Lessons I learned from a system with only 32GB storage


Kim Parker said:
Hasleo has a neat program "WintoUSB". 3 versions - free, professional, and enterprise. The free version can create a "Windows to go" on a USB SSD drive. it can even clone a current install to another usb or thunderbolt drive. The free version can also clone a current running Windows to a USB Drive. The Pro version can do the same thing and also to a Thunderbolt drive.

The Hasleo "Windows to go" can be used on other computers. I believe it uses the drivers from the computer it is plugged in to. I tried making a W2G on an SSD and it is just as fast as any of my other installs on hard drives.

This program doesn't require only certain approved drives, it can be installed to any kind. This might be a solution for laptops that don't have enough storage. That is, just bypass then boot up with the W2G.
Click to expand...
Instructions downloaded and printed.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90...16384 MBytesIntel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy TE01-1xxx
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz
    Motherboard
    16.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1463MHz (21-21-21-47)
    Memory
    16384 MBytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor 1 - Acer 27" Monitor 2 - Acer 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G-1006 (SSD)
    Seagate ST1000DM003-1SB102
    Seagate BUP Slim SCSI Disk Device (SSD)
    PSU
    HP
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    Standard
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    500 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's all Folks!

  • At a glance

    Windows 11Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 1070016 GBIntel UHD Graphics 630
    Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 10700
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 27" & Samsung 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x
    Hard Drives
    SSD (512 GB)
    HDD (1 TB)
    Seagate
    PSU
    Intel i7 10th Generation
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    HP/Intel?
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    50 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox 90.2
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Headphone/Microphone Combo
    SuperSpeed USB Type-A (4 on front)
    HP 3-in-One Card Readr
    SuperSpeed USB Type-C
    DVD Writer
I have some questions, I want to buy laptop with similar specs.

1. How fast is eMMC compared to HDD? My current Lenovo IdeaPad Z50-75 is way more powerfull, but HDD drags it down. It is too powerfull for it's own good, it takes too much power and is loud as hell, so replacing HDD with SSD would not be much help.

2. It has Windows 10 Pro upgradable to 11, but I read that you need to load a driver during a clean install? I want to create a separate partition for system backup. It has 128GB, so I guess the minimum is 52GB and leave the rest to rest.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Home26H2CanAMD Ryzen 5 8600G (07/24)2x32GB Kingston FURY DDR5 5600 MHz CL36 @5200...ASROCK Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8G @48FPS ...
OS
Home26H2Can
Computer type
PC/Desktop
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 8600G (07/24)
Motherboard
ASROCK B650M-HDV/M.2 (07/24) BIOS 4.21 AGESA ComboAM5 1.3.0.1 (04/26)
Memory
2x32GB Kingston FURY DDR5 5600 MHz CL36 @5200 CL36 (07/24)
Graphics Card(s)
ASROCK Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8G @48FPS (08/24)
Sound Card
Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus (05/24)
Monitor(s) Displays
24" Philips 24M1N3200ZS/00 (05/24)
Screen Resolution
1920×1080@165Hz via DP1.4
Hard Drives
Kingston KC3000 NVMe 2TB (05/24)
ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 512GB (07/19)
PSU
Seasonic Core GM 550 Gold (04/24)
Case
Fractal Design Define 7 Mini with 3x Noctua NF-P14s/12@555rpm (04/24)
Cooling
Noctua NH-U12S with Noctua NF-P12 (04/24)
Keyboard
HP Pavilion Wired Keyboard 300 (07/24) + Rabalux 76017 Parker (01/24)
Mouse
Logitech M330 Silent Plus (01/26)
Internet Speed
500/100 Mbps via RouterOS (05/21) & TCP Optimizer
Browser
Edge, Brave for YouTube, LibreWolf for FB
Antivirus
NextDNS blocking 1/3 Traffic
Other Info
Phone: Motorola Moto G86 (02/26)
Backup: Hasleo Backup Suite (PreOS)
Headphones: Sennheiser RS170 (09/10)
Chair: Huzaro Force 4.4 Grey Mesh (05/24)
Notifier: Xiaomi Mi Band 9 Milanese (10/24)
FlexCore USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (M) to LAN (F) (08/25)
TairikuOkami said:
I have some questions, I want to buy laptop with similar specs.

