TC-705-EB53 SSD boot drive install

tkavan
tkavan Member Posts: 40 Enthusiast WiFi Icon

I'm looking at installing an SSD as a boot drive, and am considering whether to do a fresh install of Windows and then re-install my programs, or clone my current C: drive to the new SSD.

 

I'm leaning towards cloning to avoid having to re-install and re-configure all my programs.  Any advice on how to carry out the cloning process would be welcome.  I have Acronis True Image 2016.  Is this a good option for cloning, or are there better ones?

 

My OS is Windows 10 Home; my C: drive has about 90 GB of files (all OS and programs, my data is on a separate hard drive); and the destination drive is a 240GB Kingston SSD Plus.

 

Thanks.

Tom

Answers

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    you can use Acronis but keep in mind that windows boot manager will probably still boot from the HDD; so you will need to disconnect it to boot from the SSD and then wipe the HDD.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • tkavan
    tkavan Member Posts: 40 Enthusiast WiFi Icon

    Instead of erasing it can I set the SSD as the boot drive in BIOS, and then leave the original boot drive as it is as a sort of backup in case of SSD problems?

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    if your system use UEFI, windows boot manager must be the first to be able to boot.

     

    it doesn't work as on standard BIOS, that you can set which HDD can boot first, but it's all managed by windows boot manager.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • tkavan
    tkavan Member Posts: 40 Enthusiast WiFi Icon

    It is UEFI, so that's something I'll have to keep in mind.  Thanks for that info.

     

    A picky little question... but when the system eventually boots from the SSD, will it automatically be assigned drive letter C?

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    if you clone, it will be C as it's your HDD.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • tkavan
    tkavan Member Posts: 40 Enthusiast WiFi Icon

    Thanks, IronFly.

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer
    You welcome.
    I'm not an Acer employee.