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How do I change where windows 8.1 boots without reinstalling windows/cloning

Tags:
  • SSD
  • Legacy
  • Storage
  • Windows 8
  • Boot
Last response: in Storage
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September 9, 2014 10:35:29 PM

Installed a new m.2 ssd in my Lenovo y410p and initialized it and everything. Appears in devices and I can access it. How do I set it as my boot drive though? I went into legacy bios and legacy boot mode and put the ssd at the top of the list but its capacity is still completely empty so my boot drive can't be there.

Edit: To be more clear, I would like to boot from the SSD (without having to clone it over/reinstalling it).

More about : change windows boots reinstalling windows cloning

a c 118 G Storage
a b * Windows 8
September 9, 2014 10:40:57 PM

Did you install Windows on it?
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September 9, 2014 10:46:19 PM

Well it came with a 1tb hard drive and a 24gb ssd cache. I never moved the Windows from the hard drive, just replaced the ssd.
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September 9, 2014 10:46:33 PM

i7Baby said:
Did you install Windows on it?


^above message
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a c 118 G Storage
a b * Windows 8
September 9, 2014 11:28:21 PM

? 'everything'?
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September 10, 2014 5:25:24 AM

i7Baby said:
? 'everything'?


Not sure what you mean. I personally did not install windows on it. Whereever the laptop was manufactured installed it for me and I just purchased the laptop.
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September 10, 2014 8:45:16 PM

Bump
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September 11, 2014 4:36:53 PM

bump
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September 14, 2014 4:54:24 PM

bump
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a c 907 G Storage
a c 483 * Windows 8
September 14, 2014 4:57:25 PM

First off, no bumping please. Thanks.

To use that new m.2 drive as your boot drive, you must install the actual OS on it. Otherwise, the system will boot from wherever the OS exists currently.
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September 16, 2014 7:56:40 AM

USAFRet said:
First off, no bumping please. Thanks.

To use that new m.2 drive as your boot drive, you must install the actual OS on it. Otherwise, the system will boot from wherever the OS exists currently.


Correct me if I'm wrong but can't you just change the way it boots from bios/eufi, you don't have to re-install the entire OS again. I'm having trouble with that part
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a c 363 G Storage
September 16, 2014 8:21:05 AM

You are not understanding the term"boot drive". That term means the storage device that HAS your OS ON IT so you can boot from that device. It will then be known as the C: drive. So obviously you MUST INSTALL the OS on that new SSD in order to allow you to boot from it.

MAYBE what you want is NOT to have the SSD be your "boot drive". What is it you really expected to achieve?
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September 16, 2014 6:21:07 PM

Paperdoc said:
You are not understanding the term"boot drive". That term means the storage device that HAS your OS ON IT so you can boot from that device. It will then be known as the C: drive. So obviously you MUST INSTALL the OS on that new SSD in order to allow you to boot from it.

MAYBE what you want is NOT to have the SSD be your "boot drive". What is it you really expected to achieve?


Oh, I maybe am talking about boot order. But wouldn't changing the boot order switch the OS over to the other drive?
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a c 907 G Storage
a c 483 * Windows 8
September 16, 2014 6:24:54 PM

Accolades said:
Paperdoc said:
You are not understanding the term"boot drive". That term means the storage device that HAS your OS ON IT so you can boot from that device. It will then be known as the C: drive. So obviously you MUST INSTALL the OS on that new SSD in order to allow you to boot from it.

MAYBE what you want is NOT to have the SSD be your "boot drive". What is it you really expected to achieve?


Oh, I maybe am talking about boot order. But wouldn't changing the boot order switch the OS over to the other drive?


It does not work like that.
Changing the boot order in the BIOS does not automagically move the OS to a different drive.
It merely tells the system which drive to try first, second, third.....

If it does not find a bootable OS on drive 1, it then looks to the second. Repeat as necessary.
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September 16, 2014 8:24:51 PM

USAFRet said:
Accolades said:
Paperdoc said:
You are not understanding the term"boot drive". That term means the storage device that HAS your OS ON IT so you can boot from that device. It will then be known as the C: drive. So obviously you MUST INSTALL the OS on that new SSD in order to allow you to boot from it.

MAYBE what you want is NOT to have the SSD be your "boot drive". What is it you really expected to achieve?


Oh, I maybe am talking about boot order. But wouldn't changing the boot order switch the OS over to the other drive?


It does not work like that.
Changing the boot order in the BIOS does not automagically move the OS to a different drive.
It merely tells the system which drive to try first, second, third.....

If it does not find a bootable OS on drive 1, it then looks to the second. Repeat as necessary.


Oh okay thanks. So if I purchased the laptop with windows preinstalled, how do i move it over?
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a c 907 G Storage
a c 483 * Windows 8
September 17, 2014 2:30:14 AM

Accolades said:


Oh okay thanks. So if I purchased the laptop with windows preinstalled, how do i move it over?


From your original statement:
"Edit: To be more clear, I would like to boot from the SSD (without having to clone it over/reinstalling it). "

You must do one or the other.
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September 17, 2014 1:25:18 PM

USAFRet said:
Accolades said:


Oh okay thanks. So if I purchased the laptop with windows preinstalled, how do i move it over?


From your original statement:
"Edit: To be more clear, I would like to boot from the SSD (without having to clone it over/reinstalling it). "

You must do one or the other.

If i purchased the laptop with windows preinstalled, what would be the steps needed for either of those options?
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a c 907 G Storage
a c 483 * Windows 8
September 17, 2014 2:10:11 PM

Accolades said:
USAFRet said:
Accolades said:


Oh okay thanks. So if I purchased the laptop with windows preinstalled, how do i move it over?


From your original statement:
"Edit: To be more clear, I would like to boot from the SSD (without having to clone it over/reinstalling it). "

You must do one or the other.

If i purchased the laptop with windows preinstalled, what would be the steps needed for either of those options?


Clone from the old drive to the new SSD.
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September 17, 2014 9:44:30 PM

USAFRet said:
Accolades said:
USAFRet said:
Accolades said:


Oh okay thanks. So if I purchased the laptop with windows preinstalled, how do i move it over?


From your original statement:
"Edit: To be more clear, I would like to boot from the SSD (without having to clone it over/reinstalling it). "

You must do one or the other.

If i purchased the laptop with windows preinstalled, what would be the steps needed for either of those options?


Clone from the old drive to the new SSD.


http://lifehacker.com/5837543/how-to-migrate-to-a-solid...
I'll try using this, thanks
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