I'm building a new PC soon and plan to reuse my M.2 drive, which has Windows installed. I'm transitioning from an AM4 motherboard to AM5. My question is, can I just plug the drive into the new setup, or do I need to wipe it and do a fresh installation of Windows? If I need to wipe it, what's the best way to go about that?
3 Answers
It's usually best to wipe the drive and do a fresh install of Windows when moving to a completely new PC. There could be driver conflicts with the new motherboard and hardware if you try to plug and play. A clean slate helps avoid those issues.
If you go for the fresh install, just boot from a USB drive to format and reinstall Windows. It's pretty straightforward!
You absolutely can move it over, but I wouldn't recommend it. I've tried it before and faced some problems due to mismatched drivers. Doing a fresh install is way smoother and will save you headaches in the long run.
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