Getting old.

DonA2 · Nov 11, 2020

My Dell XPS 8300 i5 desktop is now 10 years old. Working perfectly with SSD C drive and a 1tb HDD backup drive. Not a gamer, one user and mainly used for photos, e-mails and some browsing. Only concern is age. Mine and the computer. :-|

Dell has a XPS 8940- s46e on special which offers more than I will ever require. Here's the question. Why have the OS on a separate small SSD? I assume this would be the new C drive and the 1tb HDD for all else (D drive) .

Never had a problem with all on one C drive and don't like extra complication. So, why the separate drive for the OS? Is this mainly for heavy duty users?

Robert Zanatta · Nov 13, 2020

Download latest drivers for your new motherboard (chipset, audio, etc.,).

Uninstall or disable any drivers that may cause a conflict. Typically this world only be a video card driver if you are changing to a different video card manufacturer (like NVidia to AMD).

Put drive into new machine and boot. Windows should detect and setup the drivers for the new system. When machine is booted, install latest drivers you downloaded for the motherboard.

If things don't go quite right, you can do a repair install. This will preserve most installed apps and settings while blowing away unnecessary drivers and installing the correct ones.

Mystery member · Nov 13, 2020

DonA2 said:
Thanks all for some very valuable input. I have decided to go the easiest route as there is some pros and cons, as usual. Once the new comp is delivered I intend to-

* Ignore the small SSD installed with the OS.

* Pull the HDD and insert my present SSD with all my present system on it.

* In Disk Management get the SSD on C drive.

* Fire it up and carry on as before.

My present, fairly new, SSD C drive is barely 1/3 full and won't get to 1/2 for the foreseeable future. This leaves it all open to change to a split system if required as it's all set up for that. The HDD can be used for a backup.

This should be the best and simplest transition for me and perhaps for those in a similar situation. We will see how this goes. Dell now advised my delivery is expected Dec.10. May be a parts shortage or just swamped.

Your plan of attack seems bizarre in the extreme.

A better, more conservative option would be to stick with the hardware as supplied. 256Gb is plenty for the OS.

Forget about your existing SSD and its load of legacy software and obsolete drivers. It's probably not M.2 anyway. Maybe use it as a spare drive.

DonA2 · Nov 13, 2020

WryCuda said:
DonA2 said:

Thanks all for some very valuable input. I have decided to go the easiest route as there is some pros and cons, as usual. Once the new comp is delivered I intend to-

* Ignore the small SSD installed with the OS.

* Pull the HDD and insert my present SSD with all my present system on it.

* In Disk Management get the SSD on C drive.

* Fire it up and carry on as before.

My present, fairly new, SSD C drive is barely 1/3 full and won't get to 1/2 for the foreseeable future. This leaves it all open to change to a split system if required as it's all set up for that. The HDD can be used for a backup.

This should be the best and simplest transition for me and perhaps for those in a similar situation. We will see how this goes. Dell now advised my delivery is expected Dec.10. May be a parts shortage or just swamped.

Click to expand...

Your plan of attack seems bizarre in the extreme.

That may be but it gets everything on to a single SSD, as prefered. True, the new on- board SSD could be used for the OS as supplied.

Mystery member said:
A better, more conservative option would be to stick with the hardware as supplied. 256Gb is plenty for the OS.

Again true. It would barely show.

Mystery member said:
Forget about your existing SSD and its load of legacy software and obsolete drivers. It's probably not M.2 anyway. Maybe use it as a spare drive.

But, that SSD has all my photos, documents, etc. The new comp's on board drive is a 1TB 3.5" HDD. Dumping the SSD content on to the HDD doesn't do much and is fraught with problems and to me is not all that simple. I know there are other ways and means but I much prefer quick and simple, if it works.

Mystery member · Nov 13, 2020

DonA2 said:
WryCuda said:

Forget about your existing SSD and its load of legacy software and obsolete drivers. It's probably not M.2 anyway. Maybe use it as a spare drive.

Click to expand...

