installed an M.2 in a HDD box...

[Arjai]

I can see the M.2 in Device Manager but, how do I format it and give it a name? I know it used to be simple but, I can't seem to remember or it changed and I now don't know what to do.

After I get it formatted, I want to use it for my boot drive. What all do I need to copy over to make the OS(win 10) work on the m.2?

Any help will be appreciated, this box takes up to 2-3 minutes to recover from a screen saver!! It's got 2 HDD's, an Laptop drive spinning at 7200(OS) and another for Data storage, slow one. I want to laptop HDD, to house some programs I use occasionally, M.2 to have OS and web browsers.

 

[eidairaman1]

Right Click Computer/My Computer, hit Manage (faster than going to search)

I can see the M.2 in Device Manager but, how do I format it and give it a name? I know it used to be simple but, I can't seem to remember or it changed and I now don't know what to do.

After I get it formatted, I want to use it for my boot drive. What all do I need to copy over to make the OS(win 10) work on the m.2?

Any help will be appreciated, this box takes up to 2-3 minutes to recover from a screen saver!! It's got 2 HDD's, an Laptop drive spinning at 7200(OS) and another for Data storage, slow one. I want to laptop HDD, to house some programs I use occasionally, M.2 to have OS and web browsers.

I make it where windows does not hide empty drives either

Which you access Control panel and go to Folder Options

 

[Athlonite]

If you have an M.2 slot on your mobo you could have just installed it and cloned the OS drive onto it. Then rebooted and loaded into BIOS and choose the NVMe SSD as your boot drive

 

[Arjai]

If you have an M.2 slot on your mobo you could have just installed it and cloned the OS drive onto it. Then rebooted and loaded into BIOS and choose the NVMe SSD as your boot drive

The M.2 is formatted now but, I don't want to clone everything, from one drive to another. I simply want the OS and my browsers on the M.2.

I know how to go to BIOS and switch boot drives. I need to know what all to copy to the M.2 to make it work. Without cloning the whole drive.

 

[oobymach]

The M.2 is formatted now but, I don't want to clone everything, from one drive to another. I simply want the OS and my browsers on the M.2.

I know how to go to BIOS and switch boot drives. I need to know what all to copy to the M.2 to make it work. Without cloning the whole drive.

The only guaranteed way is to clone the disk using macrium or some other third party software, you can't just copy the windows folder to another drive and expect it to work.

 

[hrp32]

Use Clonezilla to clone your whole disk if the M.2 is the same size or bigger than your current boot device.
For a smaller disk just clone your EFI boot partition and Windows partition.

 

[Rock N Roll Rebel]

just make a backup of stuff you want using any backup method then install windows fresh and put in what you want from backup if you watch this guy's video he tells how to get windows keys cheap and legit
(42) Britec09 - YouTube
but the os license is usually tied to the motherboard so you may not have to get a new license key

 

[Arjai]

OK, well. I am back at it again. During my last try, using Macrium, I somehow corrupted Windows on my HDD. Then, about a day later my monitor died. So, I used my Grey box, for over a month, that is connected to my TV to web surf, not ideal but OK.

I now have a new Monitor, a nice 24 inch curved LED from ViewSonic. I was not able to repair Windows on my HDD so, Fresh install, after a few tries. I am now going to give Clonezilla Lite a run. Then, move stuff from on drive to the other, over time, to tweak it the way I like.

One question, once I do a Bios drive switch, making the M.2 the first in line, what can I do to make the HDD not be bootable? What file, or files can I rename, or delete, to keep it from being a boot disk?

 

[P4-630]

I want to use it for my boot drive. What all do I need to copy over to make the OS(win 10) work on the m.2?

It's not that easy as just copying files, I don't think it will work that way.
With a fresh windows install it also creates an "EFI System" partition, which it needs to boot.

 

[Arjai]

OK, I unzipped Clonezilla to my USB, booted to it and it just opened Linux Mint. Now what? I looked through the list and Clonezilla is not on any of them. I am gonna reboot, perhaps I missed something on the boot screen?

Edit: I found Clonezilla on the USB but, still don't know what to do with it, i.e. what file to open the program.

Edit2: Everything I found, on the website, on Youtube, they boot to the usb, with the unzipped Clonezilla (even disabled Fast Boot) and the program is listed in the boot menu....OK, so, maybe figured it out...I have a mint version on there, also, even though I formatted the USB...OK, re-try!

 

[ThrashZone]

The M.2 is formatted now but, I don't want to clone everything, from one drive to another. I simply want the OS and my browsers on the M.2.

I know how to go to BIOS and switch boot drives. I need to know what all to copy to the M.2 to make it work. Without cloning the whole drive.

Hi,
Only two options
Clean install reinstall what you want on the m.2
Clone all remove what you don't want on the m.2.

 

[Arjai]

Alrighty them...So, clonezilla was a bust. I was going to re-unzip it and start fresh but, my damn C drive started effing up, Windows wouldn't boot up. I removed the damn HDD and did a fresh install on the M.2.

So, twice today I have done fresh installs, 1st on the clapped out laptop HDD, I've used since damn near the year 2000! I guess I've had a good run with the little Toshiba? LOL. It is now gonna join the "used up" or, "Not working" shelf. It will go near the other stuff there that I admire.

Anywho, I will be on the look out for a cheapish SSD to replace it. It'd be awesome to find a 1TB I can afford!!

So, this box, Orange, was my first AMD build w/ Ryzen. I have 2 others, since then, another 2700 and a 3700.

So, I guess this thread is now dead. I'm gonna clean up this install and call it a day. Probably watch some Youtube and order up some food. Tomorrow I'm gonna go get a new phone, 13 Pro.

The Android offerings right now, Suck. So, I'm going Apple for the first time in my life, ever. I'm not selling out, just getting the best phone available, right now. In 2 years, hopefully, there will be a good Pixel phone ready. I'd keep my Pixel 4 but, it's played out. So far, it's been the best phone I've had, bar none. But it's a 5g world now, and the 13 Pro is the best of the 5Ger's, right now.

It will involve a certain amount of learning but, I'm sure I can figure it out. Anyway, /Ranting done.

Thanks everyone for their participation and help in this thread. Take Care!!