How To Re-Create Your Windows Installation To An Ssd

How To Re-Create Your Windows Installation To An Ssd | Pcmag.Com

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If you're nonetheless using a traditional, spinning difficult disk on your computer, you're missing out. Swapping it out for a solid-state drive (SSD) is i of the best upgrades yous tin forcefulness out make in damage of speeding upwards your computer. Your estimator volition boot faster, programs volition launch instantly, as well as games won't cause got so long to load..

You could reinstall your Windows installation from scratch, if yous wanted to, as well as start novel with a fresh, squeaky-clean system. But piece it seems simpler, it's truly to a greater extent than of a hassle. As long equally yous follow these instructions to the letter, yous should hold out dorsum upwards as well as running inwards no time, with all your information intact.

You'll postulate a few things earlier yous larn started:

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What You'll Need: An SSD
Obviously, inwards lodge to upgrade to an SSD, you'll postulate to...well, purchase an SSD. We cause got approximately recommendations here, though if you're on a pretty strict budget, nosotros cause got a separate listing of inexpensive SSDs as well. Make certain to purchase i large plenty to gibe all your data—if yous cause got a 500GB difficult elbow grease now, yous should likely boundary for a similarly sized SSD. The alone exception is if you're on a desktop computer, as well as cause got room for multiple difficult drives. In that case, yous could shop Windows as well as your programs on the SSD piece putting your music, movies, as well as other information on a second, larger difficult disk.
What You'll Need: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 USB-to-SATA Dock
During this process, you'll postulate both your SSD as well as your onetime difficult elbow grease connected to your estimator at the same time. If you're using a laptop with alone i difficult elbow grease slot, that agency you'll postulate an external adapter, dock, or enclosure that tin forcefulness out connect your bare SSD to your estimator over USB. (Again, desktop users may non postulate this if they cause got room for 2 drives within their PC—you tin forcefulness out just install it internally alongside your onetime difficult drive.)
What You'll Need: EaseUS Todo Backup for Windows
There are many dissimilar elbow grease cloning tools on the market, but when cloning a difficult elbow grease to SSD, I recommend EaseUS Todo Backup. Download the gratis version, piece of work into your e-mail as well as subscribe to the newsletter to larn the download link, but it's worth it, as well as yous tin forcefulness out merely unsubscribe later. When installing, don't worry most setting your default folder for backups—we won't hold out using that feature, so yous tin forcefulness out seat it anywhere for now. It'll põrnikas yous a few times to upgrade to the paid habitation version, but merely tell it to stick with the gratis version. That's all you'll need.
Once you've gathered upwards those necessities, it's fourth dimension to larn started.
Back Up Your Data (and Free Up Space, if Necessary)
Before yous start messing with drives as well as formatting partitions, it's absolutely necessary to dorsum upwards your information first. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 uncomplicated misclick tin forcefulness out effect inwards yous erasing everything, so exercise non proceed until you've backed upwards all of your data. If yous aren't backing upwards your computer, here's our favorite software for the job—though for today's purposes, copying your of import information to an external elbow grease volition exercise inwards a pinch.
If you're upgrading to an SSD that's smaller than your electrical current difficult drive, you'll desire to cause got extra attention here. This isn't equally mutual equally it i time was, thank yous to bigger, less expensive SSDs, but if that's the example for you, you'll postulate to delete approximately files as well as gratis upwards space on your difficult elbow grease earlier cloning it. Otherwise, your information won't fit. In that case, I recommend making certain that information is backed upwards to an external difficult drive before continuing, unless you're okay with deleting it all permanently. Once your information is prophylactic as well as secure, proceed onto the side past times side step.
Plug inwards as well as Initialize Your SSD
