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‎10-26-2022 10:12 AM

HP Recommended
Product: OMEN by HP 45L Gaming Desktop PC GT22-0000i (393C6AV)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11

Hi,

My Omen 45L came with a 500G ssd. 

Now I have bought a 2TB Samsung ssd and I would like to make the new 2TB the Windows OS drive and use the smaller drive for misc. stuff.

There seems to be some contradicting information regarding the SSD slots on the motherboard, so I plan on moving the 500G drive to the secondary SSD slot and putting the 2TB drive where the small drive sits now.

 

So the question really is how I can re-install Windows on the new drive?  Will the license code be taken from the existing Windows installation?  Are there other things I need to keep in consideration?

 

Thanks!

Category:
1 person had the same question
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

‎10-26-2022 10:21 AM

HP Recommended

Hi:

 

The Windows product key is in your PC's BIOS, so you don't have to be concerned with that aspect.

 

If you want to transfer your existing drive's contents to the larger drive, you can make a system image of the contents using the free Macrium Reflect utility.

 

You want the program on the left side of the page under the Backup at Home section.

 

Macrium Software | Reflect Free Edition

 

Also make the bootable USB rescue drive that you will need to access the system image you stored to a portable hard drive.

 

Once you do that, you can install your new SSD.

 

Then boot from the rescue drive and install the image you created onto the new drive.

 

There is one thing you will need to do though so that you don't have any unallocated space remaining on the larger drive, after the system image you created is installed.

 

Upgrading to a larger hard drive (macrium.com)

 

Your other option would be to clean install W11 on the new drive, and it will automatically be activated by the product key in the BIOS.

 

Another option would be to see if your PC is supported by the HP cloud recovery tool which you can use to create a bootable USB recovery drive that will reinstall Windows, the drivers and the software that originally came with your PC on the new drive.

 

Here is an info link for how to use the utility.  You will need a 32 GB USB flash drive for that.

 

HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool in Windows 11 and 10 | HP® Customer Support

 

 

View solution in original post

1 person found this reply helpful
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3 REPLIES 3

‎10-26-2022 10:21 AM

HP Recommended

Hi:

 

The Windows product key is in your PC's BIOS, so you don't have to be concerned with that aspect.

 

If you want to transfer your existing drive's contents to the larger drive, you can make a system image of the contents using the free Macrium Reflect utility.

 

You want the program on the left side of the page under the Backup at Home section.

 

Macrium Software | Reflect Free Edition

 

Also make the bootable USB rescue drive that you will need to access the system image you stored to a portable hard drive.

 

Once you do that, you can install your new SSD.

 

Then boot from the rescue drive and install the image you created onto the new drive.

 

There is one thing you will need to do though so that you don't have any unallocated space remaining on the larger drive, after the system image you created is installed.

 

Upgrading to a larger hard drive (macrium.com)

 

Your other option would be to clean install W11 on the new drive, and it will automatically be activated by the product key in the BIOS.

 

Another option would be to see if your PC is supported by the HP cloud recovery tool which you can use to create a bootable USB recovery drive that will reinstall Windows, the drivers and the software that originally came with your PC on the new drive.

 

Here is an info link for how to use the utility.  You will need a 32 GB USB flash drive for that.

 

HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool in Windows 11 and 10 | HP® Customer Support

 

 

1 person found this reply helpful
Was this reply helpful? Yes No

‎10-26-2022 10:41 AM

HP Recommended

Thank you VERY much for the lightning fast response!!

Was this reply helpful? Yes No

‎10-26-2022 10:43 AM

HP Recommended

You're very welcome.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
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