Change to GPT partition and move windows from HDD to SSD

[CheekyBugger]

I think i may have windows installed on my harddrive instead of my ssd in my pc. I also only have access to 2 of the 3 TB on my harddrive since it´s not formatted as a gpt partition. The image i´ve added is of diskmanager.

 

My thought is that i can i can solve both problems at once by doing something like this: wipe both drives,shut down pc, disconnect the hard drive, start pc and install windows from usb on the ssd, get into windows, turn it off and then connect the harddrive and set it up as gpt. Then windows would be installed on the ssd and i could use all 3 terabytes. Is this possible and the right order? If so, can someone please explain exactly what to do step by step? 

[AndrewB121]

Yeah the order you stated sounds correct, and it should work. 

[CheekyBugger]

7 minutes ago, AndrewB121 said:

Yeah the order you stated sounds correct, and it should work. 

Could you tell me how i do it step by step? I´m just concerned something may go wrong or i choose the wrong option. And what about drivers? They will disappear when i wipe both drives right?

[nick name]

From what I can see it looks like Windows is installed on the SSD with a partition created on the HDD. 

 

Really all you need to do is to unplug the HDD and then re-install Windows with only the SSD plugged in.  That will prevent the installer from creating any partition on other drives.  Then you just plug in and format delete partitions on the HDD and then format the HDD after you're done installing Windows.  

[CheekyBugger]

1 minute ago, nick name said:

From what I can see it looks like Windows is installed on the SSD with a partition created on the HDD. 

 

Really all you need to do is to unplug the HDD and then re-install Windows with only the SSD plugged in.  That will prevent the installer from creating any partition on other drives.  Then you just plug in and format the HDD after you're done installing Windows.  

Hmm, i was told on another forum that it may be installed on the harddrive. Is there somewhere i can go into file explorer or settings to know for sure where the os is installed? Your solution sounds more straightforward

[nick name]

20 minutes ago, CheekyBugger said:

Hmm, i was told on another forum that it may be installed on the harddrive. Is there somewhere i can go into file explorer or settings to know for sure where the os is installed? Your solution sounds more straightforward

I'm 99.9% sure that my Swedish/Danish is non-existent, but my Google translate is working.  That leads me to feel confident in saying the SSD has the Windows install on it with an associated Windows partition living on the HDD.  It says it all right there in your Disk Management screenshot.  Now you can run it as it is, but if you remove that HDD then your Windows install may not work. 

 

You'll also want to ignore my statement to format the HDD after you re-install Windows with only the SSD plugged in.  Simply formatting won't return the HDD to the state at which you want it.  You'll need to delete partitions and to do so will likely require you to use diskpart for the Windows partition.    

[CheekyBugger]

I shut the pc down and disconnected the harddrive. When i started it up this is what i got. 

[nick name]

2 minutes ago, CheekyBugger said:

I shut the pc down and disconnected the harddrive. When i started it up this is what i got. 

So that confirms that you cannot run your current Windows install without your HDD.

 

You'll want to set your USB drive as the boot drive in BIOS.  So at next boot get into BIOS and set the USB drive you used to install Windows as the boot drive.

[CheekyBugger]

Yes, some files required to boot must be on the hdd. Can you tell me what to do, step by step?  I´ve got the usb drive connected to the pc and the Windows 10 installation media is on it. I shut the pc down, start it and go into bios and set usb as boot drive and then save and exit. What happens after that? Do i disconnect hdd before any step? I want to make sure i can boot without the harddrive and i want it to be gpt so i can use it´s full capacity.

[nick name]

I'm assuming you have the HDD already disconnected -- did you plug it back in?  If so then unplug it. 

 

With the HDD unplugged complete your Windows install.  Then after the install is complete you can plug the HDD back in and we will get it sorted.  

[CheekyBugger]

Yes i did plug it back in. I´m currently deleting all 2 tb of data on it. Once that is done do i connect the usb, shut down pc, disconnect harddrive, start up and install windows from usb? Or do i need to set usb as boot drive before that?

[CheekyBugger]

25 minutes ago, nick name said:

I'm assuming you have the HDD already disconnected -- did you plug it back in?  If so then unplug it. 

 

With the HDD unplugged complete your Windows install.  Then after the install is complete you can plug the HDD back in and we will get it sorted.  

What do i choose now? One says upgrade and the other says custom and the latter also mentions partitions. Which one do i choose? I assume the first one

[nick name]

The bottom one for a new installation.  I'm not sure repairing is gonna get it done.  

[CheekyBugger]

I clicked on the custom (latter option). What now? Format the ssd?

[nick name]

23 minutes ago, CheekyBugger said:

Yes i did plug it back in. I´m currently deleting all 2 tb of data on it. Once that is done do i connect the usb, shut down pc, disconnect harddrive, start up and install windows from usb? Or do i need to set usb as boot drive before that?

You don't need to delete everything.  That will get done when partitions are deleted and the HDD is formatted.  

 

 

[nick name]

Just now, CheekyBugger said:

I clicked on the custom (latter option). What now? Format the ssd?

Delete them and click Next.  

[CheekyBugger]

Done, what is the new (ny) button on the right for? I clicked on nästa (next)

[nick name]

Next.  

 

Edit:

Sorry I was reading that as I was stepping out to take a call and didn't actually read it.  I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of it is.  

[CheekyBugger]

Ok i'm in. Now the harddrive, what do i do

[CheekyBugger]

15 minutes ago, nick name said:

Next.  

 

Edit:

Sorry I was reading that as I was stepping out to take a call and didn't actually read it.  I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of it is.  

No worries, probably not important. I was just curious. Now how do i set up the hard drive as gpt?

[nick name]

The hard drive won't need to be MBR or GPT as it won't have anything to do with the OS install.  

 

Now we just have to plug the drive back in and delete the existing partitions to create one larger partition.  So plug it in and get into Disk Management again.  

[CheekyBugger]

Do i format or remove volume? Also, those options are only available on the first two partitions

[nick name]

Delete those volumes.  

[nick name]

So it shows that you can delete both volumes?  Because that would be awesome.  If you can right-click and then delete both volumes then after that you should be able to right-click and create a new volume which should span the entire drive.  

[CheekyBugger]

Wow, i should´ve done this years ago