GPT is another new thing to me. I reviewed the difference and GPT looks like the best option. When I start the install of windows and select GPT, will it then ask how many partitions I want? The SSD is a Samsung Evo 870 with 500 gb. How many partitions would be good for a drive this size? Sorry to ask simple questions like this but this new stuff is so very different than when I worked with computer in the 1980's and 1990's.Thanks
Again, you do not format or create partitions before the install. Windows 10 setup does it for you. Whether the install ends up being MBR or GPT depends upon which mode you boot the USB flash drive installer in. If you boot the USB flash drive installer in legacy BIOS (or CSM) mode, then Windows setup will partition the SSD using MBR. If you boot the USB flash drive installer in UEFI mode, then Windows setup will partition the SSD using GPT.
Again, do not format or create partitions, just let Windows setup do it. If you want to adjust partitions after setup, to create a data partition for example, you can do it after Windows is installed.
This is what you should install Windows 10 to:
A completely blank drive with no partitions created on it. If you choose to create partitions before installing Windows, you need to know exactly what you are doing or you be back asking us how to fix a failure to boot problem when the computer tries to boot from the SSD. It's much easier just to let Windows setup do it for you.
Did I mention do not create partitions before installing Windows and just let Windows setup do it for you?
Okay, I think I finally get it. Thank you for explaining it so well. I'm very appreciative of the help from this forum. There's a wealth of knowledge here.
That's what I would do. After transferring to the SSD you can try a repair install which will keep all programs and settings Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade
If you are still unhappy with performance then do a clean install.
Finally built up enough courage to install the SSD. Thanks to the great instructions I received on this forum everything went well and the computer is working great. I went from 5 minute boot times down to 25 seconds and programs are loading in mere seconds. I should have done this long ago.
I do have another question. When I did the SSD install, i simply pulled out my hard drive and put the SSD in its place. Now I would like to put the hard drive back to use for storage only. Since it still has the Windows operating system on it, will I have any problems by simply attaching it to another SATA plug? Will the computer be confused with two drives both with Windows? I'm thinking I just have to check the boot sequence in the Bios but I want to make sure before I mess my now super computer up.
I do still have some files on the hard drive I would like to copy. Then I want to format it.
You won't have any issues by just plugging the old hard drive into a SATA port. Like you said, if the computer wants to boot from it, all you have to do is go into BIOS and change the boot order back to SSD first. In fact, you can probably delete the old hard drive from the boot order completely.
Thank you for the very quick response. Now I read Windows 11 is coming out and I hope I can just upgrade to it without losing the computers new found speed.
As long as the computer meets all the hardware specs required by Windows 11, you should be able to. Scroll down to the bottom of this webpage and there is a compatibility checker:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11
I checked if my computer meets the requirements for Windows 11 and I'm surprised that it does not. Computer has a I7- 3770 @ 3.40 CPU and I thought that would be able to handle Windows 11 fine. Celeron CPU's are compatible which seems strange, Must be something else that prevents the upgrade. I'm okay with staying with Windows 10.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...tel-processors
Your 3rd generation i7 isn't supported. A select few 7th generation i7s are. The rest are all 8th generation and above.
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