How to Upgrade C-Drive from 512GB to 2 TB

[Jp42nca]

I need advice on how to upgrade my C-Drive on my custom build. I am techy to a point but not advanced as most on this forum, so please explain in detail or give advice since I'm not as advanced as most on this forum, still in learning mode. I am not a gamer, I'm a real estate photographer and do extensive photo editing using Lightroom & Photoshop along with a few other programs. All my programs and of course Windows 10 is on a Samsung V-NAND SSD 950 PRO M.2 NVM Express 512GB. I keep my C-Drive as empty as possible and store everything on external SSD's. Over time I have noticed that my capacity is being gobbled up more & more with program updates. In the past my free capacity space use to be 75%, now its at 35% & dwindling down as it seems with every editing software update. I am now just starting to research which M.2 to go with, will probably stick with Samsung, so far very happy. I have another socket on my MB for another M.2, but it's for a Sata connection which is empty at the moment but plan to use in the future.

 

Long story short how do you transfer everything from my C-Drive M.2  512GB, to a M.2 2TB? Hoping it can just be copied & pasted to the new drive then install new 2TB M.2 back in place and get back to work. Have a feeling it's not that easy, any help &/or advice would be appreciated. I've included my PC Build parts list & MB schematic showing M.2 Sockets. I'm sure some of you are laughing at my 1060 GPU, it was from my first build and it's all I need at the moment for my editing software, remember I'm not a gamer, but do plan to upgrade soon. Thanks for reading...now hope you can help with some advice...Jp

[Dedayog]

Download Samsung Data Migration Tool.  It is used to clone a drive, making an EXACT copy.  It will transfer everything from the 500GB to the 2TB, so you can then use the 2TB exactly like the 500GB was used.

 

 

[IPD]

Something doesn't compute.  My SSD boot drives don't use anywhere near that capacity.  One of them is "only" 240GB0--and still 50% unused.

 

I'm guessing there's temporary files or other hidden gems (user>downloads) that need emptied.  Granted, my PC's have a separate storage drive built in--and I"m not using external storage.  IDK.  YMMV.

[Dedayog]

26 minutes ago, IPD said:

Something doesn't compute.  My SSD boot drives don't use anywhere near that capacity.  One of them is "only" 240GB0--and still 50% unused.

 

I'm guessing there's temporary files or other hidden gems (user>downloads) that need emptied.  Granted, my PC's have a separate storage drive built in--and I"m not using external storage.  IDK.  YMMV.

Completely agree, I use 250 and 500GB drives as boot drives without issue, but that may be more work than he wants to get into, cleaning out the drive.  Not sure what those programs create as dump files, or if he's got some real work accidentally saved on the drive as opposed to the externals he's using.

[Jp42nca]

1 hour ago, Dedayog said:

Download Samsung Data Migration Tool.  It is used to clone a drive, making an EXACT copy.  It will transfer everything from the 500GB to the 2TB, so you can then use the 2TB exactly like the 500GB was used.

 

 

I can just plug the new M.2 2TB drive into the M.2 Sata connection & it will copy?

[Dedayog]

2 minutes ago, Jp42nca said:

I can just plug the new M.2 2TB drive into the M.2 Sata connection & it will copy?

Well you specify the source and target drives, but yes.  

[Jp42nca]

1 hour ago, IPD said:

Something doesn't compute.  My SSD boot drives don't use anywhere near that capacity.  One of them is "only" 240GB0--and still 50% unused.

 

I'm guessing there's temporary files or other hidden gems (user>downloads) that need emptied.  Granted, my PC's have a separate storage drive built in--and I"m not using external storage.  IDK.  YMMV.

That's interesting, as for my temporary files that is pretty empty, as for user>downloads that need emptied where would I find those files? 

[Jp42nca]

1 minute ago, Dedayog said:

Well you specify the source and target drives, but yes.  

Ok thanks, much appreciated. 

[IPD]

13 minutes ago, Jp42nca said:

That's interesting, as for my temporary files that is pretty empty, as for user>downloads that need emptied where would I find those files? 

