Trying to upgrade the Intel NVMe SSD. Need help please. (Model A717-72G-700J)

reddog000

My Aspire A717-72G-700J only came with the Intel 600P 256GB NVMe PCIe internal drive.  I have replaced it with a much bigger and faster 1TB NVMe PCIe (the XPG8200PNP from XPG/ADATA).  I have successfully copied the current Image from the Intel to my new NVMe BUT I am unable to expand the volume of C: drive to 1TB.

Do I have to delete all the Intel stuff or is this problem occurring because Acer Firmware v1.22 loads?  
What do I have to do so the entire space of the new NVMe drive is used?  (I am trying not to delete all my current stuff that is installed)

Thanks for any help in advance.

JackE

Standalone self-contained programs that install in their own sub-directories don't care since they usually have their own dlls and associated system files. However, these kinds of programs are becoming rarer and rarer nowadays so it's likely you're gonna have to re-install most of them on the D : \ not just move (cut/paste) them over. There are ways around this by redirection of startup directories or if they have text INI files. But this is usually more work than simply re-installing the package. Jack E/NJ  

JackE

What did you use to clone the drive? Macrium reflect should allow you to clone the smaller drive onto the larger drive. Alternatively, I think you could make an unallocated 750GB partition on the bigger drive leaving only 256GB available space upon which to clone the smaller drive. Then expand it later into the unallocated space. Jack E/NJ 

reddog000

Hi JackE,

Thanks a lot for your response!  I did not clone the smaller drive I just did a complete image straight onto a 256GB USB stick.(making an image instead of a clone gives me more flexibilty...a bit more work but I like to keep all the options I can).  I want the Intel drive gone but as you said I have an Unallocated 715GB section listed.  I think the two things possible for me are:

1) Leave the NVMe drive as is and just use the 256GB with the Unallocated partition (I have yet to assign a letter to it which is easily done).  I would like to shrink the former Intel partition to the size with just the WIN10 OS on that partition.  But I do not think that it will allow me to add the extra space (once shrinked) onto the Unallocated Partition.  It will just make another partition from that extra space.

2) Just bite the bullet and do two things....buy me a fresh copy of Win10 Home and redo the entire system with OS on one partition and all my other goodies on the other partition.  I will make sure to make an image of the way the drive is now to save the ACER RECOVERY part on the NVMe.  I can easily do this with the 256GB USB stick I purchased just for this purpose.  I can also go to my product page here at Acer to predownload all the DRIVERS listed for my Model.  Then install everything to make it perfect.  I am leaning towards this except I have to re-download and install all my files, settings and programs.

WHAT TO DO?

reddog000

Oh...and I also have a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO that I can plop in the extra drive bay.  This is where I will save my backup Image.  So I will have 1.5GB of overall space.

JackE

>>>So I will have 1.5GB of overall space. >>>

TB.

I like #1 better. Shrink the Windows partition leaving some comfortable wiggle room. Make the biggest D :  \ possible. If you later decide the Windows partition is too small, you can shrink D :  \ to easily create unallocated space immediately after the Windows partition using partition freeware like Minitool. Jack E/NJ  

reddog000

HAHA JackE,

Yeah what was I thinking 1.5TB of total space.  I think I am gonna take the #1 solution above as you like it better also.  Now I just need to move all the non OS C Drive  stuff over to my new D drive.  One issue now is that I have no idea if my programs that I move over to D will work since all their current install paths are to C Drive not the new partition D drive?

Anything I need to worry about here???  Never done this so I have no clue.

JackE

Standalone self-contained programs that install in their own sub-directories don't care since they usually have their own dlls and associated system files. However, these kinds of programs are becoming rarer and rarer nowadays so it's likely you're gonna have to re-install most of them on the D : \ not just move (cut/paste) them over. There are ways around this by redirection of startup directories or if they have text INI files. But this is usually more work than simply re-installing the package. Jack E/NJ  

reddog000

Nice thank you so much JackE for answering that!

I knew it would be a chore but as soon as I get all that stuff over to the new partition I will be set for awhile.  Most of it is my Steam Games but that will be easy.  I will just download the Steam client and install it on D drive.  Then all I have to do is use Steam's restore game from a backup file which will be from C drive onto the D drive.  There is one game, Forza 4 Horizon, that takes up around 100GB and it is from The Windows Store.  This is the biggie and I am not sure how to get that to the new partition.  I will have to do a little research and see if it is even possible.  But when I get done doing all this you better believe I will have the entire drive (all partitions) Imaged to my 3GB Seagate external HDD.

Thanks again for all you kind responses JackE.  Much appreciated!

JackE

Good luck with it. Have fun. Jack E/NJ