Hi, I wanted to know if it's okay with current version of Windows 10 to install it while other SSDs/HDDs are connected?
last time I installed Windows I had to remove all other drives so it wouldn't copy the bootloader on other drives and mess something up.
has this been fixed? I used the official tool to create a bootable drive so i'm thinking it will have the up to date image.
Third opinion: Only the target drive attached to the MB
There is a Top Guru that says he is so good that he doesn't do it.
As I'm not a Top Guru, I do detach the other drives.
Last edited by Megahertz; 21 Apr 2021 at 08:33.
As far as I know, leaving other drives connected doesn't guarantee that some Windows files will end up on the wrong drive, but it is a common occurrence.
If you like to live dangerously and like to do things twice, you can take your chances.
I'd think you can also disable the other drives in the BIOS if you refuse to disconnect cables.
I ususally disconnect the other drives when doing a clean install.
On the occasions that I've neglected to do that, I have always gotten away with it. (Nothing unwanted installed on the data drive.)
Feeling lucky?
I've never disconnected any drives. To me it was easier to learn how to do a manual install of Windows without using Windows setup.
If they are normal ssd`s or hard drives you don`t have to remove them (rhetorical) you just unplug the power cable.
If they are M.2`s you can just disable them in the Bios, but even then, you are taking a chance.
The choice is totally up to you. It takes seconds to unplug a drive, better safe than sorry.
It may take seconds to unplug a drive, but I would have to take out about 12 screws and pry off the bottom of my laptop to unplug the second SSD in it. On my desktop computer I would have to unplug 3 standard SATA drives and both an M.2 NVMe SSD and an M.2 SATA SSD on a PCIE expansion card. Just not gonna happen.
My primary desktop has 1 M.2 SSD plus one spinner (data drive). My secondary, one M.2 SSD and two spinners. My laptop, one SATA SSD. I don't have the same inducement as you to avoid using the normal Windows setup.
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