But, that SSD has all my photos, documents, etc. The new comp's on board drive is a 1TB 3.5" HDD. Dumping the SSD content on to the HDD doesn't do much and is fraught with problems and to me is not all that simple. I know there are other ways and means but I much prefer quick and simple, if it works.

Transferring data is a very simple operation, particularly if you already have it backed up.

"If it works... "

Installing an SSD with a foreign OS into a new computer is a job for an experienced operator, and even then, I'd question the advisability of the plan.

Austinian · Nov 13, 2020

DonA2 said:
WryCuda said:

DonA2 said:

Thanks all for some very valuable input. I have decided to go the easiest route as there is some pros and cons, as usual. Once the new comp is delivered I intend to-

* Ignore the small SSD installed with the OS.

* Pull the HDD and insert my present SSD with all my present system on it.

* In Disk Management get the SSD on C drive.

* Fire it up and carry on as before.

My present, fairly new, SSD C drive is barely 1/3 full and won't get to 1/2 for the foreseeable future. This leaves it all open to change to a split system if required as it's all set up for that. The HDD can be used for a backup.

This should be the best and simplest transition for me and perhaps for those in a similar situation. We will see how this goes. Dell now advised my delivery is expected Dec.10. May be a parts shortage or just swamped.

Click to expand...

Your plan of attack seems bizarre in the extreme.

Click to expand...

That may be but it gets everything on to a single SSD, as prefered. True, the new on- board SSD could be used for the OS as supplied.

DonA2 said:

A better, more conservative option would be to stick with the hardware as supplied. 256Gb is plenty for the OS.

Click to expand...

Again true. It would barely show.

DonA2 said:

Forget about your existing SSD and its load of legacy software and obsolete drivers. It's probably not M.2 anyway. Maybe use it as a spare drive.

Click to expand...

But, that SSD has all my photos, documents, etc. The new comp's on board drive is a 1TB 3.5" HDD. Dumping the SSD content on to the HDD doesn't do much and is fraught with problems and to me is not all that simple. I know there are other ways and means but I much prefer quick and simple, if it works.

First, I haven't read every post in this thread carefully, so ignore everything I say if it conflicts with reality.

Suggestion:

Before you do anything to the new computer, make a full image backup of your existing SSD to a new backup drive, whether SSD or HDD; that way you can't lose any of your data if anything gets scrambled when you try to boot from your existing SSD.

If the existing SSD works in the new PC after a couple of reboots, well and good. If it doesn't, install a completely clean Windows and your applications and data to it using your backup drive's data.

Keep the original drives intact for a while in case you need to return the PC for hardware issues.

DonA2 · Nov 13, 2020

That makes absolute sense. I intend to have a fresh backup in any event. First off I will look at what I actually have on the new comp and go from there. I am not fixed on having it all on one SSD but that is the way I have it now and it works well for me.

Chris Noble · Nov 13, 2020

DonA2 said:
Thanks all for some very valuable input. I have decided to go the easiest route as there is some pros and cons, as usual. Once the new comp is delivered I intend to-

* Ignore the small SSD installed with the OS.

* Pull the HDD and insert my present SSD with all my present system on it.

* In Disk Management get the SSD on C drive.

* Fire it up and carry on as before.

You are likely to run into trouble as the motherboard and chipsets are different and the OS has a different license and connection to the system warranty.

Better to transfer the new computer's OS and factory-installed apps to your present SSD, and then install that as the new C: drive.

Or use your present SSD as a D: drive with all your data on it.

DonA2 · Nov 13, 2020

Chris Noble said:
DonA2 said:

Thanks all for some very valuable input. I have decided to go the easiest route as there is some pros and cons, as usual. Once the new comp is delivered I intend to-

* Ignore the small SSD installed with the OS.

* Pull the HDD and insert my present SSD with all my present system on it.

* In Disk Management get the SSD on C drive.

* Fire it up and carry on as before.

Click to expand...

You are likely to run into trouble as the motherboard and chipsets are different and the OS has a different license and connection to the system warranty.

Better to transfer the new computer's OS and factory-installed apps to your present SSD, and then install that as the new C: drive.

