reinstall windows 10 after replacing hard drive

#REINSTALL WINDOWS 10 AFTER REPLACING HARD DRIVE HOW TO#
#REINSTALL WINDOWS 10 AFTER REPLACING HARD DRIVE INSTALL#

Windows 10 doesn’t offer a simple cloning method and swaps your OS to a new hard drive. Even with several GB of data, the process shouldn’t take too long. Select OK to start the Disk Cleanup tool and sweep the gunk out of your system. When the Disk Cleanup tool switches to include system file types, it resets any changes you had made to the file type list in step 2, so take care. Doing so adds a few other file types to delete, such as Previous Windows Installations - which can be quite sizable, especially if you’re part of Windows 10’s Windows Insider program. It’s always a good idea to double-check the options, just in case there’s something you’d like to keep.Ĭlick Clean Up System Files near the bottom of the window. Here, carefully review the file types, as there are many types of data you don’t need (temp files, recycle bin data, etc.). Once open, see a box with a list of file types, which lets you check the files you want to delete. Just search for Disk Cleanup in the Windows search bar and click the respective link that appears. Thankfully, Windows comes with its proprietary cleanup tool, which you should use before you move on. It likely won’t work with any virtualization project, though you can find those services if you’re willing to pay for them.īefore copying and moving anything, it’s essential to make sure you clean out your files to transition them quickly and painlessly. However, this method may work if you’re building a new rig or swapping computers, depending on your setup. Take note: This guide is for people who are only switching drives.

#REINSTALL WINDOWS 10 AFTER REPLACING HARD DRIVE INSTALL#

Windows 10 doesn’t make this simple, but the instructions below make cloning and swapping your Windows 10 install to a new hard drive as easy as possible. You must move your operating system (and all the data it holds) over to the new drive.

#REINSTALL WINDOWS 10 AFTER REPLACING HARD DRIVE HOW TO#

We’ll show you how to upgrade your hard drive to that long-awaited SSD or hybrid drive.

Transitioning to a solid-state drive (SSD) is ideal if you want a storage drive that will be faster and more energy-efficient.

Reinstall windows 10 after replacing hard drive