I'm building a new PC and planning to switch to Linux. I have a new 2TB SSD for my main drive, but I also want to use the 1TB SSD from my gaming laptop. The issue is that I wasn't able to format it while it was still in the laptop because Windows is still on it. My question is whether I can just install the 1TB SSD in my new PC and format it there, or do I need to handle the formatting first?
4 Answers
Yeah, you can format it on your new rig. Just make sure you boot from a Linux USB stick and you’ll wipe it as desired after you get everything set up. That way, you avoid any issues with Windows being on it.
I was thinking of just formatting it as NTFS to clear it out. I wasn't sure if having Windows on it would mess things up, but sounds like I can just leave it as is and format it in Linux, right?
If you try to format it in Windows, it won't let you set it up as a Linux filesystem. It's better to just wait until it's in the new PC and use Linux tools to handle it properly.
You can definitely format the SSD once it's in your new PC. Just boot it up with a Linux live USB, and you'll be able to format it to a filesystem that works best for Linux.
Awesome, thanks! I was worried I'd have to buy another SSD.