I want to replace my old HHD with an SSD. I was told I can use my old HHD as storage and can I have them both plugged in at the same time? I never transferred data between drives before, so what do I need to know?
Motherboard- asrock- z370m PRO4 ATX LGA1151
it’s two steps really and with options at each step
the boot drive you can either 1) use cloning software to move everything from your current HHD to a SSD. Most brands have a version of cloning software you can use with their SSD. I know Acronis can be used with WD/Scandisk, Crucial, Kingston and others. The other option 2) do a clean install of all software on the SSD and then just move over what you like from the HDD.
After that, you can certainly 1) create a new drive and keep your HDD in your PC as storage or 2) get an external HDD port and use your HDD for storage as needed, basically creating a portable external drive.
1 Like
make sure to get a n m.2 drive for your new SSD, much simpler set up and less clutter.
Update your BIOS to 4.20 if you haven’t already. There’s a Windows installer if you’re new to this. Get an M.2 SSD and install it above your video card. Watch a video if you’re unsure since they go in at an angle.
For Windows, I would install it fresh on the SSD. To make it easy, you can just unplug the SATA cable to your HDD until Windows is completely installed and updated on the SSD. When you’re ready, you can plug it back in, enter the BIOS when booting up, and make sure your boot order is SSD then HDD. From there you should be good to copy files over to the SSD. I would format the HDD once you have everything important copied. Then you’re good to go.