Question Moving OS from old M.2 to new M.2

[Selthar]

I have a motherboard with one M.2 slot, which has Windows 10 and a few other programs on it. I bought a larger M.2. How would I get the OS to the new M.2 since I only have 1 slot?

 

[USAFRet]

No problem...

1x m.2 slot with an Image

Assuming you have another drive (any type of drive) with sufficient free space to hold the entirety of your current m.2 drive:

1. Download and install Macrium Reflect
2. Run that, and create a Rescue CD or USB (you'll use this later). "Other Tasks". Create this on a small USB flash drive or DVD.
3. In the Macrium client, create an Image to some other drive. External USB HDD, maybe. Select all partitions. This results in a file of xxxx.mrimage
4. When done, power OFF.
5. Swap the 2 drives
6. Boot up from the Rescue USB you created earlier.
7. Restore (on the toolbar), and tell it where the Image is that you created in step 3, and which drive to apply it to...the new m.2
8. Go, and wait until it finishes.
9. That's all...this should work.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Or you can use M.2 PCIE adapter and connect both M.2 drives simultaneously
(there are different adapters for SATA M.2 drives and NVME drives).
You have to know model name of your M.2 drives first, to be able to pick appropriate adapter.

 

[USAFRet]

If you go the M.2 adapter route, this:


-----------------------------
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
Both drives must be the same partitioning scheme, either MBR or GPT
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung target SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, you may need to install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up

Verify the system boots with ONLY the current "C drive" connected.
If not, we have to fix that first.

Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

[Ignore this section if using the SDM. It does this automatically]
If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specify the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing
[/end ignore]

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Swap the drives. Resist the temptation to poke around in the clone target, to see if it is all there. Absent any fault, it is.
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD

(swapping cables is irrelevant with NVMe drives, but DO disconnect the old drive for this next part)
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.
-----------------------------

 

[Selthar]

Ok, I think I was over complicating this. Do you think I could just remove the drive, put in the new one, and then install Windows 10? Will I have to remount the hard drives that were connected previosly?

 

[USAFRet]

Ok, I think I was over complicating this. Do you think I could just remove the drive, put in the new one, and then install Windows 10? Will I have to remount the hard drives that were connected previosly?

Yes, you can do it that way as well.
Fresh OS install on the new drive, with only that drive connected.

Reconnect the others later.

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

 

[SkyNetRising]

Do you think I could just remove the drive, put in the new one, and then install Windows 10?

What are model names of M.2 drives and motherboard?

For example, if one M.2 drive was NVME and other M.2 SATA,
then motherboard might not be compatible with the replacement drive.

 

[Selthar]

What are model names of M.2 drives and motherboard?

For example, if one M.2 drive was NVME and other M.2 SATA,
then motherboard might not be compatible with the replacement drive.

I used some website to check the compatibility...I think it was PC Part Picker. The new M.2 should be good to go with the same motherboard.

 

[SkyNetRising]

The new M.2 should be good to go with the same motherboard.

Can you list model names? - M.2 drives and motherboard ?

 

[Selthar]

Can you list model names? - M.2 drives and motherboard ?

Motherboard: MSI X99A SLI PLUS LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Old: Crucial MX300 M.2 2280 275GB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CT275MX300SSD4
New: Intel 670p Series M.2 2280 1TB PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 QLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) SSDPEKNU010TZX1

 

[SkyNetRising]

MX300 is sata, Intel 670p is nvme.
They use different drivers. May have problems with cloning.

But they both are supported on your motherboard.

 

[Selthar]

MX300 is sata, Intel 670p is nvme.
They use different drivers. May have problems with cloning.

But they both are supported on your motherboard.

Thanks! I think my plan is to pull out the old M.2, put in the new M.2, and install from a thumbdrive.

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks! I think my plan is to pull out the old M.2, put in the new M.2, and install from a thumbdrive.

A fresh install on the new drive?

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

 

[Selthar]

A fresh install on the new drive?

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

That's the idea unless you have an easier/simpler idea.

 

[USAFRet]

That's the idea unless you have an easier/simpler idea.

Depends on exactly what you want to do.

Fresh install
or
Migrate everything from the old drive to the new.


Both pathways have been outlined above.