Just Added Samsung SSD 850 EVO to Existing Win 7 64... Setup?

ChronicleMe · Jul 18, 2015

Just Added Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250gb to Existing Win 7 64 and I switched the IDE to AHCI. Several questions:
It is setup as Disk -0- and I chose GPT instead of MBR... Now I see that the disk is "unallocated". Do I allocate it?
Simple? Spanned? Striped?

I also have a 1TB hitachi as the primary HDD. It is a Dynamic setup...

How can I tell if everything is setup optimally? Samsung doesn't provide instructions on how to install and maximize on an existing windows 7 system...

AMD-FX-8350
8gb Ram DDR3 1600
MSI R9 390
--Plus the above

USAFRet · Jul 18, 2015

Allocate as Simple. Format and give it a drive letter.

But ideally, you want to use that as your boot drive.

MarkW · Jul 18, 2015

Open up Disk Management. I'm on Win 8.1, and I can get to it from my start button, and its also in the Control Panel.

That program should make it real easy for you to see what Windows sees, and when you right click the Unallocated area (or drive in your case), it will offer to create a New Simple Volume, which is a partition. Then when that is done, you can format it and use it. You can even assign drive letters from Disk Management. It's a lot easier than the old ways were.

This is what I see when I have Disk Management open:

ChronicleMe · Jul 18, 2015

MarkW :

Ok thanks... I created the simple volume. Now how do I optimize this to take advantage of potential speed gains? I have two HDD and this SSD. I forgot to list the other HDD above. I listed them below with their usage rates... I turned on the AHCI in bios but it still isn't recognizing it as a SATA or AHCI in the Samsung Magician program...

AMD-FX-8350
8gb Ram DDR3 1600
MSI R9 390
1TB HDD (62% Free)
300GB Seagate Simple (100% Free)
250GB SSD Simple (100% Free)

Also, how do you get the pictures inline with the responses?

MarkW · Jul 18, 2015

Samsung SSD's come with a program called Magician. Open that up, and click on the OS Optimization link on the left. Then select the tab you want from that screen.

For posting images into a message here, like I did earlier, I use a free pic site named TinyPic.com. On your system, select the window you want the image of, press ALT-PrtScrn which will make a copy of the window image and place it on your clipboard. Open Paint or your favorite picture editor, and paste the image into that program. Save it as a file. Upload it to tinypic.com, and they will display a series of various links. The one you can paste right into a message here is the IMG one. And then anyone reading your message with an image linked in it, will see the pic like you did in my message above.

ChronicleMe · Jul 19, 2015

MarkW :

Thank you
What is the best way to reinstall windows 7 64 so that I can take advantage of the SSD drive w AHCI.?
Would this work? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/922976#MT3

MarkW · Jul 19, 2015

I would not run that thing unless you get that error. Very few people ever do.

When I got my SSD, I took it out of the package, screwed it into the sled it was going to be mounted on in my case, plugged in the SATA and Power cables, slid it into my case, powered up, went into the BIOS, Turned AHCI on, put my Windows DVD into the drive, saved and exited the BIOS, and let the DVD boot my computer. During the Windows install, it will ask if you want to format the drive, and you do want to do that. And then just let it do its thing until Windows is installed and you are sitting at your brand new desktop.

USAFRet · Jul 19, 2015

ChronicleMe :

No need to go through that stuff in that link.
Enable AHCI in the BIOS before you install.
Install the OS on the SSD.
Done.

ChronicleMe · Jul 19, 2015

USAFRet :

I currently have an existing windows 7 install. I used a program to move my windows to the SSD. Now do I just boot to the SSD?

USAFRet · Jul 19, 2015

ChronicleMe :

USAFRet :

I currently have an existing windows 7 install. I used a program to move my windows to the SSD. Now do I just boot to the SSD?

What program did you use?
Take out all other drives, and see if it boots correctly from the new SSD.

ChronicleMe · Jul 19, 2015

USAFRet :

I got it setup and running AHCI and booting to the SSD. I still have the HDD installed though. Can I erase it and use it for something? I read that I should store my media likes pics and videos on there.

Also I apparently plugged in the SSD to my 3gbs Sata port. To switch it to the 6gbs port can I just unplug it from the 3gbs and plug it into the 6gbs? Do I have to make any edits in the software to do that?

MarkW · Jul 19, 2015

Yes you can reformat the hard drive and reuse it.

And yes, change to a SATA 3 port while the computer is off, and when you power back up, it will figure things out on its own.

USAFRet · Jul 19, 2015

ChronicleMe :

Verify that is boots with only the SSD connected.
SATA II - SATA III...yes, just change the port. No further config needed.

ChronicleMe · Jul 19, 2015

USAFRet :

Thank you very much for all of your help.. .I arrowed up all of your responses and picked solution... I just realized that my board only supports 3gbs SATA... UGH... Very frustrating... I think I am going to go buy a new board that supports the 6gbs.. Would I notice a difference with a new board?

ChronicleMe · Jul 19, 2015

MarkW :

When I go into Disk mgmt it won't let me format or/delete the HDD (C

... Is there some other way to do this?

USAFRet · Jul 19, 2015

ChronicleMe :

You can't do that from the same OS as it is running in. That's like asking someone to cut his own head off.
It won't do it.

ChronicleMe · Jul 19, 2015

USAFRet :

I have it set to boot to the SSD drive and not the HDD. You told me in a previous comment above that I could reformat it? So if that is in fact the case then what do I do with the HDD?

I'm headed up to the local computer store now to get a better motherboard.

USAFRet · Jul 19, 2015

ChronicleMe :

USAFRet :

I have it set to boot to the SSD drive and not the HDD. You told me in a previous comment above that I could reformat it? So if that is in fact the case then what do I do with the HDD?

I'm headed up to the local computer store now to get a better motherboard.

If it is in fact booted from the SSD, then wiping the HDD in Disk Management should be no problem.

New motherboard? You might have to do the install all over again.

MarkW · Jul 19, 2015

Select the old hard drive in the upper section of Disk Management, and right click it. Format should be one of the enabled options on that popup menu.

Just Added Samsung SSD 850 EVO to Existing Win 7 64... Setup?

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