I'm at work, so I can't reference the file system here as reference.  But if memory serves, the default download location (assuming you never changed any settings) is where you'd find that stuff--buried somewhere on C-drive, usually under your specific "user" account.

 

C drive > users> "whatever you are" > downloads

[Jp42nca]

1 hour ago, Dedayog said:

Completely agree, I use 250 and 500GB drives as boot drives without issue, but that may be more work than he wants to get into, cleaning out the drive.  Not sure what those programs create as dump files, or if he's got some real work accidentally saved on the drive as opposed to the externals he's using.

I can say for sure I have no work saved on the drive, everything is on SSD's or hard drive. When editing I do save the images to a folder on my C-Drive in pictures folder under clients listing address. Once I upload to client the entire folder is moved to an external hard drive under the clients name. I always make a copy of the folder and paste in the clients folder on the external hard drive. Once its completely transferred I delete the folder from the pictures folder on my C-Drive. My OS is Windows 10, programs are Lr, Ps, Br (Adobe Bridge), paintnet, iCUE software, Aurora HDR, Norton Anti-Virus, & Google Earth Pro, & Adobe Acrobat. What about the Trash Can? When emptied is it stored in the dump file or permanently deleted?  

 

On the left image C-Drive Properties should I click Disk Cleanup, will this help? 

[Dedayog]

I'd say with those programs, 264GB used is good.  Google Earth Pro can download a lot, for example.  You're good.

 

Honestly, I would just still use the 500GB as my boot and program drive, it's a little over half full.  That isn't a big deal.

[Jp42nca]

38 minutes ago, IPD said:

I'm at work, so I can't reference the file system here as reference.  But if memory serves, the default download location (assuming you never changed any settings) is where you'd find that stuff--buried somewhere on C-drive, usually under your specific "user" account.

 

C drive > users> "whatever you are" > downloads

I think I know what your getting at but not sure how to find it. I'm pretty sure your not meaning my download folder, which btw has only 3.77MB total files. Maybe when you get off you can fill in the blanks. Thanks for your help-

[Jp42nca]

3 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

I'd say with those programs, 264GB used is good.  Google Earth Pro can download a lot, for example.  You're good.

 

Honestly, I would just still use the 500GB as my boot and program drive, it's a little over half full.  That isn't a big deal.

Thanks for your input, I do recognize it is still good being just over half full but I've had these programs running for a few years now on 2 different builds and always ran at around 25% not 35%. I could only surmise that its the updates from Windows 10 & Lr & Ps, Adobe has been adding lots of new features, every couple months there's a new update. At this rate I'm gonna be out of capacity within a year so you can see why I want to upgrade to a 2TB M.2  

[IPD]

4 hours ago, Jp42nca said:

I think I know what your getting at but not sure how to find it. I'm pretty sure your not meaning my download folder, which btw has only 3.77MB total files. Maybe when you get off you can fill in the blanks. Thanks for your help-

my "user" folder on this PC has 10GB space used.  didn't bother to break it down beyond that and see where it all is.  I'm at 141GB out of 232GB.

[Jp42nca]

13 hours ago, IPD said:

my "user" folder on this PC has 10GB space used.  didn't bother to break it down beyond that and see where it all is.  I'm at 141GB out of 232GB.

I right clicked and checked my user folder and has 92GB space used. Overall total file has 138GB used, does this look off or seem high to you? 

[IPD]

Seems high to me, considering I could probably clean out some crap from mine.  I'd have to go through and individually check what's in those user folders to see where things are bogged down.  Often you get temp downloads or random files you downloaded and opened/executed right away...and then forgot about.

[Jp42nca]

On 11/4/2021 at 8:04 PM, IPD said:

Seems high to me, considering I could probably clean out some crap from mine.  I'd have to go through and individually check what's in those user folders to see where things are bogged down.  Often you get temp downloads or random files you downloaded and opened/executed right away...and then forgot about.

Thanks for your input, much appreciated.