Hello guys,
I bought a new SSD (WD black sn770 2 TB) for my laptop and I also got a USB-C hub which includes a slot for an SSD. My old SSD is 512 GB
So here is what I want to do: I want to change to Linux from Windows 11. I want to keep my old SSD in the USB-C hub with Windows still installed in case I need it for some software/games but Linux will now be my main OS.
Are there any tips or recommendations on things I should look out for when doing this?
I also don’t know if I can just install Linux in what is ATM the external SSD and then swap it out afterwards with the SSD inside the laptop without having to do anything extra and if it will just work like that.
I plan on following this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfWdnCIrcxk.
Also any recommendations on how I can safely transfer some files? Do I need a special software?
In case interested this is the distro that I plan on using: https://garudalinux.org
As a side note, I did check that the SSD is compatible with my computer and has everything right.
You can probably just swap the SSD if your dock uses a protocol that Windows’ bootloader can understand. Some USB 3.2/Thunderbolt docks just seem to work with Windows, albeit a bit slower because of hubs and such that aren’t always top quality.
Just try it. It either boots or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t, it’s probably a massive pain to get working in the dock (best of luck to you if you’ll still try).
You should also check for updates/update your new SSD’s firmware, probably under Windows. Not a lot of brands make Linux installers and the automatic tools that check compatibility generally aren’t part of the Linux firmware downloads.
Re: file transfer: make sure you have your Bitlocker recovery key, or disable encryption on the Windows partition so you can access it in Linux. Other than that, just copy over the files. Linux can read Windows’ file system just fine. If you load the right drivers, Windows can also read file systems like btrfs or ext4 just fine.