Clean Installation questions and SSD drives

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  1. Posts : 985
    Windows 10 Home 21H1
       #1

    Clean Installation with both internal HDD and SSD drives


    Ive just got a new PC with a 128gb SSD and a 1 Terabyte Data drive. Ive never had an SSD drive before so this is new to me.
    If I use the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB flash drive to clean install Windows 10....what are the differences to be aware of as regards the SSD and the Media Creation Tool and the Windows 10 Clean Installation procedure?

    Normally..When you boot with the flash drive with only a standard hard disc on the PC during setup you have to delete all partitions until only Unallocated Space is left..then click on next and Windows installs creating the partitions it needs.
    What is the procedure now I have an SSD drive?
    Does Windows automatically install on the SSD drive? Does Windows format and partition both the SSD drive and 1 terabyte data drive or is there something else required to be done in Disk Management when Windows has finished installing to make the data drive usable?
    Last edited by sportsfan148; 30 Dec 2018 at 04:38.
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  2. Posts : 13,896
    Win10 Version 22H2 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home
       #2

    But my experience shows that leaving a drive with a previous bootable Operating System on it plugged in can cause issues so I unplug such drives leaving only the one Windows is to be installed upon then plug in additional drives after the OS is finished installing.
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  3. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #3

    The installation of Windows is exactly the same. After Windows is installed, you will probably want to relocate your user data folders to the HDD though.
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  4. Posts : 985
    Windows 10 Home 21H1
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Berton said:
    But my experience shows that leaving a drive with a previous bootable Operating System on it plugged in can cause issues so I unplug such drives leaving only the one Windows is to be installed upon then plug in additional drives after the OS is finished installing.
    Its a Dell desktop and both of the drives are internal drives. The factory installation shows the 128Gb SSD as the Windows C: drive and the 1 Terabyte Hard Disc as a data drive D:
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  5. Posts : 985
    Windows 10 Home 21H1
    Thread Starter
       #5

    NavyLCDR said:
    The installation of Windows is exactly the same. After Windows is installed, you will probably want to relocate your user data folders to the HDD though.
    Hi Navy, Yeah Ive read how to change the location of those data folders. Am I correct in thinking that when you wipe everything by deleting all partitions during a Full Clean installation that there will be two lots of unallocated space showing... One for the SSD drive and one for the HDD disc? Normally with just a HDD it would just show one single Unallocated Space and you just click on Next to proceed...then Windows setup formats and partitions the drive and installs Windows.
    Now I have two internal drives (one SSD and one HDD) After the clean Windows installation..are both drives prepared and ready for use ? A techie at Dell seemed to say that there would be more preparation to be done in Disk Management. I might have got the wrong end of the stick but I thought he said the data drive D: wouldn't be usable until I prepared it somehow in Disk Management ?
    Last edited by sportsfan148; 30 Dec 2018 at 04:42.
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  6. Posts : 19,516
    W11+W11 Developer Insider + Linux
       #6

    Windows use and installation is nothing different on SSD than it would be on HDD. Only precaution would be to make sure that SATA port is set to AHCI mode in BIOS. That helps SSD's proper operation, tells OS that it's actually an SSD, enables Trim command from OS to keep SSD clean and running at full speed.
    Ideally, you would have only one disk, (the one you intend to install OS on) connected or enabled so you have clear vision on what to install OS on. Once you install OS. you can reconnect other drive(s) and preferably delete all partitions made by previous OS installation and so restore some free space and make any futures mix-ups less likely.
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  7. Posts : 985
    Windows 10 Home 21H1
    Thread Starter
       #7

    CountMike said:
    Windows use and installation is nothing different on SSD than it would be on HDD. Only precaution would be to make sure that SATA port is set to AHCI mode in BIOS. That helps SSD's proper operation, tells OS that it's actually an SSD, enables Trim command from OS to keep SSD clean and running at full speed.
    Ideally, you would have only one disk, (the one you intend to install OS on) connected or enabled so you have clear vision on what to install OS on. Once you install OS. you can reconnect other drive(s) and preferably delete all partitions made by previous OS installation and so restore some free space and make any futures mix-ups less likely.
    Hi Mike, My drives are both internal drives. 1x128 GB SSD and 1x1 Terabyte HDD so both will be connected. Does Windows Setup automatically install on SSD drive or do you select it... if there are two lots of unallocated space after deleting all partitions. That's one of the things Ive asked because I don't know. I want a proper clean installation so Im going to delete all partitions during set up on both drives.
    A Dell Tech guy seemed to suggest that I might have to go into Disk Management to somehow prepare the data disk after installing Windows 10 to the SSD drive. He said Windows only prepares the SSD so the internal HDD would have to be prepared somehow in Disk Management as that would be the data drive and it would show in Disk management as D:data but would show as unallocated space so not usable until manually prepared?
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  8. Posts : 19,516
    W11+W11 Developer Insider + Linux
       #8

    Once you delete any partition it becomes un-allocated and unformatted. If they are next to each other, they will become one unallocated partition.
    Number and sizes of those partitions is determined by OS installation. You can format them and merge them with other (useful) partitions using Disk management or dedicated programs/tools like Mini tool partition wizard Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free
    Could you please post a picture/snip of your Disk management ? Also check in BIOS if it's possible to inactivate just HDD temporarily until you install windows on SSD.
    Here's one of my setups:
    Clean Installation questions and SSD drives-image.png
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  9. Posts : 985
    Windows 10 Home 21H1
    Thread Starter
       #9

    CountMike said:
    Once you delete any partition it becomes un-allocated and unformatted. If they are next to each other, they will become one unallocated partition.
    Number and sizes of those partitions is determined by OS installation. You can format them and merge them with other (useful) partitions using Disk management or dedicated programs/tools like Mini tool partition wizard Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free
    Could you please post a picture/snip of your Disk management ? Also check in BIOS if it's possible to inactivate just HDD temporarily until you install windows on SSD.
    Here's one of my setups:
    Clean Installation questions and SSD drives-image.png
    Hi Mike. My Disk management is fine at the moment. Its brand new from Dell Factory so theres no unallocated space at all, The only reason I want to do a clean install is I want to get rid of all the Dell Bloatware so I have a clean Windows 10. Dell Tech said nothing about disabling HDD in BIOS so Im not gonna mess with that. Im just trying to find out what happens during the clean install process with my setup. Your setup is completely different to mine. Mine shows Disk 0 Data (D) which is HDD drive and is one single Primary Partition. The other is Disk 1 OS (C ) with EFI partition/WinReTools/Image/Dell Support partitions which is SSD drive
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  10. Posts : 19,516
    W11+W11 Developer Insider + Linux
       #10

    If you are clean installing on that SSD again, all you have to do is ti delete all the partitions from SSD during installation in one of first steps. other than that, it would be nothing different than clean install on a brand new drive (SSD or HDD).
    Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10 | Tutorials
    Clean Install Windows 10 | Tutorials
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