How To Change Your Windows Boot Drive to a Solid State Drive
Windows boot drive is a critical component of your computer. It stores the operating system and all the software you need to run your computer, as well as any data that you have saved on the drive, such as music files, documents, and photos. If a boot drive becomes corrupted or damaged, it can result in a system crash or data loss. Fortunately, there are a few ways to fix this issue without having to reinstall your computer’s operating system.
Introduction to Solid State Drives
Solid state drives (SSDs) are popular due to their speed, performance, and the fact that they don’t require a moving or spinning disk to operate. They also consume less power than their hard drive counterparts, which results in less heat and longer battery life. SSDs are more reliable because they use a single piece of memory rather than multiple pieces. Data is written on flash memory cells as opposed to on rotating platters like hard drives. This makes them faster and more efficient than traditional hard drives.
An SSD is a great way to improve system performance by replacing your boot drive or upgrading it with an SSD when you have one available. The best time to do this would be when you’re doing a fresh install of Windows 10 on your computer. To replace your boot drive with an SSD during this process, follow these steps:
1) Boot into Windows 10
2) Select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Change UEFI/Legacy Boot Priority
3) Under UEFI Firmware Settings, click the + sign next to Legacy Boot Devices in order to add another entry
4) Click Add A Device >> SATA HDD / SATA SSD >> Controller: Intel >> Model Number: P3700 >> Capacity: 128GB
5) Enter the Serial Number for your boot drive in the field provided above then click Save Changes. That’s it! Your PC will now start using the new solid state
What is a Solid State Drive?
A solid state drive (SSD) is a hard drive that uses flash memory to store data instead of spinning magnetic disks. SSDs have no moving parts and can access data faster than traditional drives, which makes them more durable and reliable. If you’re looking to upgrade your computer’s boot drive, but don’t want to empty the contents of your current boot drive, you can switch them without having to reinstall your operating system.
How to change your boot drive to a SSD
First, you’ll need a Windows 7 or Windows 8 Pro installation disc. If you don’t have these, you can download them from Microsoft’s website.
Next, format your existing boot drive to the appropriate partition size for an SSD. This is done by right-clicking on your boot drive and choosing “format.” Then select the size of your new SSD in the next window that opens.
Then install Windows to your newly formatted SSD drive. Once installed, you will notice a boot drive icon on the Windows 8 taskbar with a red exclamation point next to it. Hover over this icon and select “Change Drive Letter and Paths” from the menu that pops up. Choose “Move The Current Boot Loader To This Drive,” then follow the prompts to complete this process.
How do I change the boot drive in Windows 10?
In Windows 10, you can change the boot drive by following these steps:
1. Click on the Start Menu and search for “Change PC Settings”.
2. Select Update and Recovery from the menu that appears.
3. At the bottom of this window, click on Advanced Startup Options.
4. On the next page, select Troubleshoot.
5. In Troubleshooting, click on Advanced options in UEFI Firmware settings to enable UEFI/CSM support in Windows 10. This option is only available if your computer has a UEFI firmware setup or supports CSM mode booting (a few older machines with UEFI firmware).
6. Next to Boot sequence, select Change what you see on screen – there should be an option to choose a different boot device.
FAQs about Changing Your Boot Drive
Q: If I change my boot drive, will my current operating system be affected?
A: No, changing your boot drive has no effect on the current operating system. Q: What are the benefits of switching to a solid state drive (SSD)?
A: Solid state drives offer faster performance and better responsiveness than traditional hard drives and have less wear and tear. Moreover, they consume less power and last longer than their mechanical counterparts.
Why not consider these benefits when deciding whether or not to switch to an SSD? Q: What is the best way to do this?
A: There are several ways you can change your boot drive without reinstalling Windows. This includes resetting it using Command Prompt, the Disk Management tool in Windows 10, or by using a third-party application like Acronis True Image for Windows. Consult your computer manufacturer’s website for more information about how to do this process from within your computer’s settings menu.
Conclusion
With a solid state drive, you’ll notice a drastic improvement in performance, and your computer will boot up a lot faster than with a traditional hard drive.
If you’re looking for a new computer but want to upgrade your old machine to a SSD, this article is for you. You’ll learn how to change your boot drive and how to do it in Windows 10.
