How to Remove Old Files from Old HDD to New SSD?

Why need to remove old files from old HDD to new SSD

"Hi, I just got a new SSD for storage and want to transfer all my files and installed programs from old HDD to this new SSD. The HDD does NOT have windows installed in it, so I don't need to migrate anything OS-related. The old HDD and new SSD are the same capacity so space is not an issue. Simply put, I just wanna transfer all my files, data and installed programs (apps, games, other software), without having to reinstall each one individually, if possible. Is there any powerful software can help me make it? Thanks in advance!"

Generally speaking, people are willing to take HDD as storage drive and SSD bootable drive, which triggers most of them to transfer OS to SSD to optimize computer performance. But recently, people are likely to replace the old HDD with SSD to store files because of the remarkable merits that SSD brings, including but are not limited to:

Faster speed: SSD accesses to files in a faster reading and writing speed than traditional hard disk drives, so after transferring, you are able to speed up your computer to enjoy faster running speed.

Stronger durability: Without moving parts and by using the flash memory, the SSD generates less heat, helping increase the lifespan and durability.

Better reliability: Since SSD has no moving parts, it can withstand more severe physical attacks and blows. So your files will be safer than that in HDD.

Less energy consumption: SSD uses less power, so you can enjoy lower energy bill over time, which help increase the battery life.

How do I transfer data from old hard drive to new SSD?

From what we have discussed above, storing old drive data on a new SSD has obvious advantages, but how to remove old files from old HDD to new SSD? When it comes to this issue, what comes to your mind might be using "Copy & Paste" feature in Windows, which is the most common way you usually use to change the locations of files.

Obviously, it's a great idea when you just need to move a small amount of files to SSD, but what if the files are quite large and even they are from the different partitions? It seems laborious and arduous to move them one by one and more importantly how can you guarantee all the files on the old HDD are transferred successfully and no files will be missed because of carelessness?

Therefore, to transfer massive old files (programs, applications, videos, documents, etc) from HDD to SSD, a reliable and versatile tool named AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional can make a difference to keep the data safe and sound during the movement. You can remove old files from old HDD to new SSD drive through the following two different cloning methods.

"Clone Disk Quickly": Clone only used space to another disk and allowed to adjust the size of partitions. In such case, you are allowed to copy a larger disk to a smaller one.
"Sector-by-Sector Clone": Clone all sectors to another disk, whether used or not. Even deleted or lost files are able to be copied.

Now, you can download the demo version and follow the guide below to see how to remove old files from old HDD to new SSD Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, XP, Vista.

★Before you do:

Connect the new SSD to your computer and make sure it is detected and recognized successfully.

If there are data on the destination SSD, please backup them in advance since all the data will be erased during the process.

You can delete some unnecessary files or folders on the old HDD beforehand to make it smaller so you can save room for the target SSD.

Step 1. Install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Go to "Clone" and "Clone Disk".

Step 2. Choose the hard disk that you need to clone as the source disk and click "Next".

Step 3. Select the SSD drive as the destination disk, and then click "Next".

Step 4. Then, you can check the source and destination disk in the next window or change to "Sector to Sector clone", and click the "Confirm" button to continue if there is no problem.

Here, you can also click the "Settings" button to adjust the partition size on the destination disk or tick "4k alignment" to improve the reading and writing speed of the SSD. 

✲Copy without resizing partitions: The source disk configuration will be copied on the new disk with the same partition size, type, file system, and label.
✲ Fit partitions to the entire disk: The partitions on the source disk will take up the entire destination disk.
✲ Edit partition on this disk: You could manually specify the size and other parameters of the partitions on the new disk.

 Step 5. After returning to the main interface, check the pending operation and click "Apply" and "Proceed" to commit the operation.

Conclusion

How to remove old files from old HDD to new SSD? Now, you should have known the step-by-step tutorial to make it done without reinstalling them with the help of "Disk Clone Wizard" provided by AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. This software is not just a simple partition manager, but also a Windows 11 requirements check tool, featured with many other satisfying functions like converting MBR to GPT, testing the speed of hard drive, and so on. You can try AOMEI Partition Assistant Server instead if you are using Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, 2012, etc.