1. How fast is eMMC compared to HDD?
Click to expand...
I would avoid anything with eMMC, it's soldered direct to the motherboard and cannot be upgraded. 128GB is the largest available, also it is slower than a propper SSD.
There’s nothing wrong with eMMC—in theory. Your digital camera probably doesn’t need a full SSD with its increased size, complexity, and price. However, when you’re buying a laptop or tablet, the limitations of eMMC become more apparent. As with SD cards, not all eMMC storage is created equal—some eMMC storage is slower than others. However, all eMMC storage will be slower than a proper SSD.
Click to expand...
www.howtogeek.com

eMMC vs. SSD: Not All Solid-State Storage Is Equal

Not all solid-state storage is as fast as an SSD. “eMMC” is the kind of flash storage you’ll find in cheap tablets and laptops. It’s slower and cheaper than a traditional SSD you’d find in more expensive computers.
www.howtogeek.com www.howtogeek.com

TairikuOkami said:
My current Lenovo IdeaPad Z50-75 is way more powerfull, but HDD drags it down. It is too powerfull for it's own good, it takes too much power and is loud as hell, so replacing HDD with SSD would not be much help.
Click to expand...
Your HDD would take a 2.5" SATA SSD as a direct replacement. SSD's, even the SATA ones, are faster and would be a big help.

A typical platter-based single hard drive won't exceed read and write speeds of 250MB per second, whereas a basic SATA-bus SSD will routinely peak at transfer rates twice that.
Click to expand...
uk.pcmag.com

SSD vs. HDD: What's the Difference?

Solid-state drives have replaced hard disks as the storage of choice for most PCs, but a few situations still call for an HDD. Here's what you need to know to decide which is best for your needs.
uk.pcmag.com uk.pcmag.com
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
My ASUS Transformer T100TA has only 32GB of storage but I added a 32GB SDHC card and use Funduc's 'Application Mover' to move some apps to the SD card.
I know this card will eventually fail but then I can install a new one and do a restore. It seems like magic to me, even Application Mover itself now resides on the SD card (apart from its registry entries)!
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8655AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics16GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8655
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic LX15PRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics
    Memory
    16GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD 2TB
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    Acer Swift SF114-34 laptop
    OS Windows 11 Pro 26200.8524
    CPU Pentium Silver N6000
    RAM 4GB
    SSD Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB (an upgrade)

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506Atom N450 1.66GHz2GB
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
TairikuOkami said:
1. How fast is eMMC compared to HDD?
2. It has Windows 10 Pro upgradable to 11, but I read that you need to load a driver during a clean install?
Click to expand...
OK, to answer my own questions, for the future reference.

1. It is super fast, laptop with dual core Celeron 1,1GHz is even faster than my PC with 6-core 3,6GHz and NVMe. :boom:
2. I registered MSA, just to be sure, but Pro licence is in BIOS, so clean install with a backup partition was no problem.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Home26H2CanAMD Ryzen 5 8600G (07/24)2x32GB Kingston FURY DDR5 5600 MHz CL36 @5200...ASROCK Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8G @48FPS ...
OS
Home26H2Can
Computer type
PC/Desktop
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 8600G (07/24)
Motherboard
ASROCK B650M-HDV/M.2 (07/24) BIOS 4.21 AGESA ComboAM5 1.3.0.1 (04/26)
Memory
2x32GB Kingston FURY DDR5 5600 MHz CL36 @5200 CL36 (07/24)
Graphics Card(s)
ASROCK Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8G @48FPS (08/24)
Sound Card
Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus (05/24)
Monitor(s) Displays
24" Philips 24M1N3200ZS/00 (05/24)
Screen Resolution
1920×1080@165Hz via DP1.4
Hard Drives
Kingston KC3000 NVMe 2TB (05/24)
ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 512GB (07/19)
PSU
Seasonic Core GM 550 Gold (04/24)
Case
Fractal Design Define 7 Mini with 3x Noctua NF-P14s/12@555rpm (04/24)
Cooling
Noctua NH-U12S with Noctua NF-P12 (04/24)
Keyboard
HP Pavilion Wired Keyboard 300 (07/24) + Rabalux 76017 Parker (01/24)
Mouse
Logitech M330 Silent Plus (01/26)
Internet Speed
500/100 Mbps via RouterOS (05/21) & TCP Optimizer
Browser
Edge, Brave for YouTube, LibreWolf for FB
Antivirus
NextDNS blocking 1/3 Traffic
Other Info
Phone: Motorola Moto G86 (02/26)
Backup: Hasleo Backup Suite (PreOS)
Headphones: Sennheiser RS170 (09/10)
Chair: Huzaro Force 4.4 Grey Mesh (05/24)
Notifier: Xiaomi Mi Band 9 Milanese (10/24)
FlexCore USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (M) to LAN (F) (08/25)
TairikuOkami said:
OK, to answer my own questions, for the future reference.

