My current SATA SSD is failing: the computer runs for roughly 15 minutes before showing a blue screen, so I've mostly left it powered off to improve my chances of recovering the data. I bought a new Samsung 990 Pro M.2 SSD and want to install Windows on it as the replacement boot drive. Do I need to partition or format the M.2 beforehand, and can I install Windows on it first and then reconnect the old SATA SSD to recover my files once the system is stable?
2 Answers
You don’t need to partition the M.2 beforehand. During Windows Setup, select the new drive, delete any existing partitions on it if necessary, and let the installer create the required partitions automatically. Disconnect the old SATA SSD before installing so the EFI/boot partition is definitely created on the new drive. Once Windows is working, shut down and reconnect the old drive only when you’re ready to copy the files.
Yes. Leaving only the new installation drive connected prevents Setup from placing boot files on another disk and reduces the chance of selecting or formatting the wrong drive.
Unplug the other HDDs and SSDs while installing Windows. Afterward, reconnect the failing SATA drive and copy the important files as soon as possible. If BitLocker was enabled, make sure you have the recovery key before reconnecting it. Since the drive is unstable, avoid unnecessary use and consider making a clone or image with recovery software if the data is especially important.
So it’s best to unplug every other internal drive during the Windows installation, not just the old boot SSD?