How do i format my HDD after installing windows on a SSD?

Alex_162

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Feb 14, 2016
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A follow up from the post yesterday:http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-3571638/adding-ssd-keeping-hdd-extra-space.html


I used @jankerson's solution.

****unplug the reg HD after you hook up the SSD.
Boot the machine from the Windows 10 USB, install Windows.
Shut it back down once it's installed.
Hook up the HD***

Then i went to my bios and changed the boot order and put my SSD as first one.
Everything went fine.

Now on my computer i can see my SSD & HDD & System Reserved?
https://i.imgur.com/NRY3oCQ.png
So the C:/ drive is where i installed windows (SSD) and the other drives are from my HDD.

What i want to do now is format my HDD and keep it as extra space.
But when i go to Disk Managment i get 4 drives??
https://i.imgur.com/K6piN1Q.png

As i said C:/ is the SSD drive so i guess the rest is from my HDD,my question is:Which of these drives do i format?
If i format the E:/ Drive (which is my hdd) will the system reserved space will go away with it or?

Also, "System Reserved" is from my curent ssd and "System Reserved (D:)" is from the hdd???


Thank you in advance!
 
Solution


Right click those two partitions on your D: & E: volumes(in disk management) and click on delete. Then right click and format. Quick format is easiest and preferred.
 
Solution
right click on d: make it raw. (delete the d: partition)

right click on e: and expand partition
right click change drive letter path from e: to d:
you will get the 500MB sys reserved back.
reboot to bios.

in bios make sure you have the ssd set as the primary drive in the drive list order and set as primary boot device.
save and quit. windows should boot normally but off the ssd and the ssd should also show up as drive 0