[SOLVED] Moving windows from an ssd to a smaller ssd

[nicobearden]

Hello, I currently have a samsung 970 evo plus 2TB SSD and plan to add a samsung 970 evo 500mb ssd. My question is how would I go about moving just windows 10 to the smaller ssd and keeping all my games and everything else on the 2tb ssd. I currently have about 500mb used on the 2 tb ssd. I still have the windows 10 installl USB so as another option would it be easier to reinstall windows on the smaller ssd and how would I go about removing it from the larger one? Any help with this or other ways to go about this are greatly appreciated.

 

[jojesa]

To avoid issues, it would be better to just install Windows on the smaller SSD. Make sure that only that SSD is connected during Windows 10 installation and setup. You could connect the other drivers afterwards.
After you are done you could just delete the content of the larger drive or you could just wipe it clean.

 

[nicobearden]

To avoid issues, it would be better to just install Windows on the smaller SSD. Make sure that only that SSD is connected during Windows 10 installation and setup. You could connect the other drivers afterwards.
After you are done you could just delete the content of the larger drive or you could just wipe it clean.

So if i just did that would I be able to boot windows from the smaller drive and keep everything else on the larger ssd? my mother board has 2 m.2 nvme ports

 

[USAFRet]

So if i just did that would I be able to boot windows from the smaller drive and keep everything else on the larger ssd? my mother board has 2 m.2 nvme ports

"keep everything" is a nebulous concept.
Applications on the old drive will not work.

How much data is consumed on the current drive?
You say "500mb", but.....

 

[jojesa]

So if i just did that would I be able to boot windows from the smaller drive and keep everything else on the larger ssd? my mother board has 2 m.2 nvme ports

You will have to install the apps, games and programs again and this time during each app, game and program setup, manually select the larger 2TB drive as destination.
The only useful content will be located on your user folder, so you could clean the other content.

If I were you, I used the larger 2TB SSD drive for Windows OS, apps, games and programs and use the smaller drive for file storage.
I would also get a external USB drive (4TB) and keep an image (clone) backup of the main disk and a backup of my files.

 

[USAFRet]

Agree with the above.
Currently a 2TB 970, new 500GB 970.
Just leave the OS on the existing drive. Use the new one for other stuff.

Maybe in a year or two when you want to do a whole reconfig, then do the fresh install on the 500GB.
For now, leave the OS where it is.

Anything else is a hassle, for zero performance gain.