[SOLVED] Upgrading boot drive - 500GB m.2 nvme --> 2TB M.2 nvme. What is the simplest way to upgrade without reinstalling windows or losing any files?

Bears133

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Aug 31, 2019
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I recently purchased an intel 660p and wanted to use it as my boot drive. I am currently using a 500GB m.2 nvme ssd as my boot drive. My motherboard does have 2 M.2 ssd slots, but i have been having issues with my sound card when using the second slot, so I just want to upgrade the 500Gb and stick to using one M.2 slot. What is the simplest way to move everything from that 500GB drive to the 2th 660p without losing anything or having anything change. Can I simply drag and drop everything from the 500GB drive to the 2tb drive and then get rid of the 500GB drive and boot my computer like normal?

Edit*

Essentially i want to clone my 500GB ssd to my 2tb ssd and get rid of the 500GB ssd for now and boot off the 2tb ssd. Is this a simple process? I see a few cloning videos on youtube but a lot are outdated. and i don't see cloning an m.2 to another m.2. not sure if that process is different. any youtube video recommendations would be great too.
 
Last edited:
Solution
NVMe to NVMe should be no different than SATA to SATA
And NOT simply drag n drop.

You can ignore the parts below referencing 'cables', but DO ensure the old drive is disconnected before you boot up for the first time after the clone.

-----------------------------
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...

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
NVMe to NVMe should be no different than SATA to SATA
And NOT simply drag n drop.

You can ignore the parts below referencing 'cables', but DO ensure the old drive is disconnected before you boot up for the first time after the clone.

-----------------------------
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 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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Solution

Bears133

Reputable
Aug 31, 2019
25
1
4,535
NVMe to NVMe should be no different than SATA to SATA
And NOT simply drag n drop.

You can ignore the parts below referencing 'cables', but DO ensure the old drive is disconnected before you boot up for the first time after the clone.

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

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------

So after the "disconnect all drives except for the new ssd" part, should i move the new ssd to the spot of the old one? My boot drive is currently in the M.2_2 slot in this picture here ( View: https://imgur.com/ItiRMBN
). Or does it not matter since I won't be using the 500GB ssd anymore. My manual (ASUS ROG STRIX Z390E GAMING) doesn't say anything about an optimal slot for the boot drive, but I believe I remember hearing that the M.2_2 slot was the optimal one way back when I built this PC. Might be wrong.

And for verifying bios boot order is that simply just making sure that the bios has the correct boot drive selected? It won't randomly or "automatically" choose a different drive once I start plugging in the unplugged drive right? (in this case a 1TB SATA ssd). (Just to clarify I currently have 3 drives: a 500GB M.2 NVME, a 2TB M.2 NVME, and a 1tb SATA ssd.)
 

Bears133

Reputable
Aug 31, 2019
25
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Performance does not make a difference.
Just ensure that you disconnect the old drive before you boot up for the first time after the clone operation is done.

Ok got it. Also, I actually used the intel 660p (the new drive that I want to use as a boot drive), so there are currently a few things on it. I placed some movies and installed 1 steam game on there. Can I just drag and drop everything to the trash and then start cloning with an empty drive? Or do I have to erase it somehow first using some other software?
 
Dec 8, 2019
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hi guys,

I want to do the same thing with my Dell Inspiron 15 7559 laptop but i only have one M.2 SATA SSD slot, how do i go about this?

I have been trying to find a guide or video on how to do it with no luck at all
 
Dec 8, 2019
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USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
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. Recover, 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.