Windows 10: Can't Migrate Windows To A Smaller Drive Without Losing FIles

Hello,
I have Windows 10 on a 2TB HDD with about 1TB of the HDD full. I would like to migrate Windows to an 80GB SSD but I can't find anyway to do this without cloning the entire drive, which I can't do because there is too much content on the HDD. Is there any way to migrate Windows to a different drive whilst keeping all user files and installed applications on the old drive so I can have two drives in my system, the SSD for boot and the HDD for storage and applications.
Thanks *Smile

:)

 

File history - new external drive installed

I have recently migrated from a 3TB external HD to an 8TB version for use with File History as part of my overall backup strategy.

Will the newly created incarnation of File History include the older versions of files that previously were (and still are) stored on the smaller drive, or does the new instance of file history only include files as they were when it was initiated and have
been updated subsequently?

If the later, can the old and new archives be merged? I'd like to be able to format and repurpose the smaller drive, but don't want to lose the older file versions unneccesarlily.

 

Migrate Windows 10 from HDD to SSD - cannot Reset This PC from partition

HI

I've same problem after migration my windows from an old HDD to a new HDD hard drive with using 'Ease Us' and I would like to reset my windows 10 but I can't !

I've tried with using my old HDD hard drive but it gives me an error like 'The drive is locked unlock the drive'!

What should I do now?! I would like reset my Pc with out losing my files but I can't it gives an error like 'to insert recovery media' what should I do? there is any chance to solve that without losing
my files?

Please help me, I'm student and I need my PC.

My PC is hp Envy dv6.

 

Not that I've ever seen. I think you will have to clean install to the 80GB SSD (which is small and will probably cause you problems in a while). Once that's done you can remove Windows 10 from the two TB hard drive.

 

I thought of something, but not sure if it will work. Create a second partition on the large disk. Then relocate your user folders in a folder inside the new partition (right-click, select Properties and go to Location tab). Move all your data there to free the C partition. Also relocate the Program Files folder to the second partition (done from Registry). There are programs to transfer the installed applications to another place, I don't recall them now. Move any other folder in C to the new partition. Once you have decreased the data size to less than 80GB you can clone the C partition to SSD. Boot from the SSD, check that you data are accessible and that your applications load properly, then you can delete the first partition on the large disk (assuming you have made the SSD bootable and can boot from there) and expand the second partition to take all space. Of course for this to work SSD partition must be C and booting into Windows from it, while the partition on the disk where you relocated your data must have the same drive letter as when you relocated them.

It sounds like a lot of trouble, but it should work and it is certainly faster than doing a clean-install.

 

Thanks spapakons.
am not very keen to mess around with partitions but I have so many installed applications that it will probably be the best option. If, however, I wanted to do a clean install of Windows how do I find out my product key?
Thanks.

 

Use Mini-Tool Partition Wizard Free to make the partitions , it's a pretty good program and very reliable....The product key # for your PC from when you upgraded is saved on the microsoft server and you should be able to just install a new copy without having to enter a product key.