Can you install windows 10 on a new SSD & still keep stuff? (2 Viewers)

Bayouboy

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Ever since I upgraded my Windows 7 computer to Windows 10, I've had a lot of trouble. I get the blue screen of death often (couple times per week) and all kinds of stuff does not work properly. I've been told a complete reinstall of Windows 10 is my only hope to cure all of the ills....

With that said, I'd like to upgrade to a 500GB SSD drive for my boot up drive. I'm not as savy as the folks on this board in regards to computers and upgrades, so I'll pose this question:

Can I purchase a 500GB SSD and install Windows 10 on it, THEN transfer all of my stuff currently on a smaller SSD to the 500GB drive? I would hate to lose any of my stuff. What program transfers program files? Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
 
Yes. You need a cloning program. Clone your hard-drive before you replace it
 
If you transfer all of your program files, you may also be transferring your problems. I'm guessing you confirmed that it is a failing HD or just not sufficient? You can add a slave drive if you need more space.

When I've changed HDs (successfully) in the past, I've started with a copy of Windows that I paid for/had numbers, a fresh drive, a good-sized flashdrive for storage, and a second connected computer for looking up any issues I may run across. :D Sometimes there are specific choices using a previously installed Windows OS (not sure about how 10 is set up) on a new HD. I think I had to choose a "repair" route when upgrading a computer that came with Windows pre-loaded once. Pain, but doable.

After getting the new drive with fresh install up and running, re-install the latest copies of any programs you want instead of just copying what you've been using. The new drive has to be hooked up to your motherboard, etc, before the OS install.

Be careful about choosing your settings from the get-go.

Have you tried System Restore on what you have now? Uninstalled suspected programs that don't play nice? Sort your installations by date, and use that to figure out when the major problems started and begin the purge there.

Your documents, pictures, videos, etc, should be backed up regularly elsewhere already. If not, do that now (on a good-sized flash, etc) and anything else can be replaced or reworked.

Good luck!

(disclaimer for people who know what they're doing: feel free to laugh/wince) :D
 
My current drive is not malfunctioning, I just decided to up the size while I'm fooling around with my computer. I did try system restore and it did not successfully restore to a previous date. It's very possible some of my older programs are not playing nice with Windows 10. I can say this, before the upgrade (on Windows 7), my computer had zero issues. Nadda.

I didn't even want Windows 10. It kept popping up and I kept saying "no". I had no desire to upgrade (since my unit was working flawlessly). I blamed my kids for upgrading to Win10....thought they did it by accident. Later, after some reading, I learned that somehow Microsoft authorized the update themselves. Initially, I did not have many problems....or I didn't notice them. So I left it on. Then, when they came, it was too late to revert back. Ever since, it's been a small nightmare.

So, would it be best to reinstall Windows 10 on my current drive and then cloning to a bigger drive? Or would it be best to just revert back to Windows 7. I think I have all of my installation CDs, etc. I don't mind Win10 as far as usability, but the problems have to go.
 
It may be worth your time to isolate the problem and research the error code you're getting. Windows 10 has been highly reliable and stable, even with upgrades like this. I'm not saying a new install wouldn't fix your issue. It's not a bad idea. But this isn't Windows 98 anymore. I haven't done a fresh install since Windows 7 arrived.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
If you want to keep the upgraded win10 OS, make sure all firmware, drivers and applications are updated to support it. These are the most common problems with a majority of upgrades. While Windows has been progressively better with upgrades, they are still far from perfect (too many variables). I prefer fresh installs but understand situations may dictate otherwise.

Dump files are easier to debug once you have the appropriate tools installed. The output will often point you to the offending driver, dll or application in human readable form.
 
I definitely have a driver problem as my blue screen of death usually follows an "attempted switch from dpc" error. I do agree finding the suspect driver would be advantageous, but my system is marred with broken links and problems. Not always things I use regularly, but the amount of errors I see makes me believe a fresh install is needed.

Should I revert back to Windows 7 or try a fresh install of 10?
 
I am in a similar position on one PC. Win10 did the magic upgrade on me and I reverted back to 7 only to find strange freezes occurring at random times. I wish I had a blue screen :( So, I wouldn't recommend reverting if you have better options.

Your programs shouldn't be the difficult to reinstall plus this will make sure everything is current and minimize issues moving forward. I'm about to do this on the one I mentioned and just copy My Docs and a few other locations to an external drive so I can go through later then install linux and use my windows license in a vm when required.

It's always better to go with fresh if you are able.
 
I definitely have a driver problem as my blue screen of death usually follows an "attempted switch from dpc" error. I do agree finding the suspect driver would be advantageous, but my system is marred with broken links and problems. Not always things I use regularly, but the amount of errors I see makes me believe a fresh install is needed.

Should I revert back to Windows 7 or try a fresh install of 10?

Fresh install.
 
It may be worth your time to isolate the problem and research the error code you're getting. Windows 10 has been highly reliable and stable, even with upgrades like this. I'm not saying a new install wouldn't fix your issue. It's not a bad idea. But this isn't Windows 98 anymore. I haven't done a fresh install since Windows 7 arrived.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk


Quoted for truth...

The person that told you to reinstall Win10 is taking the so called "easy" way out. DIAGNOSE the problem 1st, then determine the proper course of action. Reinstalling the OS is the LAST course of action in most situations.

You need to find out the error code and the file causing the issue. In many cases it is just a corrupted driver or old antivirus filter driver causing the issue. There are even more things that can be looked into like memory and thread leaks.

So go look into the STOP code for the BSOD and start googling to see if there is a good solution.

If you do rebuild, I agree with other statements that you shouldn't try to restore your install programs. It is possible to do this with Windows built in backup system but you can carry your problems forward by doing that. Just backup your personal files using the Windows Backup utility found in the control panel.
 

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