Adding SSD as boot drive to existing windows 7 system.

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nwinjum

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Hello all,

So I have been having some trouble deciding whether I should add an SSD as my boot drive for my current system because I really do not understand the process very well. I currently boot off of and have all my data stored on a single 1 TB hard drive(I have had this drive for about 9 months, it has 400GB of data stored on it). The most popular suggested steps that I have seen for installing an SSD as the boot drive for a system like this include:

1) Disconnecting 1 TB drive.
2) Connecting the SSD to the system and do a clean install of windows 7 on it.
3) Reconnect the 1 TB drive and configure the SSD as the boot drive in the BIOS

Now nothing about this process confuses me, but I feel that it cannot be this simple and I don't want to try this without having a good understanding of the process first. So the first thing I want to know is will this process work? Once the steps above are completed will I just be able to boot from the SSD and then run other programs I want off the HDD? Also are there other programs that I should put on the SSD(such as drivers, ect.) and how do I make sure no extra unwanted data is being stored on the SSD? If anyone knows of a more in depth step by step list of this installation process that would be great to see as well. Thank you in advance for any replies, I know that this is a lot of information to provide but any help you can offer is much appreciated.

:ange:
 
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USAFRet
Your 1,2,3 is correct.
Add #4 - Reinstall all your applications.

Which programs on the SSD? Given a rational size SSD, ALL of them.

Your other option is a migration from the old drive to the new drive, but that requires investigation into the current space used, and the space on the new SSD.

I generally recommend a clean install on the new drive.
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Your 1,2,3 is correct.
Add #4 - Reinstall all your applications.

Which programs on the SSD? Given a rational size SSD, ALL of them.

Your other option is a migration from the old drive to the new drive, but that requires investigation into the current space used, and the space on the new SSD.

I generally recommend a clean install on the new drive.
 
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nwinjum

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How and when would I remove the OS from my HDD?
 
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nwinjum

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What do you mean reinstall my applications? Wouldn't all of my games and applications still be on my HDD and I could just use my SSD for drivers and OS? Am I missing something?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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After all is working properly on the SSD, wipe all partitions on the HDD, including the small System Reserved. Then format it, and use as needed.
 
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nwinjum

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So after I have windows 7 running off the SSD, I reconnect the HDD. Then I wipe my HDD (in the BIOS?) after that I will have a completely clean(nothing installed on it) 1TB HDD along with my boot drive SSD. Is this correct?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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You don't wipe it in the BIOS, but rather in Disk Management.
 
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nwinjum

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So basically I need an SSD big enough to store my OS and any other files from my HDD that I cant just re-download later. For steam and origin games I can just wipe my HDD then re-download them whenever I need them?
 
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Supermuncher85

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Fairly ok guide to using diskmgmt.msc http://www.pcworld.com/article/248980/how-to-partition-and-format-your-hard-drive-in-windows.html

Just from my past cloning experience:
You can copy over steam to the ssd(or an external drive if you have one), then copy it back to the HDD then you don't have to redownload all the games.With most other games like Wow, starcraft, LoL this also works.

However most programs like office I've found require a fresh reinstall to work properly (office would crash randomly and /repair couldn't find the issue).
 
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nwinjum

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So I would wipe the HDD after I reconnected the HDD to the system, correct? Why is this wipe necessary, is it to erase the OS from the HDD?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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To erase the OS and the small System Reserved partition.
 
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ArtPog

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Seems to me you have a very good grasp of the steps to take - at least the initial steps.

But first...
1. When you refer to a "rational size SSD", can you be a bit more precise as to the size of the SSD you're contemplating since that would have a bearing on pursuing an alternate method of installing the OS onto your new SSD? If, for example, you would purchase a 500 GB SSD you would have the option of cloning the 400 GB contents of your 1 TB HDD onto the new SSD and thus make life much easier for yourself. (The process is also known as "data migration" and is relatively simple to undertake.) This would be a viable option if you were totally satisfied with the operation of your present 1 TB drive in that the present system boots & functions without any problems. Note this is a most workable solution as long as the TOTAL data contents you're cloning is no larger than the disk-space capacity of the SSD.

2. If the disk-cloning (data-migration) is not a viable option, then the steps you outlined re fresh-installing the OS onto your SSD is fine. Understand that you probably will have to also install any necessary drivers that Windows doesn't pick up during the install process. And you will also need to install all the Windows updates (usually a considerable number) the system requires. And - most importantly - you will need to install virtually all your programs that currently reside on your 1 TB HDD. (Do you see now how the disk-cloning process would make the transition a lot easier?)

BTW, I'm not a gamer but I'm under the impression that the Steam program that so many gamers use simplifies the installation of games in this type of situation. Perhaps some gamer (or yourself) is familiar with this process.

3. Anyway, depending upon the disk-space capacity of your SSD, you would install whatever programs & other data that you desire on that drive and which will "fit" onto the SSD.

4. If you fresh-install the OS onto the SSD, first disconnect the HDD from the system so that the only drive connected is the SSD. After a successful install of the OS ensure that the SSD is connected to the motherboard's first SATA port (connector) - usually designated SATA 0 or SATA 1. The HDD can be connected to any following SATA port.

5. Work with the SSD for a reasonable period of time to ensure it functions without any problems whatsoever. Only then should you can perform any modifications that you wish on your HDD.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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When I mentioned 'rational size', I meant 120GB or larger. Which will hole a recent WIndows OS, and a whole bunch of applications, apart from games.

Too many people think that a 32GB or 64GB is sufficient.
It isn't.
 
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nwinjum

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Thank you all so much for the help. I think I have a much better understanding of how exactly this process would work. Data migration seems much easier but I will have to see if that is a viable option for me. Once again thanks to all of you who provided answers.
 
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