Hello. I'm planning to purchase the Samsung 970 Evo Plus nvme SSD real soon. I currently have a regular SSD as my main drive that I boot from. I also have a regular hard drive which is used for storage. I'd like to switch my main drive where I boot and have windows on to the new SSD I'm buying. I know Samsung has a cloning tool so I can move everything including windows from my current c drive to the new SSD but how would I go about actually making that the main drive and boot from it? I plan to leave the old SSD in to use for extra storage. I heard I might have to unplug it temporarily to force it to boot from the new SSD but I'd really prefer not to have to do that if I don't absolutely have to. I know it's probably simple but I'm still a little skittish messing around with wires. The computer I have is a pre built so I'm just trying to upgrade it a little bit, plan to get some new ram as well. My motherboard is the asrock b360m ib-r1 if that information helps.
Solution
- Mar 16, 2013
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2 options:
Clean install of the OS and everything else on the new drive
or
Migration from the old drive to the new drive.
Either way, you WILL have to go inside and connect/disconnect things. No way around that.
What size/make/model is the current SSD?
How much space is consumed on it?
What size is the new 970?
What motherboard is in there?
Clean install of the OS and everything else on the new drive
or
Migration from the old drive to the new drive.
Either way, you WILL have to go inside and connect/disconnect things. No way around that.
What size/make/model is the current SSD?
How much space is consumed on it?
What size is the new 970?
What motherboard is in there?
the current ssd is the apacer panther ssd as340 and it's 120gb, about 55 gb is consumed on it.
the size of the 970 I'm purchasing is 500gb
the motherboard is the asrock b360m ib-r1 it's a motherboard that's specifically made for the company where I bought my computer from but it's very similar to the asrock b360m pro4
- Mar 16, 2013
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OK. For that board, you can only use the M2_1 slot.
So, the choice is between a clean install or migration from old to new.
For the migration:
-----------------------------
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, the choice is between a clean install or migration from old to new.
For the migration:
-----------------------------
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
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.
-----------------------------
- Mar 16, 2013
- 178,552
- 21,402
- 184,590
For the clean install option on the new drive:
forums.tomshardware.com
How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial
If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...
forums.tomshardware.com
- Mar 16, 2013
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Thank you, I have a couple more questions. I'm probably going to go the migration route so after I follow all of those steps and get it booting from my new SSD would that drive be recognized as the C: drive? Also when I go to reconnect my old SSD (to use for storage) would it try to boot from that still?
- Mar 16, 2013
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Once you are absolutely sure the system is booting from ONLY the new drive, and there is absolutely nothing on the old drive you still want...yes.
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