while Installing m.2 SSD is it mandatory to format HDD? If HDD partition type is MBR.

[shantanuguptakn]

My laptop is over 1 year old, I'm Installing Crucial m.2 SSD 250GB, and my HDD which is already pre-installed and HDD partition style is MBR and I've 3 Disk partition (C:[OS Partition], D:, E:). so is it compulsory to format the whole HDD or only Local C Drive (OS Drive) will format?

I want to install SSD m.2 for OS Purpose only.

My Disk HDD Properties  

Disk Management Properties 

(Image of my HDD Properties were not uploading here properly so I uploaded in my GITHUB Acc. link above)

[WAWood]

@shantanuguptakn 

Your formatting questions are confusing.

On the SDD, to use it for Windows, you need only the OS partition and System Reserved partition.  If you install Windows from scratch to that you will lose all the HP drivers and utilities in the process.  So, your better bet is to follow the instructions below about CLONING those partitions to the SSD.

Then, when you put the SSD into the laptop, it should boot OK.

But then you have the issue of what to do with the HDD because your laptop probably will not hold both drives.  To continue to use the HDD, you would have to buy a case to hold it, and then, you would need to remove the OS and system reserved partitions from it. But you could then reclaim that space and use it for data.

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What I recommend is the following:
1) Download and install Macrium Reflect (MR) from here: https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree
2) Connect the new drive to the PC using a USB-to-SSD drive adapter (like the one illustrated below)
3) Follow the instructions in this link: http://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW/Cloning+a+disk
4) Shutdown the PC when done
5) Swap the drives and reboot the PC.

NOTE: To do this easily, the SDD has to be the same capacity as the HDD.  IF you get an SDD that is a lot smaller, then before you do the cloning, you have to shrink the largest partition on the HDD (usually the OS partition), to the size such that it, and the other partitions, fit easily on the SSD.

You should boot from the new drive without any problems.

Typical USB-to-SSD adapter:

Good Luck

[shantanuguptakn]

Sorry, but My laptop has an m.2 slot. which contains SSD m.2  chip and HDD both. there is no need for connector