15 R3, new 1TB SSD, installing Windows 10

Hi @Reverend Speed welcome to this free user to user Alienware laptop discussion forum. This is not Dell Support. 

Support for Alienware 15 R3 Storage says that two NMVe drives can be installed.  Memory RAM & SSD Upgrades | alienware | alienware notebooks | Alienware 15 R3 | Crucial.com says 2TB NVMe drives can be installed. 

Advocate that Macrium Reflect Free is used  to get original Windows 10 64-bit OS(C:) boot drive cloned (copied) to the new 1TB SSD. Check to ensure that new 1TB SSD is created with GPT partition format so that BIOS boot list option UEFI can be enabled. When clone (copy) has been created, remove the original OS(C:) boot drive so that the 1TB SSD will then be your new OS(C:) boot drive. The original Windows 10 64-bit operating system on the 1TB drive will automatically retain its registration in the Microsoft database. 

The clone (copy) process does not change the original Windows 10 64-bit OS(C:) boot drive. This should be retained as your standby drive, just in case the 1TB OS(C:) drive cannot be recovered at some future date. 

Hello, the Windows 10 key is stored on the motherboard so you shouldn't have any issues installed Windows on a new drive and having it activate. You just need to select the same Windows version as you had before. For example, you can't install Pro for free if you only had the Home version. 

Personally, I would just do a nice clean Windows installation on the new drive and then let it do all the Windows Updates it wants to do. Then if you want you can just on the Dell Support page and enter your Service Tag to install any additional drivers that may be missing from Device Manager or you can use Support Assist, which I don't really like (Never upgrade your BIOS through Support Assist)

To reinstall Windows you just need to use the online Microsoft Media Creation Tool and install the ISO onto the thumb drive. Restart the laptop and press F12 to get into the Boot Menu. You select the thumb drive and start installing Windows. You will get to a drive select page so you just select the new SSD and away you go. 

That's just me but maybe someone else has another way that they like to do it. 

Use Macrium Reflect to image the existing drive over to the new one.

Be sure that before you boot the system for the first time after cloning, you swap the drives and remove the original from the system. Once it has successfully booted, you can return the original drive to the system and wipe it clean for use as a storage drive.

If your intention is to do a clean install, that's another option;  the system will pick up its digital entitlement and activate Windows the first time it connects to the Internet after installation.

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Thank you for the advice, folks! Some follow up questions...

If I clone the drive (the original 256GB to the new 1tb), will I have access to the extra space on the new 1tb past the cloned partitions?

Even if I don't choose to use Macrium Reflect Free to clone the original drive, should I ensure the 1tb SSD is set to GPT partition format so I can select to boot from it in BIOS?

If I choose to go with a clean install, do I still need to remove the original drive, or can I select the new 1tb as the boot in BIOS? If I understand @ejn63 correctly, a clean install obviates the need to remove the original drive.

My current intention is to wipe the original drive once everything's working - I don't have any information on my laptop that I don't have backed up elsewhere.

At the moment, I'm starting to think a straightforward install of Windows 10 to the 1tb seems like the most simple and most stable approach, but I'm open to suggestions!

Appreciate your advice, folks! =D

Hi @Reverend Speed thank you for sharing update. Have attempted to answer questions in the same order that they were posted. 

(1) Clone (copy) on new 1TB drive will occupy all of 1TB space when new OS(C:) partition size is instructed by Windows Disk Management, Clone application, etc. 

(2) The modern/new GPT partition format should be used, to get the extra reliability/security and BIOS/UEFI fast boot options. The old MBR partition format has been replaced by the new GPT partition format. 

(3a) Having created new 1TB OS(C:) boot drive, windows does not like more than one OS(C:) boot drive. Remove the original OS(C:) boot drive. 

(3b) Clean install the Windows operating system on the 1TB drive creates new OS(C:) boot drive. The original OS(C:) boot drive must be removed. 

(4) If the Alienware 15 R3 does not have a Dell warranty, you can decide to have original 256GB as Standby or Data drive. Warranty and Service Extension - Dell Community  You should have a disaster recovery plan for when the OS(C:) boot drive cannot be recovered. 

