[SOLVED] SSD Windows/general help required

[JumpyGizmo]

I have bought this ssd - Samsung 970 EVO V-NAND M.2 500GB SSD
I have this motherboard - Gigabyte B450 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard

I currently already have windows and everything else on my HDD, Could anyone inform me of the steps to take to install the ssd, put windows on my ssd instead of the HDD that it's is already on. Help would be greatly appreciated and I'm sure this has got to be a simple task to do.

 

[USAFRet]

2 options:

1. A clone/migration from the old drive to the new. This depends on the size of the current consumed space on the C drive.
Easy, if it works. It usually does. Usually.

2. Clean install on the new 970 EVO. This always works, but requires a reinstall of all your applications, etc.


How much space is consumed on your current C drive?
Which OS?

 

[JumpyGizmo]

My hdd is nearly full at 1TB and my SSD is only 500gb

 

[USAFRet]

My hdd is nearly full at 1TB and my SSD is only 500gb

Well, thats a problem.

For a migration into a 500GB drive, the actual consumed space needs to be below 400GB.

What, specifically, is on the current HDD?
Games, video...?

 

[JumpyGizmo]

I've deleted enough to the point where I'm using 375GB of my HDD, so what should I do exactly?

 

[USAFRet]

I've deleted enough to the point where I'm using 375GB of my HDD, so what should I do exactly?

OK then...a migration might be in order.
This is moving the entirety of the HDD to the SSD.

Since you have a Samsung SSD, use the Samsung Data Migration tool.


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Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
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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)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
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

If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specifiy the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing

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 all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
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[JumpyGizmo]

Its an m2 ssd so those steps look slightly different i think

 

[USAFRet]

Its an m2 ssd so those steps look slightly different i think

Not much different.

At the end of the process, you still need to power OFF, disconnect the old drive, and power up with ONLY the new drive connected.

 

[geofelt]

Here is a link to the samsung ssd migration app and instructions.

Tool & Software Download | Samsung Semiconductor Global

Download various software related to your product, including Samsung Magician, designed for use with Samsung's memory products, and find related information.

www.samsung.com

I would first download and install the samsung nvme driver found in the above link.
Run the app which will move all on the HDD to the ssd.
When done, change the boot order to the ssd first.
I would also disconnect the sata data cable to verify that all is well with the move.
Later, you can reconnect the HDD and wipe it or simply delete files as you wish.