I'm looking to upgrade my storage from a 500GB SSD to a 1TB SSD. Currently, I'm using a 500GB WD Blue 3D NAND SSD that came with my prebuilt PC. I bought a Patriot Memory P220 1TB SSD, but after I swapped them out, my PC just shows a black screen with a message saying 'Reboot and select proper boot device or insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key.' I'm not sure if the new SSD is compatible or if I need to do something else to get it to work. What should I do?
4 Answers
Just to add on, you really should put the old SSD back in first to get your computer running again. Once it is booted up, you can connect the new SSD and either use a cloning tool to transfer everything over or get a Windows installation USB ready if you decide to do a fresh install.
Honestly, swapping out SSDs can be a bit complicated if you're not familiar with it. The easiest way is to use your 500GB as your main drive and just add the new 1TB SSD as a secondary one. You won't lose any data, and it simplifies the process since you won’t have to deal with cloning or reinstalling anything right away.
It sounds like you're running into issues because the old SSD had your operating system on it. When you replaced it with the new one, your PC couldn’t find the OS, hence the error message. You have a couple of options: you can either clone your existing drive to the new one or do a fresh install of the OS on the new SSD. If you clone it, your data will remain intact, but with a fresh install, you’ll need to reinstall your programs. Let me know if you need help with the cloning or installation process!
Cloning sounds like the better option to keep everything the same. Do you know what software to use for that?
You're right; it's not as straightforward as just swapping them out. If you want to replace it, you definitely need to clone your drive or you'll lose your OS. Alternatively, using the new 1TB as a secondary drive would be much simpler. If you go that route, just make sure you have another SATA cable for it.
Thanks for the tips! Cloning sounds a bit tricky, but I think I can manage a fresh install.