do i need to format a drive before installing it in windows

[theinfamoustoast]

parts for this thread: (WD 350gb (windows 10), ADATA su800 ultimate 128gb ssd (in RMA)

I had to send my SSD a few weeks ago to adata due to it breaking, this meant I had to install my OS on my hard drive and be tortured by the speed of hard drive running windows. I was wondering when I get my SSD back tomorrow, will I have to install it first and format it before I reset my windows?

 

[TerryLaze]

Depends on what you mean by reset,normally you would install windows on it which would partition the drive like you did with the HDD.

 

[VJ_Gamer]

Basically you will have to format the SSD and install a fresh windows in it, then you can move the required files from HDD to SSD.

You can also clone the HDD to SSD if required after formatting the SSD.

Good Luck. Peace.

 

[ArtPog]

Actually you do not have to format your SSD in order to fresh-install the Win 10 OS onto the SSD. As a matter of fact you do not have to even initialize nor partition the drive in order to install the OS. You can take your "virgin" SSD (or HDD) right out of the box and install the OS onto the drive.

Now if you want to initialize/partition/format the drive before installing the OS, of course you're free to do so. Some users are more comfortable in doing so especially when they're planning to initially multi-partition their boot drive (rather than accomplish that during the OS installation process). But it's unnecessary to do so.

 

[VJ_Gamer]

Actually you do not have to format your SSD in order to fresh-install the Win 10 OS onto the SSD. As a matter of fact you do not have to even initialize nor partition the drive in order to install the OS. You can take your "virgin" SSD (or HDD) right out of the box and install the OS onto the drive.


Now if you want to initialize/partition/format the drive before installing the OS, of course you're free to do so. Some users are more comfortable in doing so especially when they're planning to initially multi-partition their boot drive (rather than accomplish that during the OS installation process). But it's unnecessary to do so.

I agree with you that by default the SSD will be in NTFS format and we can install it directly out of the box.. Just to be on a safer side, its better to do so. If you need a partition.

Peace.

 

[ArtPog]

I honestly do not see a need to do so. I've probably installed (or helped users install) a few hundred Win 10 OSs on both SSDs & HDDs on "virgin" drives without any problem whatsoever. And many of the drives were multi-partitioned during the installation process.

I honestly do not see any "safety factor" involved in this process. Of course the OS installation process does go awry for many, many reasons during that process; we've all experienced that situation. But I can't see why pre-initializing, partitioning/formatting the intended installation drive results in some "safety" factor. The setup process can always be terminated during the installation and the user can always "start over" as it were following an aborted installation process.

As I've indicated, if a user desires to partition/format his/her drive prior to the installation of the OS they're certainly free to do so. But I still maintain it's unnecessary to do so.

 

[VJ_Gamer]

Even I have installed several windows OS onto PC's. I know that the installation process itself formats the drive. But there is no harm in formatting the SSD before installing the Windows OS. Basically we format the SSD, partition the drive and install the OS. it depends on person to person, and there is no harm in doing so.

Peace.