New Drive On Windows?

[Highkeywalts]

Hello if you are viewing this I have a question. Well before I ask I have ordered another drive for my laptop(SSD). Ok so my question is how do I reinstall windows on to the new drive(SSD)? If you see this and have an answer it would be great if you could respond. Hope to see y’all with some great help!

[Enderman]

Unplug HDD, plug in SSD, do this https://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/ make sure SSD is only thing on boot priority list in BIOS, plug HDD back in, move important documents to the SSD, and ideally move all your pictures/music/files off of the HDD and wipe all the HDD partitions in disk management, then use HDD as a clean storage drive.

[homeap5]

3 hours ago, Highkeywalts said:

Hello if you are viewing this I have a question. Well before I ask I have ordered another drive for my laptop(SSD). Ok so my question is how do I reinstall windows on to the new drive(SSD)? If you see this and have an answer it would be great if you could respond. Hope to see y’all with some great help!

You can clone your drive using Macrium Reflect, but you'll need second computer (desktop) or at least external hdd and USB pendrive for bootable Reflect if you have only laptop and single sata port.

[Highkeywalts]

7 hours ago, Enderman said:

Unplug HDD, plug in SSD, do this https://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/ make sure SSD is only thing on boot priority list in BIOS, plug HDD back in, move important documents to the SSD, and ideally move all your pictures/music/files off of the HDD and wipe all the HDD partitions in disk management, then use HDD as a clean storage drive.

I just remembered that I have a flash drive with windows 10. Could I just use that without unplugging?

[homeap5]

39 minutes ago, Highkeywalts said:

I just remembered that I have a flash drive with windows 10. Could I just use that without unplugging?

Yes and no. If you leave your current drive connected, you'll be asking later "why my boot partition is on my old drive" as many users on this forum.

[Highkeywalts]

48 minutes ago, homeap5 said:

Yes and no. If you leave your current drive connected, you'll be asking later "why my boot partition is on my old drive" as many users on this forum.

Then should I just clone?

[Highkeywalts]

8 hours ago, Enderman said:

Unplug HDD, plug in SSD, do this https://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/ make sure SSD is only thing on boot priority list in BIOS, plug HDD back in, move important documents to the SSD, and ideally move all your pictures/music/files off of the HDD and wipe all the HDD partitions in disk management, then use HDD as a clean storage drive.

ok I will try this thanks!

[Highkeywalts]

9 hours ago, Enderman said:

Unplug HDD, plug in SSD, do this https://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/ make sure SSD is only thing on boot priority list in BIOS, plug HDD back in, move important documents to the SSD, and ideally move all your pictures/music/files off of the HDD and wipe all the HDD partitions in disk management, then use HDD as a clean storage drive.

Should I use option 1 or option 2?

[C2dan88]

If you need Windows10 to be installed on the SSD then option 1.

 

Options 2 will keep Win10 installed on the HDD but remove all apps and files.

[Highkeywalts]

1 minute ago, C2dan88 said:

If you need Windows10 to be installed on the SSD then option 1.

 

Options 2 will keep Win10 installed on the HDD but remove all apps and files.

I might as well just clone.

[Highkeywalts]

5 minutes ago, C2dan88 said:

If you need Windows10 to be installed on the SSD then option 1.

 

Options 2 will keep Win10 installed on the HDD but remove all apps and files.

Well I have a flash drive with windows one it but homeap5 said "Yes and no. If you leave your current drive connected, you'll be asking later "why my boot partition is on my old drive" as many users on this forum." But I guess I will unplug the HHD.

[C2dan88]

Yes that would be good idea

[Highkeywalts]

Just now, C2dan88 said:

Yes that would be good idea

Yes it would be!

[Highkeywalts]

3 hours ago, homeap5 said:

Yes and no. If you leave your current drive connected, you'll be asking later "why my boot partition is on my old drive" as many users on this forum.

SO if I did reinstall Windows on the laptop would there be a watermark? Because I would need a product key which I didn't have because Windows came with the laptop.

(Dell Inspiron 15 7567)

[Highkeywalts]

11 hours ago, Enderman said:

Unplug HDD, plug in SSD, do this https://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/ make sure SSD is only thing on boot priority list in BIOS, plug HDD back in, move important documents to the SSD, and ideally move all your pictures/music/files off of the HDD and wipe all the HDD partitions in disk management, then use HDD as a clean storage drive.

So if I do that will Windows 10 be on the SSD?

[homeap5]

10 minutes ago, Highkeywalts said:

SO if I did reinstall Windows on the laptop would there be a watermark? Because I would need a product key which I didn't have because Windows came with the laptop.

