Getting ready for a new OS install...

[Easto]

I'm getting ready to wipe my C drive and put a new Win 10 copy down. I'm getting a lot of funny things happening and I believe they may be tied to either some corrupt files or a bad HDD. I'm using the mediacreationtool.exe and will be installing it on a new HDD (WD Blue). I may pickup an SSD but I really don't need the speed so I may just go with the WD for now. I have the ISO files on a USB and will be installing from there. This brings up 2 questions...

1. Will the mediacreationtool app work with a new unformatted drive? Will it give me the opportunity to format the drive before installing the OS? I'm pretty sure it will format the drive just like a regular install? I just had to ask.
2. I really don't have many critical applications, and the ones I have (Cubase and Lightroom) I know what to backup etc. I'm just looking for some help/ideas on what to back up. The reason I ask is that one time I had all the bases covered and forgot to backup Outlook. I was only able to retrieve what was still on my ISP's mail server but I lost all my contact and calendar. I just it was just a brain fart. So, before I get under way I was wondering what you might have on your list of back "requirements". I already have my bookmarks and "PST" files. I was just wondering what else may be on your "to do" list?

[Easto]

If the new install goes correctly I think I'm going to go with a OS SSD "SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 250GB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-75E250B/AM" and a "SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 500GB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-75E500B/AM" for pictures and sound files and then use the WD Blue in a external eSATA enclosure and use it for backups. It would be detached from the main rig whenever a backup is done.

I'm confused, suggestions please. Does this make sense?

[Mark]

ya OS goes on fastest drive you have in your system

[YeOldeStonecat]

Good choice on the Samsung Evo SSD.
WD Blue drives...stay far far away. Wicked high failure rates...haven't seen a model with a high failure rate like the blues since the Quantum Bigfoot drives.

[Easto]

I was thinking of using the Blue for backups that are done about once a week. It won't see a lot of hours.

[YARDofSTUF]

I'm in need of a new system and planning on a 512GB SSD for oss, apps, games, and a 1 or 2 TB hdd for data, hitachi deskstars are cheap and based on backblaze usage of them pretty reliable. 1TB drives are cheap, get 1 for the system and another to put in a backup enclosure.

[Philip]

I use Hitachi Deskstars lately everywhere, including my NAS, they've been great.. Much more reliable than Seagate/WD according to Backblaze and other tests.

For SSD, I'd get either Samsung EVO or an Intel 545s if I was buying today.

[Easto]

I'm still having the network card problem in my other thread. I've tried everything. I give up. Although the only inconvenience is that I have to turn my computer on about 15 seconds before I turn on my monitor... I'm sure something else will be breaking soon and I want to beat it to the punch. I'm starting to spec out a new machine, CPU/Mobo/Memory/SSD/SSD and backup HDD. I'd like to go all out on this build. Not bleeding edge, but top shelf. Fortunately, all the software I use regularly, Lightroom and Cubase are spec'd for my current build so any upgrades are just going to sweeten the performance of those programs.