Advice Request Installing a new SSD- do I need to keep recovery partitions from the old drive ?

[jetman]

I have a Dell PC which came with a 256GB SSD. I want to install a 500GB SSD instead. There is no personal data I need to keep from the old SSD drive.

My intention was to just to install the new 500GB SSD and then freshly install Windows onto it. (I assume that I can easily do this from a USB when it first boots up ?).

However, on Disk Manager in Windows I see that the old 256GB SSD contains various partitions- including a Dell recovery partition. Should I be somehow transferring all these partitions onto my new 500GB SSD, or should I just ignore them and Install Windows from scratch ?

I have a copy of Macrium Reflect Home- although I am not particularly experienced at using it.

What I can see in Disk manager is copied below. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Brahman]

With windows 10 you don't need a recovery partition. You can always reset the system to original state ( without software and personal data) using advanced start up options. Besides take a backup image after installing everything and keep it in an external hard disk. You can always re-image it using a bootable usb drive with windows.

 

[shmu26]

If your intention is a fresh install of Windows, you don't need the Dell recovery partition, whose purpose is to restore the out-of-the-box, factory condition of the system.
But do keep in mind that you might need some drivers. The critical driver is the wifi one, because without wifi and without ethernet, you can't get your system set up.
If you can plug your machine into an ethernet cable and get online that way, you're good. If not, download the wifi driver and put it on a flash drive so you can hit the ground running when you fresh install Windows.

 

[sepik]

Hello,
If windows can't recognize your ethernet card, then download this tool to flash drive before installing windows: 3DP Net
After installing windows(and if windows cannot recognize your ethernet), run this tool and it'll find suitable driver. This tool has helped me several times, especially when using older computers with weird ethernet interfaces.

Kind regards,
-sepik

 

[CyberTech]

Well what would you do with 256GB SSD? sell it or keep it (no use)? Dell came with Windows 10 original ?

 

[jetman]

Well what would you do with 256GB SSD? sell it or keep it (no use)? Dell came with Windows 10 original ?

Thanks everyone for your answers so far. Very much appreciated- its a big help to me.
I have another question about this PC which I will post later under a different thread !

But in answer to the above query about the 256 SSD I am removing (its a Western Digital M.2 256GB PCIe NVMe 2230) I was going to sell it on ebay to help pay for the upgrade. However, is it possible to install it into an unused expansion slot to act as an extra hard drive ?

According to the specifications of the PC I have the following...
1 Half Height PCIe x16
1 Half Height PCIe x1
1 M.2 For storage (22x80mm or 22x30mm)
1 M.2 for wireless (22x30mm)

Below is an image of my motherboard with the DVD drive and SATA hard disk drive removed.
In the top left corner the blue slot is where I have installed the WiFi Card (my PC originally came without one). For some reason the WiFi card doesn't work in the smaller black slot even though it fits in that perfectly. I assume the blue slot is really meant to hold a graphics card though.

Would the spare 256GB SSD fit in that small black slot somehow ? I assume NOT as I know its a different sized connector.

PS- I don't really know what I am doing and am not a very advanced IT user like some on this forum - so don't want to break anything !!!

Thanks.

 

[Brahman]

Would the spare 256GB SSD fit in that small black slot somehow ? I assume NOT as I know its a different sized connector.

Your assumption is correct. It won't fit. You can buy Enclosure for M.2 NVMe SSD from online stores and use your ssd as an external hard disk.

 

[jetman]

Thanks !

EDIT- when looking at enclosures as you suggested, I came across this. Would something like this be likely to work on my motherboard ? As I say, I don't have much PC knowledge so dont want to break anything !

StarTech.com M2 PCIe SSD Adapter - x4 PCIe 3.0 NVMe: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

StarTech.com M2 PCIe SSD Adapter - x4 PCIe 3.0 NVMe: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

www.amazon.co.uk