[SOLVED] How to initialize new m.2 drive to clone windows 7 onto

[maroxac]

I just bought an NVMe m.2 ssd to replace my previous standard ssd (256gb 850 evo) on my desktop pc with windows 7, and got the drive installed and working. However, when I go into the disk management, I see a whole lot of partitions already on the new m.2 drive. I bought it on ebay and it was sold as "brand new open box", but I guess they may have sold me a used drive? I'm not sure what partitions might have come with the drive built in though, or if they're safe to all delete and start over with a simple reformat of the whole drive space.

The new m.2 drive shows these partitions on it on it:
unallocated 1mb gpt
ntfs 529mb gpt (unused partition)
fat32 100mb gpt (EFI System Partition)
Other 16mb gpt (reserved partition)
ntfs 476gb gpt (data partition)
unallocated 1.32mb gpt

I've never seen this kind of thing on a new drive, but I've never yet dealt with an m.2 drive either. Don't know why that would make a difference, but want to cover all bases first. Any idea what's safe to wipe out or if anything there is actually needed?

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

It's obviously a secondhand drive, not new at all.

My instinct would be to return it for a full refund as the seller has been dishonest in describing it as new.

None of those partitions apply to your system so if you decide to keep the drive you just delete all those partitions then create a new partition in the resulting unallocated space.

But I repeat, if you bought it thinking it was new I would return it. If you want a new one with full manufacturer's warranty you should buy elsewhere such as Amazon --- not from a person on Ebay.

 

[USAFRet]

That is absolutely a used drive.
I wouldn't accept it.

 

[maroxac]

Thanks for confirming. I was finally able to actually explore the drive contents (windows wouldn't let me before, all partitions were greyed out), and it has a full windows installation on it already with who knows what other surprises, so I'll plan on returning it.

 

[popatim]

Wise choice.