New SSD confusion

JackDscott · May 8, 2013

I recently bought a 120gb kingston hyperx ssd in an attempt to speed up my pc. I have installed it but want to have it run my OS and various programs but keep the large bulk of music and videos on my 1tb HDD is it possible to have them run side by side as I dont want to delete alot of my things on the HDD? any help as to how I would do this will be much appreciated

warezme · May 8, 2013

You would need to install your OS on the new SSD. If the original OS is still on your old drive, windows will continue to use that drive as the boot drive. The best way is to disconnect the old drive and then install Windows and unfortunately all your old apps onto the new SSD. You do this so Windows doesn't get confused because there is a prior boot sector on the old drive. Disconnecting it, gives Windows only one choice. I have seen some weird things happen when two boot sectors are present for the same OS. This is generally a good idea anyway as you get a nice fast fresh copy of windows and you only put the minimal number of apps on the SSD and install the rest on the bigger slower drive. You can hand pick what is important and you want accelerated to be installed on the SSD.

JackDscott · May 8, 2013

warezme :

You would need to install your OS on the new SSD. If the original OS is still on your old drive, windows will continue to use that drive as the boot drive. The best way is to disconnect the old drive and then install Windows and unfortunately all your old apps onto the new SSD. You do this so Windows doesn't get confused because there is a prior boot sector on the old drive. Disconnecting it, gives Windows only one choice. I have seen some weird things happen when two boot sectors are present for the same OS. This is generally a good idea anyway as you get a nice fast fresh copy of windows and you only put the minimal number of apps on the SSD and install the rest on the bigger slower drive. You can hand pick what is important and you want accelerated to be installed on the SSD.

But how would I just install the OS from my HDD with out anything else?

Isaiah4110 · May 8, 2013

Did you build your PC yourself or is it a pre-built, branded (HP, Gateway, Acer, Lenovo, etc.) PC?

JackDscott · May 8, 2013

Isaiah4110 :

Its a pre-built Packard bell

RetiredChief · May 8, 2013

1) You need a copy of win installation disk - DON'T need to Buy. Just barrow a copy or go to uSoft down load and download the ISO. Cavet - get the same version, ie if HOME Premium get that version. If you download the ISO version then create a bootable dvd (need to select ISO image in burning program as you can NOT copy as you would a regualr file. Do not recommend using a "restore disk"

2) Important.
.. A. Disconnect HDD, connect SSD
.. B. When Powering on go to bios and verify or change the HDD control from IDE to AHCI. SSDs do NOT like IDE mode.
..C. Install windows to SSD. DO NOT enter the Key code when prompted. Wait untill you have installed windows, Let windows do it's updates, install drivers (Get drivers by going to Packard bell MB/system support page. download and install. Then Install all the programs you need. TEST it.
..D If all is well, then activate using the KEY code that came with your computer.

.. E. When Happy, power down, connect up HDD. Power on and again go to BIOS and make sure that first Boot device is the SSD, NOT the HDD. PS it is OK to have the CD/DVD as first boot device and your SSD as 2nd - just make sure no bootable DVD is in DVD drive.

ENJOY, the blazing speed of your SSD

Added: Untill you delete windows from the HDD, you will be able to boot to EITHER the SSD or the HDD.
.. When powering on, just go to bios and set HDD as first bootable Hard drive
OR
.. Best/simplest way is to us the Funtion Key that you can hit while the sysem is in POST. On my Gigabyte MB it is F12 and My Asrock MB it is F11. The DOES NOT change the boot priority in BIOS, it just lets you select which device to boot to. If you power down, or reboot it will boot to the SSD unless you again hit the funtion Key.

JackDscott · May 8, 2013

RetiredChief :

1) You need a copy of win installation disk - DON'T need to Buy. Just barrow a copy or go to uSoft down load and download the ISO. Cavet - get the same version, ie if HOME Premium get that version. If you download the ISO version then create a bootable dvd (need to select ISO image in burning program as you can NOT copy as you would a regualr file. Do not recommend using a "restore disk"

2) Important.
.. A. Disconnect HDD, connect SSD
.. B. When Powering on go to bios and verify or change the HDD control from IDE to AHCI. SSDs do NOT like IDE mode.
..C. Install windows to SSD. DO NOT enter the Key code when prompted. Wait untill you have installed windows, Let windows do it's updates, install drivers (Get drivers by going to Packard bell MB/system support page. download and install. Then Install all the programs you need. TEST it.
..D If all is well, then activate using the KEY code that came with your computer.

.. E. When Happy, power down, connect up HDD. Power on and again go to BIOS and make sure that first Boot device is the SSD, NOT the HDD. PS it is OK to have the CD/DVD as first boot device and your SSD as 2nd - just make sure no bootable DVD is in DVD drive.

ENJOY, the blazing speed of your SSD

Added: Untill you delete windows from the HDD, you will be able to boot to EITHER the SSD or the HDD.
.. When powering on, just go to bios and set HDD as first bootable Hard drive
OR
.. Best/simplest way is to us the Funtion Key that you can hit while the sysem is in POST. On my Gigabyte MB it is F12 and My Asrock MB it is F11. The DOES NOT change the boot priority in BIOS, it just lets you select which device to boot to. If you power down, or reboot it will boot to the SSD unless you again hit the funtion Key.

Does this mean I need to purchase a dvd big enough for the whole ISO file?

RetiredChief · May 8, 2013

Not a problem. DVD-R or +R are 4.7 gigs and will hold the ISO file.

For Burning, what I do is use the freebe program IMGBURN. this will creat a icon on your desktop. Then just "drage" the ISO over the top of the ICON. Imgburn knows that this is a ISO file and will select the proper mode.

IMburn link: http://www.imgburn.com/

I prefer this to windows built in DVD burn program.

JackDscott · May 8, 2013

RetiredChief :

Isaiah4110 · May 8, 2013

RetiredChief :

Keep in mind that with this method you will have to have installation media and licenses for all of your software because it will all need to be reinstalled in order to get it to your SSD.

If you don't want to hassle with reinstalling everything then you can use imaging software like Acronis True Image to transfer an image of your existing HDD over to your new SSD. This removes the risk of data loss and will then allow you to erase your HDD and recreate your data storage structure to transfer just your data to the HDD.

RetiredChief · May 8, 2013

Alternative to Acronic is:
EasyUS - a free bee
or
What I use and prefer: Ez-gig-II
Cost $19 from newegg, basically the cost of the SATA->USB adaptor cable (MUST use their's not a generic). Then go to EZ-Gig website and down load the FREE ver IV.

1) Cannot "Clone" a HDD ->smaller SSD. You can Migrate.
2) If the HDD Win installation was done with the HDD in IDE mode you will probably have to change this to AHCI manually as SSDs do NOT like IDE mode.
3) the software must/should also Align the Partition correctly. Most partitons on HDDs are not aligned. You will/may have to manually enable TRIM and DISABLE Defrag.
4) Most also transfer the small Sytem partition. If this is not transfer then the SSD will NOT boot unless the HDD is conected.

** Ez gig-iv will do all the above.
EZ-gig transfer kit (Currently $15 after $5 MIR): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812161004
EZ-gig-iv: http://www.apricorn.com/products/software/ezgig.html

Personally, even though it may be a hazzle - it's only a ONE time Pain, the clean install is always the best method.

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