time then you can clone the drive. If that is not possible it will be harder.

[Oldie]

Many options. One is to create a backup with something like Acronis and restore it afterwards - Acronis should be on a bootable device (I have it on a bootable USB stick. And from there I load the backup from a hard disk) . Or you put the new SSD for cloning into an external hard drive enclosure. 

 

[lopburi3]

There is no need for drives to both be in computer to clone and shop will have USB adaptor to do this.  You could do new install but I would (did) do a clone on my Lenovo all in one system.  Would have lost some programs otherwise as no longer have software.  Clone keeps everything as it was.  Do you really need that large an SSD?  They can remove video and such from current drive to fit a smaller SSD for clone and then restore to your old HDD which you can use as an external drive.  

[lungbing]

Whichever way you do it you'll have a hard time deleting your old OS files from your HDD.  Windows wouldn't let me do it.  The easiest way was to copy out all the files I wanted, format the HDD, and copy the files back.

 

The way I did  it  did lose me all my programs, but I had made a list of them beforehand and downloaded only the ones I really wanted, thus losing all the old rubbish that many years of trying out programs had loaded onto my system.

[VBF]

2 hours ago, Oldie said:

Many options. One is to create a backup with something like Acronis and restore it afterwards - Acronis should be on a bootable device (I have it on a bootable USB stick. And from there I load the backup from a hard disk) . Or you put the new SSD for cloning into an external hard drive enclosure. 

 

Good approach which I've also followed before - I suggest Macrium Reflect (Free Edition) rather than Acronis.

IMO, more "user-friendly"  YMMV

[VBF]

57 minutes ago, lungbing said:

Whichever way you do it you'll have a hard time deleting your old OS files from your HDD.  Windows wouldn't let me do it.  The easiest way was to copy out all the files I wanted, format the HDD, and copy the files back.

 

The way I did  it  did lose me all my programs, but I had made a list of them beforehand and downloaded only the ones I really wanted, thus losing all the old rubbish that many years of trying out programs had loaded onto my system.

You usually cannot copy program files onto the new or recently formatted drive. They need to be replaced by installing the program which writes all the Registry entries and puits all the files in the correct places with the correct security levels. Presumably that's what you did after you "downloaded only the ones you really wanted"

 

 ANY s/w I install, I keep all the original installers on a hard drive - if they were originally on CD or DVD, then keep ISO files

[CanadaSam]

As you will be using the new SSD on the same computer, cloning would be the way to go.

 

Cloning does not work well, when switching to another computer, because the drivers would probably not be the same.

 

Cloning also has the benefit of your having an instant backup of all your files on your HDD, which you should store away safely, or better yet, buy a cheap enclosure or dock for it, so that you can use it as a backup of all new files in the future too.

[VBF]

1 minute ago, CanadaSam said:

As you will be using the new SSD on the same computer, cloning would be the way to go.

 

Cloning does not work well, when switching to another computer, because the drivers would probably not be the same.

 

Cloning also has the benefit of your having an instant backup of all your files on your HDD, which you should store away safely, or better yet, buy a cheap enclosure or dock for it, so that you can use it as a backup of all new files in the future too.

You beat me to it  ????

[Aforek]

If the SSD is a Samsung, there is a software to clone the HDD to the SDD, works very well 

search on Google

 

you can do it yourself, no need to pay 5000 bahts

[Hamus Yaigh]

18 minutes ago, Aforek said:

no need to pay 5000 bahts

The o/p still has to pay for the new SSD, which start around 3000THB for TB?

 

Agree I'd do it myself using Macrium.

[4evermaat]

nothing should be happening to old hard drive.   Put win10 LTSC on new SSD. Then with old HDD, you can copy files to new SSD.

 

You should also install programs fresh.   Especially if the version of windows is changing.

[3NUMBAS]

i tried this with severel ssds with win 7 but it would  not see em due i presume to drivers .some work some dont

[A1Str8]

The programs will go yes. They are installed on the HDD. If you take that out and put in another drive, in this case SSD, you will need to install them again on that one.