(5) If installing Windows operating system straight to 1TB drive, you can get a low cost Windows 10 Pro 64-bit licence from eBay. Use Windows 10 Update Assistant (crimsom) - Dell Community to install the most recent version. 

Please post more questions, the Dell community is always happy to provide answers. 

Macrium can resize the partitions on the fly to use the entire capacity of the new drive.

You should remove the original drive from the system when doing a clean install of the OS.  There is no need to partition or format the new drive -- the installation routine will take care of both tasks.

While installing Windows onto the drive is straightforward, then installing all the Alienware-specific software and drivers often is not -- if the existing drive is as shipped (or close), try cloning it first -- it will be a great time saver.

Again, thank you for your excellent advice.

If I clone the original drive, will I then be able to tell the computer to reset to factory state (including wiping my files on the hd)? Should I reset to factory state BEFORE cloning the drive? My files on the computer are backed up.

@crimsom ,

(3a/b) Then the procedure should be, 1) Clone old drive with resized partitions to 1tb drive, 2) shut down computer, 3) remove original drive (or replace with new 1tb drive?), 4) restart computer.

If I wish to format the old drive and use as storage on my laptop, should I reconnect the old drive after restarting the laptop with the new 1tb, having allowed the machine to see the new 1tb drive as boot? I would then format the old drive from Windows on the new 1tb drive.

(4) I believe that I am outside the Dell warranty on my Alienware 15 R3. I regularly backup my data to external drives.

(5) According to other sources, the laptop should be recognised as licensed for Windows when installing Win 10. Is this incorrect?

I appreciate your clear and informative responses!

@ejn63 ,

Thanks for your notes! I think I'll use Macrium and resize the user-accessible portions of the drive during the cloning process.

Cheers folks...!

Hi @Reverend Speed thank you for sharing additional information that personal files are backed up. 

(6) Use Windows Disk Management, to check that 256GB OS(C:) boot drive has hidden OS recovery partition. If clone (copy) the 256GB OS(C:) boot drive to the 1TB drive, the new 1TB OS(C:) boot drive can be used to reset to its factory state using its hidden partition.  All of the other content on the new 1TB OS(C:) boot drive can be removed. Factory Reset, Restore, or Reinstall Microsoft Windows on a Dell computer | Dell US 

(7) With all your files already backed up on a different drive, you may choose to install new Windows 10 on 1GB drive, and not clone (copy) from the 256GB OS(C:) boot drive, with its customised Alienware splash screen with F2 and F12 options, Alienware wall paper, etc. Factory Reset, Restore, or Reinstall Microsoft Windows on a Dell computer | Dell US 

(8) (3a/b) Then the procedure should be, 1) Clone old 256GB drive to 1TB drive with resized partitions, 2) shut down computer, 3) remove original 256GB drive and replace with new 1tb drive, 4) boot computer. BIOS should ask for confirmation that 1TB drive is to be your new boot drive. At Alienware splash screen, hold down F12 Key to enter boot menu to check that first boot entry is 1TB drive. 

(9) Start system with 1TB OS(C:) boot drive. If there is a problem with boot drive reassignment, you should connect an external drive enclosure installed with 256GB drive, reformat 256GB drive, rename as a Data drive. 

(10) Click on Product Support to see your Dell warranty status. 

(11) If same Windows operating system cloned (copied) onto new 1TB OS(C:) boot drive, the Microsoft licence continues to be valid. If new 1TB OS(C:) boot drive has new Windows operating system installed, Microsoft database will licence same version (Home or Professional). 

Hey folks. I finally managed to sit down and perform the operations on my laptop.

Everything went well, except that the factory  reset appears to have installed Windows 10 PRO on my machine, which doesn't match the machine's Windows 10 HOME license.

Can anybody advise me on how to reset this machine to Windows 10 HOME while retaining the Alienware software on the laptop?

...really frustrating, as otherwise all of your  advice proved 110% on the money. =/

EDIT: Sorry for double-posting, I didn't realise the last post had gone through.