New PC Windows on Single 3TB Hard Drive, Seen as 746GB

NavyLCDR said:

The SSD will come with screws. The mounting adapter I linked to doesn't, so you would need the standard desktop hard drive screws - or this adapter with all screws included:

Adapter with screws

When you connect the SSD and before you install Windows on it, go into BIOS setup on the computer and make sure the SATA controller is set to AHCI mode and not IDE mode. Performance will be much faster in AHCI mode. Also, when you are installing Windows onto the SSD, you will want to leave the second hard drive disconnected. Once Windows is installed on the SSD and booting fine, then reconnect the second hard drive. This keeps Windows setup from detecting any boot partitions that might be on the second hard drive and installing the boot files there instead of on the SSD where you want them.

Just to clarify, so I don't mess things up:

1. Take out HDD (or wipe it first? doesn't really seem feasible while OS is on it)
2. Insert SSD.
3. Install Windows 10 on SSD, from USB, don't input any key, will auto validate when connected to the internet.
4. Put HDD back in.
5. Will auto detect as 3TB?

Any clarification would be great. Thanks!

This is what I would do:

1. Take out HDD (or wipe it first? doesn't really seem feasible while OS is on it)
You can wipe the HDD before removing it using MiniTool Partition Wizard. It will reboot the computer to delete all the partitions and convert the HDD to GPT, then when you reboot from that your computer will give you the error No Operating System Found.

Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free

2. Insert SSD. Then go into BIOS and make sure the SATA controller mode is set to AHCI.

3. Install Windows 10 on SSD, from USB, don't input any key, will auto validate when connected to the internet.

4. Put HDD back in.

5. Will auto detect as 3TB? The hard drive must be converted to GPT in order for all 3TB to be useable. You can use MiniTool Partition Wizard Free linked above to do it. OR:
Change a Master Boot Record Disk into a GUID Partition Table Disk

EDIT: Actually, thinking about it, I would not wipe and/or convert the HDD until it was re-installed in step 5. That way if something were to go wrong with installing Windows on the SSD, you can always put the HDD back in and boot from it.