Today we are upgrading the SSD of my Lenovo IdeaPad gaming laptop. It came with a 128GB M.2 SSD as the boot drive(C drive) which is very small by today's standards. Even phones come with more storage nowadays.
So first we will start with the backup of the data in the C drive. Remember we are replacing this drive so it will not be accessible once we remove it. Back up everything and delete sensitive information before removing it or selling it to anyone. You can wipe and backup your drive with many free tools like
1. EaseUS Todo backup free
2. Paragon Backup & Recovery
3. FBackup
4. Backup4all
5. Manually to External Drive
But today we will be doing a fresh install of windows. If you have a genuine Windows licence you may want to note down the product key or the windows account to which it is digitally linked. The simple way is to run this command in the command prompt.
wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
Remember to run the command prompt in administrator mode.
The next thing we need to prepare is a bootable windows drive. This is a really simple process. Search the windows media creation tool and download it. Connect the flash drive and follow the instructions to prepare a bootable drive.
It will take some time till then we will start disassembling the laptop to replace the drive.
Remove all the screws from the bottom and pry open the bottom panel.
Before touching anything remove the battery connector to safeguard electronics from any shorting. Then locate the SSD and remove the screw holding it in. I had the wifi antenna wires interfering so I have removed those and remember where they are connected to plug them back in. Remove the old drive and insert the new drive at an angle, press it down and tighten it with the screw. Align it properly with the slot on the drive. After tightening the screw, attach the antenna cables and battery cable back. While you are inside, also clean up the dust buildup.
Now close up everything and plug in the bootable drive we have created before powering on. It will detect the drive and go to the options to install windows. Follow the instructions and select the SSD we have installed judging from the storage. This will install windows in the SSD then restart the laptop in the installed windows
While restarting if it goes in the setup menu again, remove the USB and restart again.
After everything is installed and booted up update windows for all the automatically detected drivers. You can go to the manufacturer site and download compatible drivers too. This will take some time and you can proceed with the installation of other software.
Yay congratulations we have upgraded our c drive !!!
The detailed video has been linked below
Laptop Details: Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming
SSD Details: Western Digital WD SN550 250GB NVMe Internal SSD