[lopburi3]

8 hours ago, 4evermaat said:

nothing should be happening to old hard drive.   Put win10 LTSC on new SSD. Then with old HDD, you can copy files to new SSD.

 

You should also install programs fresh.   Especially if the version of windows is changing.

1.  Drives are not that cluttered these days so believe safer to clone after a normal cleanup - old programs may not be available to load (several of mine were not).

2.  On my Lenovo factory had hidden partition for special driver software.  Computer would not operate properly with fresh install without these.  With a clone you have them.  And an operating system you know and have fine tuned over the years to your liking.

[ballpoint]

You can copy your entire current hard drive, complete with operating system, to a new SSD without the loss of any programs or data.

There are a number of ways to do this, but this is how I did it:

• Purchase a new SSD and USB housing from the local Advice shop.
• Place the new SSD in the housing and plug into a USB port.
• Use "MiniTool Partition Wizard" - a free to download program to clone the old drive to the new one.  Because the new one is larger, it will ask if you want to expand all partitions accordingly, or keep them at the same size.  Expanding will waste space, as the system partitions don't need to be any larger than they already are.  Keeping them the same size will leave a large patch of unformatted space on the new drive, but this can be dealt with later.  The cloning will take a while, and the computer will reboot in order to copy the system files.
• Remove the original SSD from the computer and install the new one.
• Start the computer.  It should boot up exactly as it always has done.
• Use "MiniTool Partition Wizard" to resize the 'C' drive in order to make use of the whole SSD capacity.  You can also hide the system partitions so that they don't show up in Windows Explorer, which can be confusing.
• The original SSD can be placed in the USB housing and either kept as an emergency boot drive, or reformatted for use as normal storage.

I now regularly clone the new drive to a backup one using the same software, which gives me a complete backup of my operating system and all installed programs.

[Peterw42]

You can buy some great usb dual docking stations nowadays with built in clone function. Makes it very easy, literally put old and new drive in the dock and press one button. you can then use the dock for eternal storage, backup etc

 

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/wlx-876u3-j-2-bay-sata-by-9final-usb-30-to-25-35-hdd-docking-harddisk-docking-satax2-clone-support-4-tb-harddisk-i8915862-s11152463.html?exlaz=d_1:mm_150050845_51350205_2010350205::12:1498579383!58089999096!!!pla-294682000766!c!294682000766!11152463!120267021&gclid=Cj0KCQjwufn8BRCwARIsAKzP697jZDiVeo0NdwST4QBwR6X8wahDjeTGYi4FS0m6i-F_RGjOiDQSIIQaAl7iEALw_wcB

 

[trevor67]

Thanks to all for the replies. I have done a clean windows install twice on this laptop so

I'll just assume its the same kind of procedure. I'll listen to what the shop suggest, as I'm sure they

do this all the time. There is no way I will replace it myself, I do not even own a screwdriver.

[Bruno123]

15 hours ago, Mavideol said:

better ask/contact @Bruno123 he's the specialist on these type of stuff

 

He only helps those who, at least try, to help themselves. 

 

Doubtful the OP needs 1 TB of storage on his laptop. 512 GB likely more than enough. So from 1600 baht. Also ridiculous to get a shop to fit it for you, if the laptop has a dedicated hatch. Then a five minute job. But the OP hasn't revealed the model number.

 

So perhaps better to stay out of it, if the OP has made up his mind to do it his way.

[lopburi3]

24 minutes ago, trevor67 said:

Thanks to all for the replies. I have done a clean windows install twice on this laptop so

I'll just assume its the same kind of procedure. I'll listen to what the shop suggest, as I'm sure they

do this all the time. There is no way I will replace it myself, I do not even own a screwdriver.

Actually that is extremely easy - but you do need a screwdriver to remove HDD.  New SSD does not even need to be mounted - little sticky tape will hold it fine if you do not want it free swinging.

[Aforek]

I did transfer from my HDD 1 TB to my Samung SSD 500 go with this tool , easy and fast 

https://samsungdatamigration.net/

 

now I use the HDD for my data in the same computer ( desktop, not laptop )