New SSD. What partitions to create for Win 10 (UEFI)?

[Frank E]

I've a new SSD arriving soon a Samsung 860 which will replace a Samsung 840.

My current setup has a number of partitions and I'm not sure whether the Samsung Migration Tool will image them across.

Recovery-300MB ...................Healthy OEM Partition
..............100MB ..................Healthy EFI System Partition
C:...........109.56GB... NTFS...Healthy Boot, Crash Dump Primary
.......?......875MB........NTFS...Healthy OEM Partition
..............475MB...................Unallocated
........?.....424MB........NTFS ..Healthy Primary Partition

(I'm not sure what 875MB OEM and the last (424MB) partition are for.)

Will the Migration tool make the necessary GPT partitions?
If not how do I make the GPT UEFI partition and get whatever is needed on there for the UEFI?
I'm not keen on installing Windows 10 from scratch then all the applications, I've already enough reinstallation to do to get the applications off my spinning E drive to the C drive.
I also don't have an ISO of my Windows 10 OS it was installed from Windows 8.

What to do please?

[Kumagoro]

Is it not already GPT if it has an EFI parition?

If the migration tool doesnt work and it is going from MBR to GPT there is this https://www.windowscentral.com/how-c...efi-windows-10

I know it works as I used it recently.

[Mr_Jon]

Yes, the tool will create all the necessary partitions - and it will be good enough for basic usage.

It can however create problems for enabling things like bitlocker, as certain things in the system and boot partitions get copied and don't point to the new destinations (or any at all).

It's more of a hassle, but I'd recommend a fresh install for the long run. The download media is free and the license is either tied to your microsoft account, or it's your windows 8 key. Doesn't take very long at all nowadays, I was up and running in less than an hour with everything reinstalled (windows takes around 10-15 mins, then I'd already amassed all the other installation programs I'd needed).

[aidanjt]

It's more of a hassle, but I'd recommend a fresh install for the long run.

Agreed, while I'm sure the migration tool will work (at worst it wont and you'll have to reinstall on the new SSD anyway), if you have a few hours to spare reinstalling is the best option, it'll give you a fresh copy of Windows, free of cruft. Run all the updates, install the programmes you need, and copy your stuff back over. That way you wont just have the advantage of a shiny new faster SSD, but you'll have a shiny new Windows install not bogged down with rubbish.

[Frank E]

Is it not already GPT if it has an EFI parition?

If the migration tool doesnt work and it is going from MBR to GPT there is this https://www.windowscentral.com/how-c...efi-windows-10

I know it works as I used it recently.

Those partitions are my current drive. I assume the SSD will arrive unpartitioned.

That process rings a bell but it was 5 years ago I installed my PC from bare metal.

[Frank E]

Yes, the tool will create all the necessary partitions - and it will be good enough for basic usage.

It can however create problems for enabling things like bitlocker, as certain things in the system and boot partitions get copied and don't point to the new destinations (or any at all).

It's more of a hassle, but I'd recommend a fresh install for the long run. The download media is free and the license is either tied to your microsoft account, or it's your windows 8 key. Doesn't take very long at all nowadays, I was up and running in less than an hour with everything reinstalled (windows takes around 10-15 mins, then I'd already amassed all the other installation programs I'd needed).

I don't think I can use Bitlocker. My TPM is a 1.2, 20 pin. Some pins that are on the 2.0 aren't connected on my TPM header and Windows spits its dummy out at my 1.2 TPM. I'm not that bothered about it I'll get a few ore years out of this Motherboard, CPU and RAM.

I was hoping to receive the SSD today. I'm on 1809 less than 4GB left,there's an update (1903) paused and today is day 7 of the 7 day pause. Last time I did un update 1803 to 1809 windows stuck in with its size 12s didn't check there was adequate disk space and trashed the VM and these days there are no regbackup files to rebuild.

[Mr_Jon]

I don't think I can use Bitlocker. My TPM is a 1.2, 20 pin. Some pins that are on the 2.0 aren't connected on my TPM header and Windows spits its dummy out at my 1.2 TPM. I'm not that bothered about it I'll get a few ore years out of this Motherboard, CPU and RAM.

I was hoping to receive the SSD today. I'm on 1809 less than 4GB left,there's an update (1903) paused and today is day 7 of the 7 day pause. Last time I did un update 1803 to 1809 windows stuck in with its size 12s didn't check there was adequate disk space and trashed the VM and these days there are no regbackup files to rebuild.

Bitlocker only comes with win 10 pro - I forgot to mention that, so if it's not pro don't worry (there is a way of enabling it without a tpm, if you are on pro anyway).