[SOLVED] Deleting OS on HDD

[Simon2499]

I recently picked a 250gb m.2 vnand drive for my OS, i am going to install windows 10 on it but what would be the best way of removing windows 10 from my current 1tb hdd so i am still able to use the programs/games saved on that drive? Also i bought this ssd brand new from bestbuy, and when installing it i found it already had windows 10 installed and some random kids games/files and even resume with address and all? is this normal lol??

 

[Mrgr74]

I recently picked a 250gb m.2 vnand drive for my OS, i am going to install windows 10 on it but what would be the best way of removing windows 10 from my current 1tb hdd so i am still able to use the programs/games saved on that drive? Also i bought this ssd brand new from bestbuy, and when installing it i found it already had windows 10 installed and some random kids games/files and even resume with address and all? is this normal lol??

Absolutely not normal & I would contact the # on the resume to alert them that you got their returned drive. I'd not bring it back to BestBuy as they already failed in making sure it was wiped (so did the person that returned it to be honest) as well as trying to re-sell it as new.

As for installing Win10, I'd wait until you get another drive and then after you install it in your PC, install the OS on it and then use the other drive as a backup. You can then go and delete all non-essential files on it. You'll want to make sure that you enter Cmos and make the boot drive with the new OS, the main boot drive, as the PC may try and boot from your 1TB. If the files on the 1TB can be backed up to a thumb drive or burned to a DVD, you'd be better served to do that and then wipe it clean and then reinstall any games/software you have on it. You can also just leave it alone and try to run the programs directly from it. However, most may not run due to the necessary registry entries not being present which is why I suggested the initial above reinstall of any games/software. Before you just wipe the drive though, try loading the programs from your 1TB first. Make it easy on yourself and make desktop shortcuts.

 

[popatim]

BestBuy does sell returned stuff as 'Certified Refurbished' so maybe the drive was just 'new' to them.

As for programs on the other drive, Games that use launcher apps (steam, origin...) usually work fine after reinstalling the launcher and adding the old games location to the list of library locations in the launcher setup. other Programs, like office, need to be reinstalled as they wrote info to the former registry and users hidden appdata folder which will be missing in the new W10 install.

 

[USAFRet]

I recently picked a 250gb m.2 vnand drive for my OS, i am going to install windows 10 on it but what would be the best way of removing windows 10 from my current 1tb hdd so i am still able to use the programs/games saved on that drive? Also i bought this ssd brand new from bestbuy, and when installing it i found it already had windows 10 installed and some random kids games/files and even resume with address and all? is this normal lol??

Was this drive sold as "new"?
That is absolutely not normal.

Secondly, you can't use the programs from the old OS install.

 

[Aashirbad Thapa]

thats not good if you bought the SSD new you might have gotten the refurbished ones and the company forgot to wipe the SSD drive. Better replace the drive and get a new one from the store as it is already used by someone before you bought it.