I'm looking to upgrade the SSD in my HP Pavilion Laptop 15-eh0xxx. Currently, I have enough storage for my games, but I anticipate that an upcoming update will push me into low storage territory, which could slow down my device. Since my laptop only has one SSD slot, I need to replace the existing drive. Is it as simple as popping out the old SSD and putting in a new one? Will I need to reinstall Windows after the upgrade, and if so, what's the best way to go about it? Should I clone my current drive, or what are my options?
2 Answers
Both cloning and reinstalling are valid options! If you just swap out the old SSD for a new one without cloning, you’ll have to install Windows (or whatever OS you're using) from scratch, along with all your games and other programs. If you'd rather not go through the hassle of reinstalling, cloning is the way to go. Free tools like Clonezilla or Rescuezilla work great for that!
You definitely want to clone your current SSD if you're looking to keep everything just the way it is—games, settings, and whatnot. Using software like Paragon Hard Disk Manager Advanced makes it a breeze, and it ensures the new drive is correctly sized after the clone.
When installing Windows on the new SSD, you’ll definitely need a USB drive with the installation files. It won't just prompt you—you'll have to prepare the USB beforehand with the Windows installation media. There are plenty of guides available to help you through that.