The options you choose determine which partitions are cleared completely during a full wipe.
The options you choose determine which partitions are cleared completely during a full wipe.
You’re starting fresh with Windows 10 and need to wipe everything. With a 256GB SSD and a 1TB HDD, you can format both drives as needed. Begin by selecting the first drive (Drive 0) and click “Format,” then proceed to the second drive (Drive 1). You’ll be guided through the process step-by-step to ensure accuracy.
Maintain Drive 0 Partition 1 as the primary drive for the 256GB SSD. Allocate Drive 0 Partition 2 for system files from an OEM provider or similar. Designate Drive 1 Partition 1 as a hidden Windows partition and consider removing it. Use Drive 1 Partition 2 for the 1TB HDD; note that the reserved OEM partition is also safe to delete, as it contains nothing useful. Personally, I’d simply wipe all partitions and begin fresh on Drive 0.
You’re in the desktop setup and both drives are erased. Everything is functioning properly before the fresh install. I placed the USB as the first boot priority. After unplugging it, do I need to re-enter BIOS and set the SSD as the primary boot device? Yes, for an MSI B450 Tomahawk.