How to transfer Application files from Solid State Drive to Hard Disk Drive in Windows 11/10

In this post, we will demonstrate how to transfer Application files from an SSD drive to an HDD drive.

SSDs (Solid State Drives) are quicker, more durable, smaller, and consume less energy. On the other hand, HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) are more affordable with larger storage capacity. Therefore, many users prefer using a combination of SSD and HDD to achieve better system performance while saving costs. Now, if your SSD drive is full and you want to move some installed software to your HDD drive, this guide will assist you in doing so.

Is it possible to solely transfer files from SSD to HDD?

Yes, you can easily transfer files from SSD to HDD. If you want to transfer your personal files and folders, use the simple and traditional method of Cut and Paste (CTRL+X and CTRL+V) or Copy and Paste (CTRL+Cand CTRL+V). This method is convenient when you have a small number of files or personal data files in smaller sizes to transfer. If you want to transfer large files like videos and more from SSD to HDD, you can use a third-party fast copy software. TeraCopy, FastFileCopy, File Fisher, and ExtremeCopy are some free fast file copy applications that you can try.

Can you transfer Application files to HDD?

Yes, you can transfer and relocate Application files from one HDD drive to another. This is useful when you want to free up space on your primary drive. It helps improve the overall performance of your system. By moving programs from one drive to another, you can also avoid low disk space errors and warnings.

How to transfer Application files from SSD to HDD in Windows 11/10

You can transfer your installed software or games from an SSD drive to an HDD drive. However, you cannot simply copy/cut and paste the program folder from one drive to another. There is a specific procedure that you need to follow. First, you need to copy the installation directory from SSD to HDD. Second, you need to create a symbolic link between directories. Here are the exact steps to do so:

1. Open Notepad.
2. Copy the path of the source directory.
3. Paste the path in Notepad.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the path of the target directory.
5. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
6. Enter a command to move the source program folder.
7. Create a symbolic link between directories.

Note: Before proceeding, consider creating a system restore point to be on the safer side. In case of any inaccuracy or fault, you can restore your PC to an earlier and healthy state. So, create a system restore point and follow the below steps:

Firstly, open the Notepad application.

Next, go to your SSD drive and copy the path of the source directory. Right-click on the folder and choose the Copy as path option from the context menu. Alternatively, press the Ctrl+Shift+C hotkey.

After that, open Notepad and paste the copied path using Ctrl+V. Essentially, we need to note down the exact path of the source directory to avoid any errors or issues later.

Now, you need to repeat the above steps for the target folder where you want to move the Application files. Move to your HDD drive, create a folder for moving the new folder, and copy its path using Ctrl+Shift+C.

Read: How to transfer Files from Old Hard Drive to new Windows?

Next, open the Command Prompt with administrator rights. To do this, press Win+S to open Search and type cmd in the search box. Hover the mouse over the Command Prompt application and choose the Run as administrator option.

Read: How to transfer files & data from one Google Drive to another?

Using Robocopy

Afterward, we will transfer the Application files from the source SSD drive to the HDD using a built-in Windows tool called Robocopy. You need to enter the command in the following syntax:

robocopy *path_of_source_directory* *path_of_target_directory* /sec /move /e

In the above command, enter the paths of the source and target directories that you noted down earlier. Also, /sec is used to copy files with security, /move deletes the original folder, and /e copies the sub-folders including empty directories.

For example, if I want to transfer the VLC media player program from SSD to HDD, the final command will look something like the following:

robocopy "C:Program FilesVideoLAN" "D:VideoLAN" /sec /move /e

Modify the command accordingly.

Once the command is completed, the software installation folder will be removed from your SSD drive and moved to your HDD drive.

However, you won’t be able to use the software or app just yet.

If you search for the app and try to open it, you will receive error prompts. Therefore, we now need to create a Symbolic link between the two directories.

To do that, we will be using the mklink command. Here’s the command you need to enter in the Command Prompt:

"C:Program FilesVideoLAN" "D:VideoLAN" /j

In the above command, /j is used to create a directory junction. You can also use /d to create a symbolic directory link.

Once the command is finished, you will be able to run the moved program correctly.

So, this is how you can transfer your Application files from an SSD drive to an HDD drive.

Related reads:

Transfer Application files from SSD to HDD using EaseUS AppMove Free

Another way to easily transfer your Application files from an SSD to an HDD drive is to use a third-party application migration or mover software. EaseUS AppMove is one such software that allows you to relocate your installed applications and games from an SSD drive to other drivers, including HDD, USB, etc.

This software offers both free and paid versions. However, the free version has certain feature restrictions that can only be unlocked by purchasing the software.

For Windows users, the Free version can be downloaded by clicking here.

From its home screen, go to the App Migration tab and click on the Start button. Here, you can see connected drives in the left side pane. You can select the SSD drive from which you want to transfer the Application files. As you select the drive, it will display all the apps and games installed on that drive.

Now, select the applications that you want to transfer from the SSD drive. You can select multiple apps at once. When you select apps, it also displays the total amount of space that will be freed up from the SSD drive after moving them to the HDD. So, if you want to free up a specific amount of space, you can do that too.

Note that you can only transfer the apps that are listed as free on its interface. The apps tagged as Pro cannot be transferred from SSD to HDD using the free version.

Next, enter the target HDD drive in the Migrate to field.

After that, click on the Transfer button, and it will start transferring the selected applications from SSD to HDD.

Once the process is complete, you can click the OK button.

It will prompt you to restart your computer to ensure the transferred applications run correctly. You can restart your computer and start using the moved applications from your HDD drive.

That’s it. Hopefully, this helps!

Now read: How to transfer files and applications from one Windows PC to another PC?