#How to boot from an ssd install
#How to boot from an ssd manual

If you add your HDD with all the files in it already, you can go into Steam, then go to Steam > Settings > Downloads and click on the button. I know with Steam, transferring your games can be done in one of two ways. AFTER, and ONLY AFTER, you backed up the files successfully, you can delete data files (files that aren't critical to computer operation or files created by installed apps), start removing them to get you under the 1TB mark so you can image the drive onto the SSD.

#How to boot from an ssd manual

Option 2) If your hard drive is > 1TB or has > 1 TB of files making imaging to the SSD not possible, then if you have a spare HDD around, take a backup of your HDD (imaging program or manual file copy would be fine). When the SSD boots, format your HDD (quick format would be fine), and then you can transfer your files off of the SSD to the HDD that you don't want to keep on the SSD (provided they aren't critical system files or installed application files). Then, make sure your boot order in your BIOS loads the SSD (not the previous HDD). Option 1) depending on the size of your HDD or if you have a > 1TB hdd, but less than 1TB of data, you can use an imaging program like Acronis True Image (my personal fav) and image your 1TB onto the SSD.

Option 1 and 2 below are easiest to keep you from having to reinstall Windows, and reinstall all of your software. There are a couple of ways to go about this:

Make any changes you want to how your data is stored on the old HDD.

#How to boot from an ssd install

Remove installation media and boot into the clean install of windows and make sure it is working.

Open BIOS and make the SSD the first of your internal drives in boot order.

Triple check that you sellect the intended drive!

Follow presented steps to install Windows on to the SSD.

Create Instillation Media for installing Windows 10.

This is extremely important to ensure that you can recover in case something goes wrong! Back up all of your data and keep that backup detached from the computer you are working on.The basics (clean install) are as follows: Migration is a better solution if you don't want a fresh start. Just know that while your files are preserved, the clean install of Windows means that you probably will have a lot of work to do getting things set up the way you had them before. Yes, you can install a clean copy of Windows onto your new SSD while using your old drive to hold files like your steam library.