[SOLVED] New MOBO and M.2 to boot from. Do I have to Format old SSD to keep using for storage?

[Thejasper01]

So I recently bought a new motherboard because my b350m Bazooka didn't have an m.2 slot, nor could it handle any Ryzen CPU past 2nd gen. Picked up the MSI MPG x570 Gaming Pro Carbon Wifi and a Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2. Anyways, I'm wondering if I can just hook up the old SSD and HDD I have for extra storage, or do I have to reformat them? Would rather not loose any data on them if I can help it. I did just hook up the SSD and the pc auto assigned a drive letter to it and it seems fine, but I just wanted to ask to be sure. I know sometimes things can look fine until its not lol.. Thanks!

 

[Colif]

I would make sure its not added to the boot order in bios but you should be okay as is

if you want to remove windows from drive

1. Rename the Windows folder to Windows.old
2. Run Disk Cleanup from the Start menu
3. Select the drive containing the Windows.old folder
4. Previous "Windows Installation(s)" then click on OK

 

[USAFRet]

The OS has been installed on the new 980?

These other drives have...what on them?
If not an OS, then nothing needs to be done other than connecting. They will probably just show upa s another drive letter.

If one or the other has an old Windows version, then we need to investigate.

 

[Thejasper01]

The OS has been installed on the new 980?

These other drives have...what on them?
If not an OS, then nothing needs to be done other than connecting. They will probably just show upa s another drive letter.

If one or the other has an old Windows version, then we need to investigate.

Yes the OS was installed on the new 980. The other drives at some point in my pc history were used as the primary drive with windows installed on both. Sounds like I should just remove windows from the other drives as per the other reply I got, and call it good?

 

[Thejasper01]

I would make sure its not added to the boot order in bios but you should be okay as is

if you want to remove windows from drive

1. Rename the Windows folder to Windows.old
2. Run Disk Cleanup from the Start menu
3. Select the drive containing the Windows.old folder
4. Previous "Windows Installation(s)" then click on OK

Ok great! Do you recommend removing windows from both the old drives? Seems like it would be better

 

[USAFRet]

You need to copy any relevant personal files OFF the old drives.
To a USB, cloud, or the new 980 Pro.

Then, wipe both of those clean. All partitions.
Commandline diskpart and the clean command.

Then use those as desired.

 

[Colif]

if you don't want to wipe the drives, you can do that on both of them to remove windows. You will still have program files and both drives may have boot partitions on them but if windows itself is gone, you won't have any mistaken confusing boots later on.

 

[USAFRet]

if you don't want to wipe the drives, you can do that on both of them to remove windows. You will still have program files and both drives may have boot partitions on them but if windows itself is gone, you won't have any mistaken confusing boots later on.

'program files' folder and boot partitions on those old drives are absolutely useless.

 

[Colif]

I know that, can still delete the program files folders, and boot partitions won't work if WIndows is not there, and its not like the 50mb they use is really that much space to wipe a hdd just to get back.