Or use your present SSD as a D: drive with all your data on it.

I do believe you are right about trying to get around the built in OS / apps. Not sure how to do that transfer but it should be doable. If I install my loaded SSD as a D drive it has my present W-10 OS on it which would seemingly conflict with the new OS.

Just trying to get it all onto one drive as it is now. Perhaps a wait and see how it looks when I get my hands on the new one. Thanks for the help.

Robert Zanatta · Nov 13, 2020

Good point about the license key. But it might be OK if it's a Dell.

skanter · Nov 13, 2020

Chris Noble said:
DonA2 said:

Thanks all for some very valuable input. I have decided to go the easiest route as there is some pros and cons, as usual. Once the new comp is delivered I intend to-

* Ignore the small SSD installed with the OS.

* Pull the HDD and insert my present SSD with all my present system on it.

* In Disk Management get the SSD on C drive.

* Fire it up and carry on as before.

Click to expand...

You are likely to run into trouble as the motherboard and chipsets are different and the OS has a different license and connection to the system warranty.

Better to transfer the new computer's OS and factory-installed apps to your present SSD, and then install that as the new C: drive.

Or use your present SSD as a D: drive with all your data on it.

I’m gonna have similar issues with a new system and 2 SSD drives and 3 HDDs, filled with system, apps and photos. How to migrate all of it?

Mystery member · Nov 13, 2020

DonA2 said:
Chris Noble said:

DonA2 said:

Thanks all for some very valuable input. I have decided to go the easiest route as there is some pros and cons, as usual. Once the new comp is delivered I intend to-

* Ignore the small SSD installed with the OS.

* Pull the HDD and insert my present SSD with all my present system on it.

* In Disk Management get the SSD on C drive.

* Fire it up and carry on as before.

Click to expand...

You are likely to run into trouble as the motherboard and chipsets are different and the OS has a different license and connection to the system warranty.

Better to transfer the new computer's OS and factory-installed apps to your present SSD, and then install that as the new C: drive.

Or use your present SSD as a D: drive with all your data on it.

Click to expand...

I do believe you are right about trying to get around the built in OS / apps. Not sure how to do that transfer but it should be doable. If I install my loaded SSD as a D drive it has my present W-10 OS on it which would seemingly conflict with the new OS.

Just trying to get it all onto one drive as it is now. Perhaps a wait and see how it looks when I get my hands on the new one.

There's a fair chance that you'll find that the new SSD is the NVMe M.2 variety, while your old SSD runs with SATA connection. That may influence your decision.

Your aim of getting everything onto the one drive is rather pointless, and will lead you into potential difficulties, as outlined above. I've built and used computers with more than one drive for many years without issue. Other members of the household who use the system are untroubled by the hardware configuration.

A typical computer on my network has the following drives...

C SSD Operating System
D HDD 2Tb Data
E DVD
F Shared Office Data (SSD on Dell laptop)
G Shared Photo Data (HDD on new Dell tower)

Even if there weren't three or four users, I'd still want several computers for backup and stand-by purposes.

There's no way that I'd meddle with a brand new computer. OEM utilities, drivers etc. are invaluable. At the moment, mine is "on test" with a variety of software. It will eventually become the "main computer", at which stage I may install a larger HDD.

Chris Noble · Nov 14, 2020

skanter said:
Chris Noble said:

DonA2 said:

Thanks all for some very valuable input. I have decided to go the easiest route as there is some pros and cons, as usual. Once the new comp is delivered I intend to-

* Ignore the small SSD installed with the OS.

* Pull the HDD and insert my present SSD with all my present system on it.

* In Disk Management get the SSD on C drive.

* Fire it up and carry on as before.

Click to expand...

You are likely to run into trouble as the motherboard and chipsets are different and the OS has a different license and connection to the system warranty.

Better to transfer the new computer's OS and factory-installed apps to your present SSD, and then install that as the new C: drive.

Or use your present SSD as a D: drive with all your data on it.

Click to expand...

I’m gonna have similar issues with a new system and 2 SSD drives and 3 HDDs, filled with system, apps and photos. How to migrate all of it?

