How To Install Windows On A New Ssd

Question from Larry: I read your mail explaining the advantages of installing an SSD a while back and I've wanted one e'er since to go in my HP desktop PC.

I ended up buying a 120GB SSD (I got it for $20!) and installed information technology as the boot bulldoze in my HP desktop computer. I left the 750GB hard drive in there for extra storage.

I installed Windows 10 from scratch on the SSD and now I'thousand ready to install my programs. The thing is with only 120GB of infinite on the SSD it won't agree anywhere near all of my programs.

I have a couple of questions for you lot:

1 – Which programs should I install on the SSD and which ones should I leave on the hard drive?

ii – Should I go out the original Windows 10 files on the difficult drive or is it condom to delete them to free upwards that space?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rick's respond: Congrats on upgrading your arrangement by adding a new SSD every bit the boot drive, Larry. You lot're sure to dear the speed!

I'll be happy to respond your questions and (hopefully) make the process of getting all of your programs reinstalled as simple and easy as possible.

Deciding which programs to install on the much-faster SSD depends on how you use your computer and what you primarily use it for.

For example, if yous're a lensman who edits a lot of photos you would definitely want to put your image editor on the SSD to take advantage of the fast loading speed.

Likewise, if yous use Microsoft Office on a regular ground you would want to install that on the SSD for sure.

However, if you're into gaming you might want to install a couple of your favorite games on there.

And of grade your default web browser belongs on the SSD also.

In a nutshell, installing the programs that you employ on a regular basis on the SSD volition greatly enhance your overall user feel.

Information technology's really merely a matter of priorities. Simply yous can determine which programs are most important to you, and those are the programs that should proceed the SSD.

And now a word of caution: Even though y'all still have the hard drive to some of your programs and your data files, yous might be tempted to squeeze every program that will fit onto the SSD.

Don't exercise information technology!

SSDs demand a little animate room for maximum functioning, therefore I recommend that you leave at least 10GB of unused space on your new SSD.

As far as the now-redundant Windows 10 installation is concerned, you can remove it from the hard drive if you wish. Just make sure the new Windows installation on the SSD is working as it should before yous remove Windows from the hard drive.

This is how I recommend that yous fix the difficult drive for employ solely every bit a information drive:

1 – Dorsum upward all of your photos, Function documents and other not-replaceable user files that are currently on the hard drive onto an external USB hard drive.

2 – Make a list of all the programs that are currently installed on the hard drive to use as a guide while you're reinstalling them (all the programs on the difficult bulldoze will need to be reinstalled since the SSD is now the boot drive).

3 – Gather all the installation discs and/or download links for those programs along with any required activation keys.

four – Format the difficult drive to wipe everything out and outset over with a make clean slate.

v – Reinstall all of your programs onto either the SSD or the difficult drive according to the priorities you assigned to them earlier.

half-dozen – Re-create all of your user files from the external USB hard drive dorsum onto the internal hard drive.

After you have everything installed and tweaked everything to your liking, I recommend that you create organisation prototype backups of both the SSD and the internal difficult drive.

That'due south all there is to it. Your organisation should now exist prepare up in a mode that makes maximum constructive use of your new super-fast SSD.

I hope this helps, Larry. Good luck!