Migrate or clean windows install on new laptop?

[gudbjorn93]

I Bought a new asus fx503vd laptop and since it only came with a 1tb hdd i need to get a ssd. Ive bought a samsung 970 evo 256gb and am almost ready to popp that baby inside the laptop(waiting for windows update, hoping that its the reason my disk usage is at 100%). should i download drivers for the ssd. Since its NvME? Do i download and run them before i pop it inside and start the ssd?

And another question is.. Do i do a clean install on windows and format the hdd? Or do i migrate windows using the Samsung migration tool? Anything elsw I should check on my list before i do anything?

 

[karenjoly]

Windows 10 supports the drive but since you will want to load the Samsung driver in any event, doing it before the install is not a problem.

As to the OS, either method will work but there are two caveats. If you clone, do not move more data than the target has space. Ensure the size of the data on the HDD does not amount to more than the size of the SSD ( ~ 85% is safe). If you install windows, disable the HDD and have only the SSD connected during the process.

I would clone but others prefer a fresh install. Up to you.

There are tutorials on installing windows in the forum, here are the steps I take.

Create an uptodate USB install media by following the steps outlined here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

Then disconnect or disable all hdd/ssd drives but the one you will install windows to.

Insert the USB media tool, with the windows install files, into the board. Next go to the board setup. CSM should be enabled. Select UEFI and Legacy for boot device control and Legacy for the other options.

On the motherboard boot device menu, select the command that identifies both the firmware mode and the device. For example, select UEFI: USB Drive, ( Windows Boot Manager will also work), and list that device in the first boot slot on the board.

Reboot. Install begins.

When choosing an installation type, select Custom. On new disks, the drive will show a single area of unallocated space. (If there are partitions, select each one and then "delete").

Select the unallocated space and click Next. Windows detects that the PC was booted into UEFI mode, and formats the drive using the GPT drive format, and begins the installation.

All data on the drive will be lost