Restore Windows on a new SSD while keeping the old hard drive intact.
Restore Windows on a new SSD while keeping the old hard drive intact.
You have an SSD you want to install Windows on, but the download won’t work because the serial code is already in use. You prefer not to reinstall and keep your current files. Avoid making a full mirror since it would cause excessive reading and writing. Consider using a recovery tool or a live USB to extract the data without affecting the existing drive.
You can't simply relocate windows to a different drive. The only practical solution I'm aware of is creating a clone of the drive.
Approximately 180GB is being utilized on the HDD, while the SSD holds 256GB. Cloning appears to be the sole viable choice. The impact on the SSD during this process should be considered carefully.
You might also reach out to Microsoft and inform them that you reinstalled Windows on your device, noting that the product key expired on the machine. They usually follow up with a few questions about your previous Windows setup before offering a replacement key.
Avoid excessive issues. Disable certain HDD functions before cloning the disk. Turn off Windows drive optimization—use the SSD manufacturer’s tool for TRIM. Shut down Superfetch and indexing. Consider disabling System Restore too. Make regular backup copies just in case you need to restore data.
Edited July 7, 2014 by Michael McAllister