1. It is super fast, laptop with dual core Celeron 1,1GHz is even faster than my PC with 6-core 3,6GHz and NVMe. :boom:
2. I registered MSA, just to be sure, but Pro licence is in BIOS, so clean install with a backup partition was no problem.
Click to expand...
I don't know how you arrived at the conclusion that eMMC is faster than a system with NVMe. In real life, eMMC storage is drastically slower than even the slowest of NVMe drives, unless there is something very wrong on the system with NVMe.

I happen to be in a unique position to really do a good comparison because I have a system that has both eMMC and an NVMe in the very same system, so if I run benchmarks it will be on the very same system, giving us a real apples to apples comparison.

I already have a number of tasks to get to today that I have promised others but I will get you those benchmarks later on (possibly this evening).
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-14650HX32 GBNo GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    OS
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic
    CPU
    Intel i7-14650HX
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Varies as machine will often be moved to locations with different monitors
    Screen Resolution
    Varies
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    120W Power Brick
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-1255U16 GBIntel Iris Xe Graphics
    Operating System
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
eMMC storage is mostly found in phones, as well as some of the best cheap laptops. The "embedded" part of the name comes from the fact that the storage is usually soldered directly onto the device's motherboard. eMMC storage consists of NAND flash memory — the same stuff you'll find in USB thumb drives, SD cards, and solid-state drives (SSD) — which doesn't require power to retain data.

How fast is eMMC storage?


Speed difference between 64GB eMMC and 128GB SSD in the Surface Go.

The current standard for eMMC storage is v5.1A, which can effectively deliver transfer speeds of up to about 400MB/s. That's not necessarily slow, and SATA SSDs will top out around the same.
Click to expand...

eMMC vs. SSD storage: What's the difference?
www.windowscentral.com

eMMC vs. SSD storage: What's the difference?

Storage in a laptop is a big deal. How does eMMC compare to an SSD? You should know the differences before buying a new device.
www.windowscentral.com www.windowscentral.com
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.6901)AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon 680M GPU (486MB...Crucial DDR5-4800 (2400MHz) 32GB (2 x 16GB)NVIDIA RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB RAM)
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.6901)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (2022)
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon 680M GPU (486MB RAM)
    Memory
    Crucial DDR5-4800 (2400MHz) 32GB (2 x 16GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB RAM)
    Sound Card
    n/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6-inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 300Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 990 Evo Plus (2TB M.2 NVME SSD)
    PSU
    n/a
    Mouse
    Wireless Mouse M510
    Internet Speed
    2100Mbps/300Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.8246)AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3DG.SKILL Flare X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3060TI-08G-V2-GAMING (RTX 3...
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.8246)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom build
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming WiFi II
    Memory
    G.SKILL Flare X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3060TI-08G-V2-GAMING (RTX 3060-Ti, 8GB RAM)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung G50D IPS 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1440p/180Hz
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG 990 EVO Plus (2TB] M.2 NVME SSD
    SAMSUNG 990 EVO Plus (4TB) M.2 NVME SSD
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x (750 watts)
    Case
    Cooler Master MasterCase 5
    Cooling
    Scythe Mugen 6
    Keyboard
    Logitech K520 (MK540 keyboard/mouse combo)
    Mouse
    Logitech M310 (MK540 keyboard/mouse combo)
    Internet Speed
    2100 Mbps down / 300 Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes (Premium)
    Other Info
    ASUS Blu-ray Burner BW-16D1HT (SATA) || Western Digital Easystore 20TB USB 3.0 external hard drive used with Acronis True Image 2025 backup software || HP OfficeJet Pro 6975 Printer/Scanner
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