My OS is on a 512gb M.2 drive, but the main storage on my laptop was a 1TB HDD, it started making noise about 2 weeks ago so I backed everything up onto a 1TB SanDisk USB SSD. This afternoon it got very clicky when I booted it up after work and icons for a few games I had stored on it, like KSP and YUZU, disappeared from the desktop and taskbar.
Just remember everything and you dont need a backup
Just don't store anything important and problem solved. Lol ;)