Question: How to upgrade PCIe SSD boot drive (Windows 10)

Feb 22, 2018
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I joined TH to post this thread and hopefully get some help.

I recently purchased a Dell Inspiron 7577 laptop (Windows 10, 128 GB SSD, 1TB HDD). The SSD is too small for my needs so I am upgrading to a Samsung EVO 1TV (link). I will keep the 1TB HDD as the secondary drive (D:\).

The SSD that came in the computer is the boot drive (C:\). How do I go about replacing this with the 1 TB Samsung SSD?

Will the following steps work?

1) Create new partition on the HDD, calling it E:
2) Clone the existing C: drive (128 GB SDD) to the E:\ partition
3) Modify the BIOS to boot from E:\
4) Remove the 128 SSD and replace it with the Samsung SSD
5) Boot the computer (from E:\) to start Windows
6) Clone E: to the Samsung SSD (which I assume would still be the C:\ drive)
7) Modify the BIOS to boot from C:\ (the new 1TB SSD)

Thanks for your help!
 
Solution


That's a horse of a different color.

Again, the Macrium Reflect Rescue USB can work here.

1. Do an Image of the whole current drive C to the E drive. This will be just a single file....xxxx.mrimage
2. Physically swap the drives
3. Boot from the Macrium Rescue USB you created
4. Tell it where the image is, and which drive to apply it to. Obviously, the new one.
5. At the end of the process, power off, disconnect the HDD, and power up. Letting the system boot from only the 1TB SSD.

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
3) Modify the BIOS to boot from E:\

A much better option:
Macrium Reflect, and its Rescue USB.

These steps, with slight modifications:
(changes in bold and strikethrough)

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)
Create the Macrium Rescue USB
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 [strike]'Clone'[/strike] 'Image this drive' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Swap the drives
Boot from the Macrium Rescue USB you created above.
Tell it where the Image is, and the new target drive, the 1TB.
Go.

[strike]Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD[/strike]
When it is done, reboot, with only the new drive connected.
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 as necessary.
Delete the 450MB Recovery Partition, here:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/4f1b84ac-b193-40e3-943a-f45d52e23685/cant-delete-extra-healthy-recovery-partitions-and-healthy-efi-system-partition?forum=w8itproinstall
-----------------------------
 
1. Let the cloning software take care of the HDD. It should partition it itself. As it also has to create a EFI System partition and recovery partition. It is going to destroy any existing data on the HDD.
2. The cloning software will clone all partions.
3. Install the new SSD before fiddling with BIOS settings. Else you'll have to fiddle again.
4. Fiddle with BIOS settings. Enable NVMe mode if needed. Set the HDD as the primary boot device.
5. Boot off HDD. Let computer update drivers if needed and reboot.
6. Check to see if the SSD shows up. Troubleshoot the BIOS settings if needed.
7. Clone HDD to new SSD. Let it take care of the partitions.
8. Restart and change BIOS to use SSD as primary boot device.
9. Repartition HDD back to a single partiton (or however many you use)
 
almost.
you can use a bootable USB with cloning SF.
So you just create an image file of the 128GB SSD on HDD.
replace the SSD with the new one, boot from the USB again and restore the image onto the new SSD. If it was not offered during cloning, resize the partition on the new SSD to your liking. IMO, single partition is the most convenient if used for programs/games.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


That's a horse of a different color.

Again, the Macrium Reflect Rescue USB can work here.

1. Do an Image of the whole current drive C to the E drive. This will be just a single file....xxxx.mrimage
2. Physically swap the drives
3. Boot from the Macrium Rescue USB you created
4. Tell it where the image is, and which drive to apply it to. Obviously, the new one.
5. At the end of the process, power off, disconnect the HDD, and power up. Letting the system boot from only the 1TB SSD.
 
Solution