To Fresh Install or Clone Win10?

[Bee🐝]

I'm getting a new internal 1tb Samsung EVO SSD on Thursday; I currently only have one-half full 1tb HDD drive. I keep bouncy between either just migrating/cloning the OS or freshly installing Windows on the SSD. I've read so many opposing articles that it's driving me nuts.

Option 1. So there's a part of the PC community that advocates for re-installing Win10 every few months even if there are no issues. My current install is a year old. A brand new install on the SSD would mean an "uncluttered" Win10, but everything (drivers, programs, games) would need to be re-installed.

Option 2, is just migrating the current Win10 over to the new drive. As I understand it, with programs such as EaseUS, I'd have the option to only migrate the OS and not everything else. I wouldn't need to reinstall any drivers, but I would have to make sure programs, such as Steam, were "pointing" to the correct directories? After that, I could just delete the OS from the old HDD?

So, I'm looking for any input. Which would be easier, faster and less "hazardous" to do? Any free cloning program recommendations - especially ones that would only migrate the OS and not just clone the whole old HDD to the new SSD? Should I just clone the whole drive and "reorganise" things from there.

(Hopefully, I explained this whole silly "saga" well enough.)

[Andrius227]

Fresh install is better in my opinion.

I always do that and then i keep my old drive as a backup pretty much forever. Restoring save files for literally hundreds of games is a huge pain so i dont even bother until i need it.

[Supafly]

I've used Samsung migrate multiple times with differing results. It's suppose to remove stuff from the original drive when migrating so there is no duplication issues. Not always the case.

1. 99.9% complete and it fails. Repeat and it my result in being successful. I've had it fail 3x in a row and gave up.
2. 100% successful
3. 100% but didn't wipe the original drive.

Issues with 3 as you now have to 2 drives to boot from with the exact same data.
A. You have to mess around to make sure you're booting from the new drive and not the original.
B. Wipe the original drive BUT CHECK the new drive is bootable without the original connected first. Shouldn't be the case but I've had it fail to boot when I've removed the old drive because Windows seems to think the original is still a system drive and it requires it to boot.....just like if you did a fresh install with other drives connected.
C. With both connected Windows has a hissy fit an won't let the newer drive boot because the original is found first. Do step B and check the new drive boots without the original. Then remove the new drive. Follow Windows OS fresh install up until you can format the drive and wipe all partitions and you do that. Once wiped shutdown and connect the new drive. It''ll boot as it's the only drive with windows. original drive will be blank and if memory serves me correctly it'll need initialising and partition created using partition manager.

Now considering thats been from Samsung drive to another Samsung drive it's not a brand compatibility issue I'd go with 50/50 off it running smoothly for me. Now I just wipe as I know it'll work 100% without needing to mess around.

If you do want to try your luck with the Migratation I recommend

1. IMPORTANT. Back everything up first just like you would if you did a fresh OS install. Important as this may be required anyway.
2. Repeat it again if it fails at 99%
3. If needed to mess around with the examples and methods I've used when it hasn't been perfect.
4. Give up and install OS directly.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Just get used to doing clean installs. Avoid clones or windows reset methods. Only time a clone is a good idea is when it's hdd to hdd or ssd to ssd.

Programs does mean drivers too. As many drivers have apps associated with them.

It literally takes maybe 2 hours to do a complete system in terms of doing a fresh os install, downloading every needed latest driver and app and installing everything and configuring each app and the entire os. It's not hard or time consuming anymore like it used to be. Many make it harder then it has to be or say it takes too long. Make yourself do a clean OS install every 6-12 months and you'll learn how to do it better and faster as time goes on. Steam and steam games don't require any install. Simply copy to another drive, copy back when os is fresh again, or to another machine, then run steam.exe via Run as admin, done. But again you will need to backup saved game user data seperate as many games won't have any cloud save backup option and that option just should be avoided as its proven unreliable if you game on the same games or account on multiple machines. For this use GameSaveManager.

Make sure your usb flash drive has the latest build of Win10 64bit, via latest ms media creation tool. Helps to avoid issues with older Win10 versions, especially on newer hardware and to avoid feature updates that would be required if your usb flash drive is outdated.

[nullable]

If there's nothing wrong with your current Windows 10 install then I would clone it. There's no rational argument for doing a clean install "just because", unless that reasons is "I just want to". The drive won't care, your PC won't care, if everything is already running appropriately.

Beware the claptrap of purists. They're doing what they want to do and that's fine. It doesn't make it a reasonable or beneficial process for everyone else.

Besides there's nothing stopping you from cloning the drive and seeing for yourself. And if you're really not happy, do a clean install. Cloning exists for a reason, it's extremely convenient. There's a great feeling from doing a simple upgrade and it not turning into a multiple hours long chore of backing up data, reinstalling programs and resorting backed up data. I didn't mind it in my youth. These days I'd just rather do things with my PC rather than a lot of valueless busywork, which is what it is unless you're resolving a real issue.

Cloning lets you pick up where you left off, and that works great a majority of the time.

[Set-115689]

Cloned 2 pcs recently with samsung migration tool and both worked fine. Turn off as many programs as you can before cloning. Run a hard drive check on the original drive before cloning to see if there's bad sectors.

[Bee🐝]

Thanks for the input everyone; the advice has lessened my stress level by like 70%!

