Adding a new ssd

[anyname]

I have a Dell Inspiron 3268 Desktop that i would like to fit a new ssd to.I brought up the bios and it was not at all like the bios i have been used to.I have a bit of experience with computers and adding hdds but this was new to me.The name that came up was UEFI.If i was to fit a second hdd(an ssd) how would i clone it and set it as one to boot from?There is no boot order showing in this new bios.The operating system is windows 10.

 

[Ian]

Hi @anyname

I've had a read of the manual and it looks like there are 2 x 2.5" drive bays, at least one of which I presume is unused. Did you buy (or are looking to buy) a 2.5" SATA SSD? I don't think there's an M.2. SSD slot (a newer type of SSD).

How you migrate your data depends a little on how your system is set up. Macrium Reflect Free (for home use) will likely allow you to clone your HDD > SSD:

https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree

You'll need to have both your HDD and SSD physically installed and connected at the same time, but I don't think you'll need to tinker with the BIOS at this point (unless the boot order gets confused).

There's a bit of info on how to clone here:

https://blog.macrium.com/techie-tuesday-cloning-a-disk-764bed0ad6e1

 

[anyname]

Thanks for the reply and the links Ian.Yes ,i am looking to buy a ssd to add to the existing one and to use the ssd as the one to boot from. The query really was ,how do you set the new ssd in the boot menu as the first if you cannot see the list?

 

[Ian]

Once you've got the SSD installed and it has bootable data on it, it should appear in the boot sequence list in the BIOS. I'm not sure how that exact BIOS works, but from a quick Google it looks like it should appear under: General > Boot Sequence.

Are you removing the old mechanical HDD once the SSD is installed? If so, you may not need to change anything in the BIOS anyway. You would need to switch things if you're keeping the drive as a secondary storage device though.

 

[anyname]

The idea i had is to keep the HHD that is installed and use that for photos music etc .That was why i wanted to know how to change the boot order so i could boot from the SSD.