(Dell Inspiron 15 7567)

No, your Windows will be automatically activated. Your key is in BIOS. Installer don't even ask for that.

 

Clone is nice option too if you have lot of stuff and don't want to reinstall everything.

[Highkeywalts]

1 minute ago, homeap5 said:

No, your Windows will be automatically activated. Your key is in BIOS. Installer don't even ask for that.

 

Clone is nice option too if you have lot of stuff and don't want to reinstall everything.

Oh okay I am between two options. One: Make the HHD a clean drive by "Unplug HDD, plug in SSD, do this https://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/ make sure SSD is only thing on boot priority list in BIOS, plug HDD back in, move important documents to the SSD, and ideally move all your pictures/music/files off of the HDD and wipe all the HDD partitions in disk management, then use HDD as a clean storage drive. doing this. Option two: Just use the flash drive with windows on it. Which one do you think I should do? I would like to do option two because i'm pretty sure that easier but if you could please help me decide that would be great!

[Enderman]

3 hours ago, Highkeywalts said:

SO if I did reinstall Windows on the laptop would there be a watermark? Because I would need a product key which I didn't have because Windows came with the laptop.

(Dell Inspiron 15 7567)

If windows is activated right now then it will still be activated after the clean install.

 

3 hours ago, Highkeywalts said:

So if I do that will Windows 10 be on the SSD?

Yes

 

3 hours ago, Highkeywalts said:

Oh okay I am between two options. One: Make the HHD a clean drive by "Unplug HDD, plug in SSD, do this https://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/ make sure SSD is only thing on boot priority list in BIOS, plug HDD back in, move important documents to the SSD, and ideally move all your pictures/music/files off of the HDD and wipe all the HDD partitions in disk management, then use HDD as a clean storage drive. doing this. Option two: Just use the flash drive with windows on it. Which one do you think I should do? I would like to do option two because i'm pretty sure that easier but if you could please help me decide that would be great!

That USB is used to install windows, you cannot boot from it like you do from a drive.

When you follow the steps in the link it shows you how to make that windows installation USB.

Even if you already have a windows USB you should remake it with the media creation tool because otherwise you're installing an old version of windows.

[Highkeywalts]

17 hours ago, Enderman said:

Unplug HDD, plug in SSD, do this https://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/ make sure SSD is only thing on boot priority list in BIOS, plug HDD back in, move important documents to the SSD, and ideally move all your pictures/music/files off of the HDD and wipe all the HDD partitions in disk management, then use HDD as a clean storage drive.

Oh okay I am between two options. One: Make the HHD a clean drive by "Unplug HDD, plug in SSD, do this https://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/ make sure SSD is only thing on boot priority list in BIOS, plug HDD back in, move important documents to the SSD, and ideally move all your pictures/music/files off of the HDD and wipe all the HDD partitions in disk management, then use HDD as a clean storage drive. doing this. Option two: Just use the flash drive with windows on it. Which one do you think I should do? I would like to do option two because i'm pretty sure that easier but if you could please help me decide that would be great!

[homeap5]

I think cloning is not an option for you anyway, it will be too complicated. So just unplug hdd, install Windows on ssd, boot and then plug your hdd as second drive. Do not uninstall system from hdd - it may be useful sometimes as second os in case you'll need it (for example some settings or registry entries). Just delete files you no longer needed.

[Highkeywalts]

2 hours ago, homeap5 said:

I think cloning is not an option for you anyway, it will be too complicated. So just unplug hdd, install Windows on ssd, boot and then plug your hdd as second drive. Do not uninstall system from hdd - it may be useful sometimes as second os in case you'll need it (for example some settings or registry entries). Just delete files you no longer needed.

Ok thank you!

[Enderman]

7 hours ago, Highkeywalts said:

Oh okay I am between two options. One: Make the HHD a clean drive by "Unplug HDD, plug in SSD, do this https://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/ make sure SSD is only thing on boot priority list in BIOS, plug HDD back in, move important documents to the SSD, and ideally move all your pictures/music/files off of the HDD and wipe all the HDD partitions in disk management, then use HDD as a clean storage drive. doing this. Option two: Just use the flash drive with windows on it. Which one do you think I should do? I would like to do option two because i'm pretty sure that easier but if you could please help me decide that would be great!

I literally just answered this already in the post above yours.

You cannot do 'option 2' because the windows USB is an INSTALLATION drive, it is not the whole OS.

You cannot "Just use the flash drive with windows on it. "