Plug your SSD into the SATA-to-USB adapter, as well as and then plug that into your computer. If it's a build novel drive, yous likely won't meet the elbow grease popular upwards inwards Windows Explorer, but don't worry; it merely needs to hold out initialized first. Open the Start bill of fare as well as type "partitions" inwards the search box. Click the "Create as well as format difficult disk partitions" option, as well as Disk Management volition open. It'll prompt yous to initialize the elbow grease using either the GPT or MBR segmentation table. I'll hold out using MBR for my SSD, since I cause got an older motherboard inwards this PC that doesn't cause got UEFI, as well as thence can't boot from GPT disks. If yous cause got a newer PC, yous mightiness hold out able to work GPT, but when inwards doubt, work MBR.
If yous aren't prompted to initialize the drive, as well as don't meet it inwards Disk Management, double-check that it's properly connected to your computer, as well as that the enclosure or dock is turned on (if necessary).
Once the elbow grease has been initialized, yous should meet the elbow grease demo upwards inwards the bottom pane of Disk Management, equally unallocated space. You nonetheless won't meet it inwards Windows Explorer, but that's okay, since EaseUS volition hold out able to meet it. Close Disk Management as well as proceed to the side past times side step.
Clone Your Hard Drive
Open EaseUS Todo Backup as well as you'll hold out greeted with an empty window. Click the "Clone" icon inwards the left sidebar—it's the i with 2 squares, close the bottom—and select the difficult disk with your C: elbow grease equally the source. Be certain to banking concern check the box for the entire Hard Disk, non merely the C: segmentation itself, since you'll postulate to clone the "System Reserved" segmentation equally well. Click Next.
On the side past times side page, you'll select the target disk. In this case, that's your SSD. Again, select the entire disk past times checking the box side past times side to "Hard Disk," as well as build absolutely certain you're selecting the SSD, since whatever elbow grease yous select inwards this measuring volition hold out erased. Thankfully, our SSD is empty, unallocated space, so nosotros don't postulate to hold out worried most erasing anything important.
Align Your Partitions
Before moving on, click the "Advanced Options" push as well as banking concern check the "Optimize for SSD" button. This is important, since it'll align the partitions inwards a way that ensures you're getting the maximum speed out of your SSD. Click OK, as well as then click Next. EaseUS volition inquire to confirm your choice, as well as plow over yous a preview of how much infinite volition hold out used on your SSD. Click Proceed to get the process.
Wait...and Wait, as well as Wait
This may cause got a few hours, specially if your difficult elbow grease as well as SSD are rather large. So larn binge-watch approximately Netflix as well as come upwards dorsum inwards a while. When it's done, click the "Finish" button. You should meet your novel SSD inwards Windows Explorer, consummate with all your data.
Install Your SSD
Next, close downwardly your computer. It's fourth dimension to install that SSD inwards your estimator permanently. If yous cause got a laptop with alone i difficult elbow grease slot, you'll postulate to withdraw your onetime difficult elbow grease as well as supervene upon it with your SSD. This is a flake dissimilar on every laptop, but yous tin forcefulness out larn a full general thought of the procedure with our take here. If yous cause got a desktop PC with to a greater extent than than i difficult elbow grease slot, yous tin forcefulness out leave of absence your onetime difficult elbow grease inwards equally extra storage, as well as merely install your SSD with it.
Reboot From Your New Drive
Once you're finished installing the SSD, you'll postulate to tell your estimator to boot from it. (This may non hold out necessary on laptops with merely i drive, but if yous experience problems booting, it tin forcefulness out aid on approximately PCs.) Turn your estimator on and enter its BIOS/UEFI setup—this is a flake dissimilar on every PC, but it'll unremarkably say something similar "Press DEL to piece of work into setup" on the boot screen, so you'll desire to press the corresponding cardinal equally it starts up.
From there, hold back for your BIOS' boot options. These volition hold out inwards a dissimilar spot depending on your computer, but i time yous uncovering them, you'll desire to select the alternative to alter the boot sequence. Choose your SSD from the listing equally the kickoff boot drive, as well as then caput dorsum to the BIOS' principal bill of fare to exit, saving your settings. Your estimator volition reboot, as well as if all went well, it should plop yous dorsum into Windows faster than always before. Open Windows Explorer as well as banking concern check to confirm that your SSD is, inwards fact, the C: drive. If everything looks good, you're create to rock, as well as your estimator should experience significantly snappier without having to reinstall a thing.