Sam, a popular setup now is:

256 GB SS C: drive for OS and apps; 500 or 1000 GB SS D: drive for "current" data; an HDD or NAS for other data.

OS can be migrated with migration SW, available from the SSD vendor; apps should be re-installed; data can be copied.

If that answers your question.

DonA2 · Nov 14, 2020

The new system has the NVMe M.2 SSD installed. You convince me to go with it. I have quite new 1TB Crucial SSDs on all 3 of my comps with one spare. All good enough for my needs. I will no doubt get my data on to the spare.

Here's where I get a bit concerned. I have good system backups on HDDs but my present SSD C drive has the OS on it as has my backups. If I install the blank SSD as my new D drive to get all the bits I want to migrate on to the new D drive from the back up may be problematic. It's not just files but all the little applications, etc. It's basically migrating everything BUT the OS. Never tried it so it may be easy enough. I hope. :-|

Chris Noble · Nov 14, 2020

DonA2 said:
If I install the blank SSD as my new D drive to get all the bits I want to migrate on to the new D drive from the back up may be problematic. It's not just files but all the little applications, etc. It's basically migrating everything BUT the OS. Never tried it so it may be easy enough. I hope. :-|

Applications need to be installed from an installer file. You can't just copy the application's .exe file from a different system's backup. Or rather you can, easily, but you're asking for trouble. Don't do it.

skanter · Nov 14, 2020

Chris Noble said:
skanter said:

Chris Noble said:

DonA2 said:

Thanks all for some very valuable input. I have decided to go the easiest route as there is some pros and cons, as usual. Once the new comp is delivered I intend to-

* Ignore the small SSD installed with the OS.

* Pull the HDD and insert my present SSD with all my present system on it.

* In Disk Management get the SSD on C drive.

* Fire it up and carry on as before.

Click to expand...

You are likely to run into trouble as the motherboard and chipsets are different and the OS has a different license and connection to the system warranty.

Better to transfer the new computer's OS and factory-installed apps to your present SSD, and then install that as the new C: drive.

Or use your present SSD as a D: drive with all your data on it.

Click to expand...

I’m gonna have similar issues with a new system and 2 SSD drives and 3 HDDs, filled with system, apps and photos. How to migrate all of it?

Click to expand...

Sam, a popular setup now is:

256 GB SS C: drive for OS and apps; 500 or 1000 GB SS D: drive for "current" data; an HDD or NAS for other data.

OS can be migrated with migration SW, available from the SSD vendor; apps should be re-installed; data can be copied.

If that answers your question.

Thanks, Chris. I’ll need more specifics as I get closer to doing it - i.e. how to make sure all my LR catalogues are migrated correctly and photos can be found, This system is mainly for photography. I read that better to use OS that comes with system rather than migrating order one, not sure. The new system will certainly come with an SSD and HDD, I have a 1T SSD and 2 4T HDDS, so I should be in good shape if I can figure out how to migrate and there are enough slots...

First I have to buy a computer, waiting for black Friday deals.

DonA2 · Nov 14, 2020

Sam, you seem to be floundering as am I. I have plan A,B,C and hope one will stick. I doubt anything much can go wrong. I get by with trial and sometimes error. It's all very interesting.

I must wait until Dec.10 expected delivery. Best thing is I have the old working system to go back to and 2 other computers with 3 backups if all else fails. I doubt it will come to that. Best of luck.

skanter · Nov 14, 2020

DonA2 said:
Sam, you seem to be floundering as am I. I have plan A,B,C and hope one will stick. I doubt anything much can go wrong. I get by with trial and sometimes error. It's all very interesting.

Hi Don. I wouldn’t say I’m floundering - just in a new technical situation re the sudden death of my home system. I recently upgraded to Win 10 and that went OK. There is usually warning when HDs go bad, etc. I don’t have a specific plan yet, my energy is going into choosing a new system that’s somewhat affordable.

DonA2 said:
I must wait until Dec.10 expected delivery. Best thing is I have the old working system to go back to and 2 other computers with 3 backups if all else fails. I doubt it will come to that. Best of luck.

