[SOLVED] Do I remove all drives when replacing my boot drive?

[tmdbedaux]

Hello, so I'm going to get a 1 TB SSD to replace my 500gb HDD boot drive. So once I've copied the files into the SSD and when I remove my old HDD, do I take out my second drive too? Like so it doesn't mess anything up when I'm trying to get my SSD to be the boot drive.s

 

[USAFRet]

You're cloning from the old drive to the new 1TB?

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------

 

[tmdbedaux]

Alright, thank you very much. I will try this once I get the SSD. I'll be sure to ask any questions if I have any.

 

[tmdbedaux]

You're cloning from the old drive to the new 1TB?

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------

So I have installed the new SSD after cloning the old boot drive. in BIOS it shows the correct name but in file explorer, it still shows the drive at 500gb which is what my old HDD had. How do I fix this?

 

[USAFRet]

A screencap of your Disk Management window, please.

But you can probably use something like Minitool Partition Wizard to reclaim all the free space into the main C partition.

 

[geofelt]

Is your new 1tb ssd by any chance Samsung?
If so, you can use their ssd migration app to move your C drive from the HDD to the ssd.
When done, just change the boot order.
No need to remove anything.
When done, your HDD remains as it was and you can do what you want with it.
Other ssd vendors have similar utilities.

This is a C drive mover, not a clone which is a bit for bit copy.
Essentially the same thing.

 

[tmdbedaux]

This is the picture of what it shows in my files explorer It should say 1TB and not 500 GB
And no, it's not Samsung.

 

[geofelt]

What clone/copy utility did you use?
It needs to be a bit more than just a bit for bit clone which would exactly copy the 500gb you originally had.
Use macrium reflect and the instructions from USAFRET above.

 

[tmdbedaux]

What clone/copy utility did you use?
It needs to be a bit more than just a bit for bit clone which would exactly copy the 500gb you originally had.
Use macrium reflect and the instructions from USAFRET above.

I followed all of their instructions when using Macrium Reflect

 

[SkyNetRising]

This is the picture of what it shows in my files explorer It should say 1TB and not 500 GB

That is not Disk Management screenshot.

 

[tmdbedaux]

That is not Disk Management screenshot.

Oh, my bad. This is Disk Management.
Basically, my PC detects that it has 1 TB, just it says it has 500 GB.

 

[USAFRet]

Oh, my bad. This is Disk Management.
Basically, my PC detects that it has 1 TB, just it says it has 500 GB.

Since those partitions are right next to each other, in Disk Management, you can Extend the C partition, into that Unallocated space to the right.

 

[tmdbedaux]

Since those partitions are right next to each other, in Disk Management, you can Extend the C partition, into that Unallocated space to the right.

Thank you very much! Now I'm guessing I just plug in the other drives and make sure the boot order is correct?

 

[USAFRet]

Thank you very much! Now I'm guessing I just plug in the other drives and make sure the boot order is correct?

Assuming that Extend worked, yes.

 

[tmdbedaux]

Assuming that Extend worked, yes.

Alright. Thanks again and to everyone else who helped.