Question Drive Partition

Pghpooh

Senior member
Jan 9, 2000
791
1
81
HI
My daughter gave me her old Asus laptop.
It was running so slow and behind on Windows updates.
It took 3 days of just letting it run and downloading updates to get it caught up.
Now that it up to date on Windows downloads, I found that the battery needs to be replaced.
Once the the battery is replaced, I want to replace the hard drive with a ssd. A couple of years ago I bought 3 Samsung ssd drives and will use one of those.
The drive on the laptop is 500 gig. My ssd's are 250 gig. Storage used on the old hard drive is less then 250 gig. and I "think" I can clone the old hdd to the new ssd.
BUT When I look at the way the old drive is partitioned it shows. (going from memory) the D portion is 280 gig and the C where the programs, etc are stored is about 150 gig or so.
My first thought is to re-partition the old drive then clone it to the new ssd.
If I make the D partition smaller,, will the unused space automatically go over to the C partition?
It has been way too long since I have done anything like this and I do need help and advice.
If I had to I will buy a new 500 gig ssd to replace the older hdd. But that doesn't solve what happens when I clone the old to the new ssd.
Once updated the laptop will be used as a "spare" or second one for my wife to use.
Thanks
Bob
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,229
9,990
126
You should be able to clone a larger partition or partitions to a smaller drive, providing that the extra space is unused. Cloning software should support "proportional clone".

You could copy the D drive's contents to the C drive, then delete the D drive in disk management. not really sure if that helps, though.

Is the current OS install the OEM pre-installed OS, or has it been upgraded or replaced with a newer OS?

The reason that I ask that is, you might be better off with a fresh install of Win10.

If current OS is Win7, then proportional clone current disk to SSD, then make a Win10 USB stick using MS Media Creation Tool, and then plug it in while Win7 is running, and run SETUP.EXE off of the USB stick, go through the prompts to upgrade in-place. This will ensure that your resultant Win10 installing is properly activated.

Before you do any of this, though, I would get a portable USB HDD, and use Macrium Reflect Free edition to do an image backup of the current disk, just to be safe.
Make another one after you've upgraded in-place to Win10.
 

Pghpooh

Senior member
Jan 9, 2000
791
1
81
The o/s is win 10.
It started out as win 8 and did the upgrades to win 10. One or more of the updates that it did the past few days was to the latest win 10 features.
I know I am slow..
With win 10 installed (on the old laptop) I assume I could make a "recovery" usb using the old laptop. Then,, install the new ssd and use the usb to reinstall the win 10 o/s. I doubt if my daughter wants anything on the old laptop but will check with her.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,229
9,990
126
If the laptop already has had Win10 installed and activated on it, then the easiest way to re-install it "fresh" onto a newly-installed SATA 2.5" SSD, would be to make a USB stick using the downloadable "Media Tool Creator" located on this web page:


Download the MediaCreationTool.exe onto your existing system, and run it, and have an 8GB or slightly larger USB stick handy, and plug it in, and follow the prompts to create a bootable media for another system, then select that USB stick. It should automagically download Win10 (need to be connected to the internet to do this, too), and then put it onto the USB stick for you. (The USB stick WILL BE ERASED of prior contents.)

Then, shut down after it's done, and then install the SATA SSD into the laptop, then power back on, and insert the USB stick, and boot off of it. Follow the prompts to install Win10. (IMPORTANT, you may have to tell it "I don't have Internet", in order to install using a "Local" login name, rather than a "Microsoft Account", that they try to force you to create if you have internet access enabled during the setup process. AFTER getting to the Windows 10 Desktop screen for the first time, after you complete the setup process, THEN enable the internet, and then go to Settings, Windows Update, and do the updates until there are no more to do.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: In2Photos and Shmee