Reboot From Your New Drive (Credit: Whitson Gordon) This process is a bit different on every machine, so check the documentation supplied by the manufacturer of your computer (or your motherboard, if you built the PC). If you have a laptop or desktop with only one hard drive slot, you'll need to remove your old hard drive and replace it with your SSD. If you have a desktop PC with more than one hard drive slot, you can leave your old hard drive in as extra storage, and just install your SSD alongside it. It's time to install that SSD in your machine permanently. Install Your SSD (Credit: Whitson Gordon) For step-by-step instructions, see our guide on cloning your hard drive. If your drive manufacturer doesn't offer a migration tool, DiskGenius is your next best bet. Just download the installer for the free home version and run through the wizard to get it up and running on your PC. Western Digital and SanDisk users can use WD's version of Acronis True Image to copy their data using these instructions.įor this guide, we used DiskGenius-a free drive-cloning tool that works with any brand of hard drive and SSD. For example, if you bought a Samsung SSD, we recommend downloading Samsung Data Migration and following the instructions in the user guide. If your drive manufacturer has its own migration program, that might be your best bet. There are many different drive-cloning tools on the market, and unfortunately, there are few free one-size-fits-all options anymore. Clone Your Drive (Credit: PCMag / DiskGenius) Once the drive has been initialized, you should see it show up in the bottom pane of Disk Management as unallocated space. See our guide to troubleshooting a hard drive that won't show up for more. If you aren't prompted to initialize the drive, and don't see it in Disk Management, double-check that it's properly connected to your computer, and that the enclosure or dock is powered on (if necessary). If you aren't sure, look up your specific PC model (or motherboard if you built your computer) to see which type of firmware it uses. If you have an older PC with a traditional BIOS, you may need to use an MBR partition table. I'll be using GPT for my SSD, since I have a modern PC with a UEFI firmware. You will be prompt to initialize the drive using either the GPT or MBR partition table. Click the Create and format hard disk partitions option, and Disk Management will open. Open the Start menu and type "partitions" in the search box. If it's a brand-new drive, you probably won't see the drive pop up in File Explorer, but don't worry it just needs to be initialized first. Plug your SSD into the adapter, then plug that into your computer. If you're on a desktop PC with room for more than one drive, you can just install it internally alongside your old hard drive. If you're using a laptop with only one hard drive slot, that means you'll need an external adapter, dock, or enclosure that can connect your bare SSD to your computer over USB. Plug In and Initialize Your SSD Orico Hard Drive Docking Station (Credit: Orico)ĭuring this process, you'll need both your SSD and old hard drive connected to your computer at the same time. Once your data is safe and secure, continue to the next step. Otherwise, your data won't fit on the new drive. This isn't as common as it once was, thanks to bigger, less expensive SSDs, but if that's the case for you, you'll need to delete some files and free up space on your hard drive before cloning it. If you're upgrading to an SSD that's smaller than your current hard drive, you'll want to take extra care here. Copying important data to an external hard drive will also do in a pinch. Windows also has File History for backing up important documents, and an image file can save your entire system. If you don't have a backup solution yet, check out our favorite software for the job. An accidental click can result in you erasing everything, so don't continue until you've backed it all up. Back Up Your Data (and Free Up Space) (Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)īefore you start messing around with your drives, it's absolutely necessary to first back up your data. In that case, you could store Windows and your programs on the SSD while putting your music, movies, and other media on a second, larger hard disk-though this can be a bit more complicated, as we'll discuss below. The only exception is if you're on a desktop computer and have room for multiple hard drives. If you have a 500GB drive now, you probably want a similarly sized (or larger) SSD. You also want one big enough to fit your data. Make sure to buy the right form factor for your computer (some laptops will use 2.5-inch drives, while others use the "gumstick" M.2 format). If you're looking to upgrade, we have recommendations for the best overall drives and worthwhile cheaper alternatives. Buy the Right SSD (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
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