[SOLVED] questions about replacing a NVMe SSD

[Hdmstr]

Hello everyone.

I have an ASUS vivobook flip 14 tp470. I've done some reseach and found my SSD to be a Hynix 256gb nvme PCIe gen 3. I've attached an image below.

Theres a few things I was hoping to get some help with. I'm a bit of a noob with this so please bear with me.

Firstly, in order to replace an SSD I need to make sure I have a system image backed up as it will wipe my computer. I will then need to reinstall windows as usual then chuck the system image back on, followed by reinstalling my apps. I hear there are partition tools that can help with this, so jsut wanted to know if my method stated would work just fine or if I should use a partition tool.

Secondly, I need to upgrade the storage on my laptop. I was looking at various SSDs and checking the size of the SSD was always mentioned but I'm not really sure how to do that. I'm looking at getting a samsung 970 or 980 and wanted to know if I would have any issues replacing the Hynix I have with this. It said the (length?) of the SSD can be determined by checking the motherboard... but I have no idea how to find out what motherboard my laptop uses.

Thanks for the help!

 

[USAFRet]

1. Don't use the built in "System Image" thing. Much better tools and methods are available. Do you have an external drive with sufficient free space to hold the entire contents of your current drive?

2. A Samsung 970 EVO Plus will work just fine. The physical size of an NVMe is generally 2280. 22mm wide, 80mm long. Which is what your SK is.

 

[USAFRet]

For #1 above, you do it like this:

Assuming you have another 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"
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.

 

[Hdmstr]

For #1 above, you do it like this:

Assuming you have another 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"
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.

Yep I’ve got an external USB hard drive. Sweet, I’ll look into Macrium client.

 

[USAFRet]

Yep I’ve got an external USB hard drive. Sweet, I’ll look into Macrium client.

I use it.
It works.

For this purpose, the free version is just fine.

 

[Lafong]

Firstly, in order to replace an SSD I need to make sure I have a system image backed up as it will wipe my computer. I will then need to reinstall windows as usual then chuck the system image back on, followed by reinstalling my apps.

Not quite following that.

If you have a system image, you wouldn't first reinstall Windows to change drives and restore the image.

Instead, you would remove the old drive, attach the new drive, and then boot the PC from "rescue media"....a USB flash drive you had previously created. That would lead you to the imaging applications interface, where you would then restore the previously made image to the new drive.

Nor would you reinstall your apps after restoring the image.....UNLESS your apps are not on a partition contained in the image file. Normally, apps are on C and C is a part of the image file, so it's unlikely you'd need to reinstall your applications.

 

[Hdmstr]

Not quite following that.

If you have a system image, you wouldn't first reinstall Windows to change drives and restore the image.

Instead, you would remove the old drive, attach the new drive, and then boot the PC from "rescue media"....a USB flash drive you had previously created. That would lead you to the imaging applications interface, where you would then restore the previously made image to the new drive.

Nor would you reinstall your apps after restoring the image.....UNLESS your apps are not on a partition contained in the image file. Normally, apps are on C and C is a part of the image file, so it's unlikely you'd need to reinstall your applications.

This was just based off my experience using a windows system image before when I changed laptops. The apps didn’t get transferred over, I’m guessing I must’ve messed something up. Anyways, I’ve been told the Macrium client is good so I shall be using that with my external hard drive

 

[Lafong]

This was just based off my experience using a windows system image before when I changed laptops. The apps didn’t get transferred over, I’m guessing I must’ve messed something up. Anyways, I’ve been told the Macrium client is good so I shall be using that with my external hard drive

Yeah, Macrium is excellent................but you don't have to first reinstall Windows and you don't have to reinstall applications.............in the vast majority of cases.

It can fail. Have a plan B. Success rate probably in the high 90 percent range.

Windows built in imaging is beyond contempt.....so far beyond that Microsoft is no longer developing it and advises Windows users to cease and desist.

 

[Hdmstr]

For #1 above, you do it like this:

Assuming you have another 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"
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.

hello again, quick question. Do i need to clone the disk or image the disk?
Thanks

 

[SkyNetRising]

Do i need to clone the disk or image the disk?

If it is possible to connect both nvme drives to your pc simultaneously, then you can clone from one to the other.

If you can not connect both nvme drives to your pc, then you have to use intermediate storage to house system image.
After image is created, you switch nvme drives and restore image to second nvme drive.

 

[Hdmstr]

If it is possible to connect both nvme drives to your pc simultaneously, then you can clone from one to the other.

If you can not connect both nvme drives to your pc, then you have to use intermediate storage to house system image.
After image is created, you switch nvme drives and restore image to second nvme drive.

Ahh ok, i will have to make an image. just created an 'image of partitions required to backup and restore windows' on maccrium which is about 178gb but my disk has 219gb used. Did i miss something in the macrium backup?

 

[SkyNetRising]

Did i miss something in the macrium backup?

I think hiberfile and pagefile are omitted, when creating image. Those easily can make 40GB difference.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, a Macrium Image leaves off the hiber- and page file.

It generally also does a little bit of compression if possible.

hello again, quick question. Do i need to clone the disk or image the disk?

Image. Follow my steps above.