I’ve got a perfectly good system right now in my music studio which has been empty since January due to Covid, but transferring it home is not a good idea at this time, so I cannot work on editing new photos. Fortunately I’m working on a new book of photos and that can be done on my iPad.

We can keep in touch, our migration timeline might be similar as I don’t know when I will have a new system - after black friday.

Mystery member · Nov 14, 2020

DonA2 said:
Sam, you seem to be floundering as am I. I have plan A,B,C and hope one will stick. I doubt anything much can go wrong. I get by with trial and sometimes error. It's all very interesting.

I must wait until Dec.10 expected delivery. Best thing is I have the old working system to go back to and 2 other computers with 3 backups if all else fails. I doubt it will come to that. Best of luck.

Are they networked?

Chris Noble · Nov 14, 2020

skanter said:
Chris Noble said:

skanter said:

Chris Noble said:

DonA2 said:

Thanks all for some very valuable input. I have decided to go the easiest route as there is some pros and cons, as usual. Once the new comp is delivered I intend to-

* Ignore the small SSD installed with the OS.

* Pull the HDD and insert my present SSD with all my present system on it.

* In Disk Management get the SSD on C drive.

* Fire it up and carry on as before.

Click to expand...

You are likely to run into trouble as the motherboard and chipsets are different and the OS has a different license and connection to the system warranty.

Better to transfer the new computer's OS and factory-installed apps to your present SSD, and then install that as the new C: drive.

Or use your present SSD as a D: drive with all your data on it.

Click to expand...

I’m gonna have similar issues with a new system and 2 SSD drives and 3 HDDs, filled with system, apps and photos. How to migrate all of it?

Click to expand...

Sam, a popular setup now is:

256 GB SS C: drive for OS and apps; 500 or 1000 GB SS D: drive for "current" data; an HDD or NAS for other data.

OS can be migrated with migration SW, available from the SSD vendor; apps should be re-installed; data can be copied.

If that answers your question.

Click to expand...

I read that better to use OS that comes with system rather than migrating order one, not sure.

Definitely. When I said "migrate" I meant if you want to change the C: drive of the new system. The rest is not migrated: apps are re-installed, and data is copied.

skanter · Nov 14, 2020

Chris Noble said:
skanter said:

Chris Noble said:

skanter said:

Chris Noble said:

DonA2 said:

Thanks all for some very valuable input. I have decided to go the easiest route as there is some pros and cons, as usual. Once the new comp is delivered I intend to-

* Ignore the small SSD installed with the OS.

* Pull the HDD and insert my present SSD with all my present system on it.

* In Disk Management get the SSD on C drive.

* Fire it up and carry on as before.

Click to expand...

You are likely to run into trouble as the motherboard and chipsets are different and the OS has a different license and connection to the system warranty.

Better to transfer the new computer's OS and factory-installed apps to your present SSD, and then install that as the new C: drive.

Or use your present SSD as a D: drive with all your data on it.

Click to expand...

I’m gonna have similar issues with a new system and 2 SSD drives and 3 HDDs, filled with system, apps and photos. How to migrate all of it?

Click to expand...

Sam, a popular setup now is:

256 GB SS C: drive for OS and apps; 500 or 1000 GB SS D: drive for "current" data; an HDD or NAS for other data.

OS can be migrated with migration SW, available from the SSD vendor; apps should be re-installed; data can be copied.

If that answers your question.

Click to expand...

I read that better to use OS that comes with system rather than migrating order one, not sure.

Click to expand...

Definitely. When I said "migrate" I meant if you want to change the C: drive of the new system. The rest is not migrated: apps are re-installed, and data is copied.

I pretty much want to start from scratch with a new OS 10 and install apps fresh. I just want to make sure that LR can find catalogues and photos on other drives - and maybe make my 1T SSD my C drive instead of the one that comes with the new system. Also would like to have two 4T drives with photos internally mounted if there is space.Does that sound reasonable?

Getting old.

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Dances With Werewolves

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Similar threads

Keyboard shortcuts