Fresh install dv7

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hpdv7

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Sep 15, 2014
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4,510
I decided to add a ssd drive to my hp pavillion dv7-4180. so far i think i have done everything correctly. the ssd drive was put in the primary slot and the original HDD in the 2nd bay. I did a fresh windows 7 install on the ssd. I have done all of the windows updates.
Now i am not sure about drivers and the original HP software/programs that came with the laptop. should i reinstall all of the hp programs?
do i still need to install drivers?

sorry if these are silly questions but i am learning on the fly here.
 
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faalin

faalin

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Feb 22, 2012
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You need to go back and start all over again. take the second harddrive out of the computer and reinstall windows. A lot of times since the second drive had windows on it when installing the OS on the SSD it will grab the boot manager off the old drive. If you format the second drive for storage you will not be able to boot into windows since you will be formatting the boot manager off the second drive.

You will need to go to HP's webpage and download the drivers for your computer and install those as well. Windows updates will grab them for you but will be generic drivers, not the specific ones for your computer.
 
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hpdv7

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Sep 15, 2014
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4,510
Sorry i was not clear in my earlier post. I was successful in installing windows on the ssd and have now run all of the windows updates. that part is working fine. what i am unclear about is if i need to reinstall all (or any) of the hp programs and/or drivers that were originally installed on the HDD at oem.

should i got the hp website to get drivers or if i have successfully updated windows 7 will all of the necessary drivers be installed?

thx - again sorry if this is not clear.
 
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faalin

faalin

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Feb 22, 2012
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nope you were clear the first time. You pull the original drive out and put it in drive bay 2 while having the SSD in drive bay 1.

What you need to do is take the HDD out of bay 2 then format and reinstall the OS on the SSD with only the SSD in the computer. With having the OS already install on the second drive when you reinstalled the OS on the SSD it grabbed the boot manager off the old HDD. If you ever format/remove the old HDD from the second bay the computer wont boot since you no longer have a boot manger.

This is why its a good practice when installing an OS to only have the drive you want the OS on to be in the computer. After the OS is installed its best to install all drivers from HP's webpage for the computer then do windows updates.
 
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hpdv7

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Sep 15, 2014
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4,510
Actually I did exactly that. I did the fresh install of windows 7 and installed the windows updates on the ssd. I only reconnected the original in 2nd bay after the fresh install was completed and updates were installed from windows update.

Does it make a difference if i go to the Hp wepage for drivers after completing the windows updates?

Also do i need to keep any of the original drivers/backup/Hp software that is on the original HDD as i plan to reformat it and use it for backup purposes only.
 
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faalin

faalin

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Feb 22, 2012
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windows updates just loads generic drivers for your sound, chipset, and things like that that were not previously installed. its better to get them from the manufacture and install them first so your not reinstalling them over the top of the other ones. sometimes it can give driver issues since the computer now has two different drivers for the same thing.
 
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