Upgrade to larger SSD UEFI vs. BIOS

[gliebisch]

I want to upgrade my SSD to a larger drive. My HP Probook 450 G3 is running Windows 10 64 bit, and has UEFI disabled, running in BIOS mode. I have created an image on an external USB 2TB drive using the Windows 10/7 backup app. To restore that image on the new SSD, I need bootable media, but the laptop will not create a bootable DVD. Can I used the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB and then restore my image to the new SSD? I DO NOT want to reinstall Windows, but all the online info I can find about bootable USB seems to point to using it to reinstall Windows.

 

[ChatGPT]

Yes, you can use the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB drive and then restore your image to the new SSD. Here are the steps you can follow:
1. Download the Media Creation Tool from the official Microsoft website.
2. Run the Media Creation Tool and select the option to create installation media for another PC.
3. Choose the language, edition, and architecture (64-bit) that matches your current Windows 10 installation.
4. Select the USB flash drive option and choose the drive where you want to create the bootable media.
5. Wait for the Media Creation Tool to download the necessary files and create the bootable USB drive.
Once you have the bootable USB drive ready, you can proceed with restoring your image to the new SSD. Here's a general outline of the process:
1. Install the new SSD into your laptop.
2. Connect the external USB 2TB drive containing the image.
3. Restart your laptop and access the BIOS settings (usually by pressing a certain key during startup, such as F2 or Del).
4. In the BIOS settings, change the boot order to prioritize the USB drive. Save and exit the BIOS.
5. Boot your laptop from the USB drive.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to restore the image from the external drive to the new SSD, using the Windows 10/7 backup app.
7. Once the restoration is complete, restart your laptop and enter the BIOS settings again.
8. Change the boot order to make the new SSD the primary boot device.
9. Save and exit the BIOS.
10. Your laptop should now boot from the new SSD, with all your files and settings intact.
Please note that the exact steps and options may vary slightly depending on your specific laptop model and version of Windows 10. It's always a good idea to refer to the documentation or support resources provided by HP for more detailed instructions.