Surprisingly the drive arrived early yesterday evening, so I can start the process today. I'm going to chew over what everyone said and see which option works best. Once it's all done and dusted I'll let you guys know how it went.

[Wisman]

I cloned my hard drive to a ssd with zero issues. I didn't even reinstall drivers.

[Supafly]

Originally posted by Wisman:

I cloned my hard drive to a ssd with zero issues. I didn't even reinstall drivers.

Cool, glad it went smoothly for you

Cloning should never require reinstalling anything. If it does something screwed up and hopefully it's nothing that can't be fixed.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Originally posted by Set-115689:

Cloned 2 pcs recently with samsung migration tool and both worked fine. Turn off as many programs as you can before cloning. Run a hard drive check on the original drive before cloning to see if there's bad sectors.

If doing the Clone Disk to Disk option this is all you need to follow. I will add a little more though.

Load up OS as is from current drive. Run CMD via Run as Admin option, then type CHKDSK /F /R and press Enter. Since this is going to be done to the OS drive, a reboot will be required, press the key needed to say Yes to "schedule the scan upon restart". Once done simply reboot and allow the whole scan to finish. If any bad sectors they will be marked off so no data can go there and so it can't be part of a bad clone process if they do exist. Once this is done enter the OS normally again, by this time your new drive should be connected and ready to format, but don't format it. Download the latest free clone software from the maker of your new drive. Once installed run that and do an entire disk to disk clone process. Keep in mind that if the old drive is larger, like say a 1tb hdd and the new drive is smaller, like say 500gb ssd... then what you need to do is ensure that the USED Space on the current drive does not exceed or come very close to the capacity of the new drive, otherwise you would need to first free up space on old drive before you can clone to the new drive.

Once drive is cloned, shutdown Windows normally if you need to unhook the old drive, or if you need to properly install the new drive where you wish for it to always be at. For example if cloning a laptop hdd to ssd and the ssd was hooked up externally to do the clone. Then shutdown and install the new drive where it needs to be inside the system for everyday use. If both drives are inside the system, then after the clone you can just do a reboot process, however when you do, be ready and then enter the bios. Once in the bios change the boot order so the new drive is the only boot drive option. Now OS should be booting from new drive. Once this appears to all be ok, now do a disk check (CHKDSK) on the new drive (which is now C drive). After this check has completed, bring up CMD via admin option again and run SFC /SCANNOW to verify everything related to OS core files. This ensures nothing with the main OS is missing or corrupted.

Now you are free to wipe the old drive which can be done easily using CCLEANER and then go into Tools, select only that drive letter for the drive to wipe, then select the Wipe Entire Disk option. Once this reaches 10% just click cancel as its wiped enough. Then close out ccleaner app and bring up Disk Management and go to your drive listing and format the old drive and give it a drive letter. Now it's ready to used as a secondary storage drive.

[Illusion of Progress]

If all you're changing is the drive, there's no reason a clone should cause issues as long as the clone process is correct. It's literally a 1 for 1, bit for bit copy. If you don't mind doing fresh Windows installations, there's nothing wrong with it, but it can be a lot of extra work and time.

I've used cloning starting back in 2012, when I was moving from a 640 GB HDD to a 256 GB SSD (so, larger to smaller size, HDD to SSD), then again to a larger 1 TB SSD. That was on Windows 7. The research and prep work was more time than the actual cloning process, and prevented having to set everything up again.

Just posted this in another thread (if you use Minitool Partition Wizard, you need to use version 11.5 or older, as newer ones want a paid version to do this task).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioYPSsFnmNA

[Bee🐝]

Thanks for the extra info and vids - I've decided to just clone the whole drive. I'll do a clean Win10 install soon afterwards.

Anyway, migration never happened because it turns out I need to place the SSD under the GPU in the M2a slot and not in the M2b one. Well, that's fine...if my tower wasn't moulded by Mephisto himself. There's this very weird lip, right over the GPU screws, so Saturday will be spent trying to wrangle two screws, in a narrow space, at a weird angle, with a tiny screwdriver. The last time I needed to lift the GPU it took 2 hours of very "calm" fiddling.

[Pocahawtness]

Originally posted by Bee:

Thanks for the extra info and vids - I've decided to just clone the whole drive. I'll do a clean Win10 install soon afterwards.

Anyway, migration never happened because it turns out I need to place the SSD under the GPU in the M2a slot and not in the M2b one. Well, that's fine...if my tower wasn't moulded by Mephisto himself. There's this very weird lip, right over the GPU screws, so Saturday will be spent trying to wrangle two screws, in a narrow space, at a weird angle, with a tiny screwdriver. The last time I needed to lift the GPU it took 2 hours of very "calm" fiddling.

Good plan. You really don't need to reinstall unless you have a problem.

[Bee🐝]

Quick update. Cloning all done! Turned out to be the easiest part after all the advice. Thanks again!

[Illusion of Progress]

Originally posted by Bee:

Quick update. Cloning all done! Turned out to be the easiest part after all the advice. Thanks again!

Yep, that was my experience as well. The first time I did it I did a lot of research (rightfully so), and also had to prep downsizing the partition (going from 640 GB HDD to 256 GB SSD). It cloned in like 15 to 20 minutes, and then just... worked. I was like "that's it, it's done?" after it rebooted and just worked.

Well, I had to resize the partition to gain back some space (I overestimated cutting it down to be sure) but that was simply a few minute ordeal in disk management.