I'm working on upgrading my setup and need some help! I've got a Western Digital M.2 drive with Windows 10 installed, and I've added a new Samsung 990 EVO M.2 drive to transition to Windows 11. My motherboard supports two M.2 slots, and I plan to partition the new drive into four separate drive letters so I can switch between Windows 10 and Windows 11 easily.
Here's where I'm stuck: after initially installing Windows 11 on the Samsung drive and being able to boot to either OS, I decided to change the partition sizes. Now, when trying to reinstall Windows 11 from a USB created with Rufus, I get blocked at the product key screen. It won't accept my Windows 10 key like it did the first time, and when I delete partitions on the Samsung drive from Disk Management, it tries to repair them instead of letting me start over completely.
I'm hesitant to mess with the Secure Boot Keys in the BIOS, fearing it might affect my Windows 10 setup. I'm considering using a tool to wipe the Samsung drive clean, but I wanted to ask if anyone has any straightforward solutions or advice before I take any drastic steps. Thanks a lot!
1 Answer
You're making this way more complicated than it needs to be! Just power down your PC and unplug the Windows 10 drive for the install. That way, the installer won't have access to it. Boot from your USB stick, and when you reach the drive selection screen, hit Shift + F10 to open a command prompt. Type `diskpart`, hit Enter, then `list disk` to find your new Samsung drive (likely disk 0). Select it with `select disk 0`, then type `clean` and Enter. This wipes everything, including partition tables. After you close the command window, refresh the drive list and install Windows 11 on the unallocated space. When prompted for a key, select 'I don’t have a product key'. Your motherboard should activate it automatically once you’re online. When it’s all set, plug your Windows 10 drive back in, and use your boot menu (probably F8 for your setup) to choose which OS to use. This is a cleaner method than trying to juggle a dual boot setup or messing with Secure Boot keys.
Thanks for the tip! I went ahead and wiped the drive clean like you suggested, and I’m starting fresh with the install. I'll keep you updated on how it goes!