Samsung 970 EVO M.2 install help

[joshryback]

Hello all,

I just purchased a Samsung 970 EVO 500GB that will be arriving Monday the 26th. I have never installed a second storage drive before and am getting a little confused with some of the tutorials I have been seeing online.

I am wanting to just install my Windows 10 OS on the M.2 drive for now and use my 1TB HDD as storage for Gaming, Media, Etc. What is the easiest way to copy just my OS from the HDD to the M.2 and how should i go about doing so? I greatly appreciate the help. I will include my Specs down below:

MoBo: Asus Prime B250M-A
CPU: i7-7700 (non k)
GPU: GTX 1080 ti
RAM: 16GB Vengeance DDR4 @2400mhz
Storage: 1TB WDBlue @7400RPM
PSU: Rosewill Gaming 650 Watt 80 plus gold

 

[USAFRet]

Hello all,

I just purchased a Samsung 970 EVO 500GB that will be arriving Monday the 26th. I have never installed a second storage drive before and am getting a little confused with some of the tutorials I have been seeing online.

I am wanting to just install my Windows 10 OS on the M.2 drive for now and use my 1TB HDD as storage for Gaming, Media, Etc. What is the easiest way to copy just my OS from the HDD to the M.2 and how should i go about doing so? I greatly appreciate the help. I will include my Specs down below:

MoBo: Asus Prime B250M-A
CPU: i7-7700 (non k)
GPU: GTX 1080 ti
RAM: 16GB Vengeance DDR4 @2400mhz
Storage: 1TB WDBlue @7400RPM
PSU: Rosewill Gaming 650 Watt 80 plus gold

For one, you can't copy "only the OS" from your current drive to the new one.

Either a clone operation, or a clean install on the m.2 drive.

How much total space is consumed on your current drive?
What does this space consist of?
What OS is this?

 

[joshryback]

Thanks for the proper wording and terminology. "Clone" not "Copy".
System and Reserved is showing 45GB of the total 545GB currently being used on the HDD. Im assuming thats where the OS is?

My OS is: Windows 10 Home
Version: 1803
Build: 17134.407

Thanks!

 

[joshryback]

So just deleted enough files on my HDD to get the total down to 250GB instead of 545GB. This should be enough space to successfully clone my current HDD to the M.2 Drive when i receive it, correct?

Also, I assume i will be able to move files from the M.2 over to the HDD once properly installed, correct? I am wanting to utilize my current HDD as a storage for Gaming and other media. Thanks for your help!

 

[USAFRet]

So just deleted enough files on my HDD to get the total down to 250GB instead of 545GB. This should be enough space to successfully clone my current HDD to the M.2 Drive when i receive it, correct?

Also, I assume i will be able to move files from the M.2 over to the HDD once properly installed, correct? I am wanting to utilize my current HDD as a storage for Gaming and other media. Thanks for your help!

Yes, that will work.

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)
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 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
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
-----------------------------


After, you can use the HDD as desired. Install games to it, copy and save data on it.

Add that drive as another location for Steam games
Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder