Windows 10: Help with Partitions on a new SSD

Hi guys i have just upgraded my laptop HD to a 1g SSD Is it safe to partition this ssd without loosing the operating system that's already installed, and if so what program do you recommend Must be easy to use a hopefully free as i will only need it once I could use the disk management tool but i done understand the disk sizes i just need about 300 on the C drive and the rest for data Hope someone can advise me please I am running the latest windows 20H2

:)

 

W7 Hard drive partition issue

to get rid of that 100 meg windows partition that setup creates for you on a new install on a blank hdd:

- press shift+f10 when on the partition management screen in setup <-- this opens a command prompt
- diskpart <-- start the windows command line partition management tool
- list disk <--- list the installed hdds in this computer for the next step
- select disk 0 <- might have to replace 0 with the number of the correct disk
- clean <-- this will erase all data on the disk you selected one step up- dont use the wrong disk!
- create partition primary <- creates a primary partition taking up all space on the drive, adjust the command if necessary
- exit, exit to exit diskpart and the command prompt
- click refresh in partition manager and select your newly created partition and install to that

 

New SSD, is it performing properly?

i would suggest to secure erase it, and partition it so that the partition is 25% smaller than the SSD's size...
i believe that will Significantly increase the random access rate so that you won't experience the "pauses" that make SSD's seem slow... anandtech's lastest review of SSD's seem to make this suggestion.

TL;DR... size your SSD 25% smaller than it's size. (windows partition...)

 

Help With Partition Management


If you really want your Windows to look like as if you do a fresh install and without losing what you currently have in C: Drive. Here's my suggestion:

1. Make a complete backup image of your current HD including all partitions to an external HD using Macrium Reflect Free . Once done, disconnect all USB devices from the PC. Assuming now you only have one HD connected to the PC which you will be installing Windows.
   IMPORTANT: Also create a Macrium Rescue disk to boot from later on.
2. Boot up your Windows installation USB/DVD. On the first screen, Hold SHIFT + F10 to open Command Windows then type:
   Diskpart
   select disk 0
   clean
   exit
3. Click Next, Choose Custom, select the unallocated partition then click Next (Do not format), when asked for Product ID key, click on "Skip this step"/"Do it later". Continue the Installation.
4. Once done. With the external HD connected, Reboot your PC with the Macrium Rescue disk, select the image that you created in step 1 as the Source.
5. Select your current HD/SSD as Destination disk
6. Restore only C: Drive to it. ie. overwrite the new C: Drive with your backup C: Drive.
   NOTE: See screen shot on how to perform this step
7. Disconnect all the external devices. Reboot. Windows should perform a startup repair.

Once finish, you should end up with the partition scheme as follows:

1. Recovery partition - 450MB
2. EFI System partition - 100MB
3. MSR Reserved partition - 16MB (Hidden from Disk Management but seen by Macrium or diskpart)
4. Your old Windows C: Drive with all the installed software.

Screen shot: Click once on #1 (C: Drive), click "Delete Existing Partition" on #2, Click & Drag #3 and drop to #1. Click Next->Finish