If you want to install Windows 10 on a second SSD or hard drive, you can do it. There are many reasons to do it. You may want to test an unpublished version of Windows 10 or have your copy of Windows 10 on which you can boot by connecting and starting. In this guide, we will explain how to install Windows on a second SSD or HDD.
Install Windows 10 on the second SSD or hard drive
To install Windows 10 on a second SSD or HDD drive, you must:
- Create a new partition on the second hard drive SSD or Harddrive
- Create a bootable USB key Windows 10
- Use the custom option when installing Windows 10
Although you can do this, I suggest you do not remove the SSD or external hard drive unless it is necessary. When you install Windows, the boot loader registers the installed operating system path. If that's missing, it can be problematic. Also, do not remove the operating system from the primary SSD or hard drive, especially if you plan to remove the second SSD and plan to use it as needed.
1) Create a new partition on the second SSD or hard drive
Connect the secondary SSD or hard drive to your computer. The computer should detect it immediately. We need to prepare a secondary drive partition to install Windows. To do this we will use the built-in disk management tool.
If the file contains data, save them.
- Use Win + X at the same time to display the Power Tasks menu, and from the displayed options, choose Computer Management.
- In Computer Management, you will find the Storage option. Under this one, you will notice "Disk Management". Click to open it.
- If a volume already exists, right-click it and delete it.
- Now you will have unallocated storage. Right-click on it and create a simple volume.
Make sure to choose a size of at least 50 GB for the main partition. You can create extended partitions with the rest of the storage space. You are now ready to install Windows 10.
2) Create a bootable USB key Windows 10
Download the latest ISO and create a bootable USB device. Then plug in the USB drive and boot from it. You will need to change the boot priority so that it boots from the USB drive instead of the default hard drive.
3) Use the custom option to install on the new partition
When installing Windows 10 from the USB drive, choose the Custom option. When you use it, this gives you the option –Where do you want to install Windows? Here you can select the score you created in the steps above or choose the one titled Unallocated space. The installation of Windows will automatically activate the partition if necessary.
Here is a warning. Although you can create and manage partitions from here, it's easy to do so from the Disk Management tool because the interface is much cleaner. Not only do you have a limited option, but the interface is restricted. You may also end up deleting the first drive partition if you do not manage it properly.
The installation process should now proceed as usual. When the computer restarts, you will have the choice between one of the two operating systems. The SSD and hard drive will be available in the operating system, so you will have full access to the files.
We hope that the guide to install Windows on a 10-second SSD or HDD drive has been easy to follow.