Clone to larger SSD or clean install of windows 10?

Langtang

I got a new 2TB SSD at Xmas to replace the 200GB one that is currently being used as my C drive.

I'm not sure whether to clone the existing C drive, or just start from scratch on the new drive.

I've got the OEI DVD disc of W10 home 64bit that I got with the PC, and the code sticker is still on the PC Chassis.

Upside of a clean install is simply that - clean and new.

Upside of cloning is that I get to take all my "stuff" across without having to try and back up everything, without missing something crucial

Anyone got any first hand experience of either/or, or any suggestions as to what would be the preferable option?

neilmcl

Clean install every time. Why do you need to back up everything when all your data will be kept on the old drive for future use should you need it. A clean install is also the best way for a spot of housekeeping and getting rid of all the rubbish you;ve accumulated over the years.

One other thing I'd ask is how full is your existing drive and do you really need to upgrade it.

Carrot007

neilmcl said:

Clean install every time.

I second this and would aslo say download the latest windows onto a usb stick and bin that disk you have unless you want to the pain of updates!

debitcardmayhem

neilmcl said:

Clean install every time. Why do you need to back up everything when all your data will be kept on the old drive for future use should you need it. A clean install is also the best way for a spot of housekeeping and getting rid of all the rubbish you;ve accumulated over the years.

One other thing I'd ask is how full is your existing drive and do you really need to upgrade it.

I'd go for a clean too, you won't need the dvd just a 8GB usb stick. Oh and @neilmcl   he says I have new drive 

forgotmyname

Clean install is good but if your like me than a lot of the system will have been tinkered with and long forgotten.

eg. I have a Corsair keyboard with the iCUE Macro software.  To get the macros working you needed to install the
streamdeck software also, but I somehow managed to install that to activate the macros and then uninstall streamdeck.
Forgot how I managed that but I have done that a lot, removed a lot of usless windows addons also.

So a fresh install is painful and time consuming.   Are you a tinkerer or is windows standard with no changes?

J_B

Clean install every time

Langtang

neilmcl said:

Clean install every time. Why do you need to back up everything when all your data will be kept on the old drive for future use should you need it. A clean install is also the best way for a spot of housekeeping and getting rid of all the rubbish you;ve accumulated over the years.

One other thing I'd ask is how full is your existing drive and do you really need to upgrade it.

I agree, the housekeeping would be a big boost. By stuff, I really meant saved bookmarks & passwords in browsers, settings within windows itself. All docs, pics etc are already on another drive. 

I’ve used 120GB out of a total of 222GB, but I’d like to use the extra space to move my iTunes archive back onto the c drive - backed up onTO one of the new 4TB HDD drives. Archive currently sits at approx 1.5TB

Langtang

Carrot007 said:

neilmcl said:

Clean install every time.

I second this and would aslo say download the latest windows onto a usb stick and bin that disk you have unless you want to the pain of updates!

That sounds interesting! 

How do I go about doing that without having to pay for a new version of windows?

Neil_Jones

Langtang said:

Carrot007 said:

neilmcl said:

Clean install every time.

I second this and would aslo say download the latest windows onto a usb stick and bin that disk you have unless you want to the pain of updates!

That sounds interesting! 

How do I go about doing that without having to pay for a new version of windows?

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

Langtang

forgotmyname said:

Clean install is good but if your like me than a lot of the system will have been tinkered with and long forgotten.

So a fresh install is painful and time consuming.   Are you a tinkerer or is windows standard with no changes?

It’s pretty standard although I have tinkered a little. Non standard default programmes etc. I would need to reinstall all the apps and programmes again, recalibrate the BD-R drives for EAC (which was a pain first time round) etc. etc.

Langtang

Neil_Jones said:

Langtang said:

Carrot007 said:

neilmcl said:

Clean install every time.

I second this and would aslo say download the latest windows onto a usb stick and bin that disk you have unless you want to the pain of updates!

That sounds interesting! 

How do I go about doing that without having to pay for a new version of windows?

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

And that would work with the code that is on my sticker? I always assumed the codes were specific to the discs.