[SOLVED] Windows on 256GB or 1TB

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Janssenhidal

Janssenhidal

Oct 23, 2021
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Hello,

I have a slight dilemma in regards to which approach I should take in this situation. My current setup is 256GB SSD which has windows installed on it and I have a normal 1TB HDD to store documents, games etc.

Now I'm thinking to buy a new 1TB SSD which leads me to 3 options:
  1. Keep all 3 and use my 256GB to store windows ONLY and store games etc on my other drives.
  2. Install windows on the 1TB SSD, keep the current HDD and remove the 256GB SSD from the setup.
  3. Install windows on the 1TB SSD, keep the current HDD and reset the 256GB SSD for some additional storage.
I'm not sure which option is the most optimal one, looking forward to hearing from you all.

Thanks
 
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What specific drives are you working with?
How full is the 256GB?

A full migration from the 256GB to a new 1TB is probably pretty easy. We can go into detail once we know what youu're working with.

And no harm in keeping all 3. The HDD if nothing else for backups.
 
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USAFRet said:
What specific drives are you working with?
How full is the 256GB?

A full migration from the 256GB to a new 1TB is probably pretty easy. We can go into detail once we know what youu're working with.

And no harm in keeping all 3. The HDD if nothing else for backups.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the fast reply. What do you mean by what specific drives?

My current SSD has 40GB left out of 222GB. Would I need to install a 3rd party application to perform a migration between two drives?

One of my concerns is that if I'm going to keep the 256GB SSD I want to give it a reset because I think I have some unnecessary files taking up space.
 
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USAFRet said:
Piece of cake.

Options.

Leave the OS and whatever on the current SanDisk. How full is it?
Then use the 870 for other stuff.

Migrate from the SanDisk to the 870. Reformat the SanDisk and use for whatever.
Click to expand...

My current SSD (SanDisk) has 40GB left out of 222GB which I would like to format, because I think I have some large unnecessary files which I can't seem to track down.

Would the best approach be to format the SanDisk first then migrate to the 870? Also which migration tool would you recommend?

Thanks
 
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Janssenhidal said:
My current SSD (SanDisk) has 40GB left out of 222GB which I would like to format, because I think I have some large unnecessary files which I can't seem to track down.

Would the best approach be to format the SanDisk first then migrate to the 870?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Windows is on the current 256GB SanDisk?
If so, you migrate first, then wipe/format the SanDisk. If you format it first (and you can't), there would be nothing to migrate...😉
 
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-----------------------------
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)
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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USAFRet said:
Windows is on the current 256GB SanDisk?
If so, you migrate first, then wipe/format the SanDisk. If you format it first (and you can't), there would be nothing to migrate...😉
Click to expand...
Excuse my ignorance on this subject, but If I migrate all my contents on the SanDisk to the 870 I would also be migrating the unnecessary unwanted files along with windows as well correct?
From your suggestion my plan is to store my windows on the 870 and use the SanDisk for random storage or backups.

So, wouldn't it be better to format the SanDisk and just leave the windows on it and then migrate it to the 870 (So I have windows installed on the 870) just so I won't have the unnecessary files migrated as well? Hopefully I articulated it well enough.

Thanks for your patience.

EDIT

Okay, I have done some research and apparently I can choose if I want to migrate windows only or not, which makes total sense now.

Thanks once again.
 
Last edited:
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Yes, the clone operation would move any 'unnecessary' stuff to the new drive. You can clean that up before, or after.

But for "be better to format the SanDisk and just leave the windows on it "...you can't format it and leave "only Windows".
 
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