Installing new SSD, unsure how I might go about installing Windows 10 (don't have it yet, but eligible for free upgrade)

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modrummer

modrummer

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Hi there, this is my first post to this website and I'm also unused to using forums. Apologies if I am already making the mistake of posting this in the wrong section, but I'll go ahead and present my problem (and info).

For starters, I have a Lenovo G505s laptop with windows 8.1 OS. What I am trying to do is to upgrade my HDD (which is terribly sluggish) by replacing it with this new 250G SSD I purchased recently. I already know that the dimensions fit the slot, what I'm worried about is if I can transfer my OS to the SSD (As it came with the laptop w/o a key). I saw some mention of 'cloning' the contents of my HDD onto the SSD, which would bypass (I'd think) the need to reinstall some form of OS. The thing is, I wish to do a clean wipe on this laptop as I think its accumulated a number of unpleasant things.

My question is, how should I go about both wiping my hard drive clean AND replacing my hard drive (with the important files of mine stored on Google Drive) with a new SSD, as well as having Windows 10 OS installed. What does it mean to 'install' an SSD aside from literally screwing it into the case? Thanks for the help in advance, and I can provide more info if anything is unclear.
 
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For clarification about "original system configuration", if your laptop came installed with Windows 8, then Windows 8 (or 8.1) is your original system configuration and anytime you install Windows 8 or 8.1 on...
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The_Tester

The_Tester

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Which SSD (brand and model #)? The manufacture of the drive may have all the software you need free for your SSD drive. Also do you have an external drive large enough to make backup copies of your stuff (pictures, music, videos ect..)? Anything that is on the google drive should be irrelevant as it's online based storage. As long as the data is "online" whatever happened to the original files on your laptop can be rectified. Just go online and pull them back out of the cloud.

A couple options to research and think about:

#1, migrate/clone then upgrade

You will need something like a SATA to USB converter like >this< in order to migrate the OS and other files. That or another computer that has cloning software such as Acronis. Your limited on a laptop to some effect in that it does not have a second SATA connection.

Next you will need to get the actual >WIN10 OS< and a DVD or USB drive.

Basically, just hook up the SSD via the SATA USB converter, perform an initial format of either >MBR or GPT< and then let the migration/cloning software do it's thing (i'd go with GPT since you started off with WIN8).

Then remove the original HDD and install the SSD which should boot up into the OS like normal. You may need to research your particular laptop and see if there will need to be any BIOS/UEFI settings that need to be changed. It may take a few minutes for it to recognize that it's not on the same disk and perform a consistency scan but it should work itself out.

Once you are satisfied that everything went ok, you can reinstall or "reset" windows using the installation media created above. For licensed and or preloaded programs (like antivirus or office 360) you will need to get the product key/licensing information if possible from their website (refer to the products website for how to go about doing this).

I prefer this option so if for some reason something craps out or goes wrong you can just start over by putting the original drive back in (laptop bat dies or something). This will also leave you with you original drive intact so that you can get all of your file off with using the same SATA USB converter.

#2 Update then migrate/clone

This is also a viable option, but you will basically be doing the same thing without the benefit of having your current HDD as a backup/restart option incase something goes wrong. If a clean install is the route, then you are going to be erasing EVERYTHING and reinstalling EVERYTHING at some point during the processes.

Clean windows10 install
http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2784691/ditch-problematic-win10-upgrade-replace-clean-install.html

Windows 10 "reset"
http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2871133/reset-refresh-windows.html
 
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modrummer

modrummer

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The SSD is a Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E250B/AM). I seemed to have simply reposted your reply (as it didn't include any of what I typed in the reply post) by accident so I'm just gonna make it a separate post and say what I typed there. I looked at one of your guides and was wondering if I could go about things like this:

Upgrade to windows 10 now (before replacing HD). Then replace the HDD with the new SSD. Using a flash installation media (of which I already have handy), reinstall windows 10 on the new HD, simulating a clean wipe and install of windows 10. The last part is what is really important, as I am unsure if the Microsoft servers will recognize my hardware (excluding the HD) as something that previously had windows 10 installed, allowing me to reinstall windows 10 once again w/o needing a key. Would this work? If not, what could I do to prevent needing a key, seeing how I have a legal and updated version of windows 8.1.
 
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The_Tester

The_Tester

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As long the upgrade is performed on the original system configuration (whatever it may be) then it should allow you to reinstall reset windows indefinitely with an installation media on that same system (hardware registered at microsoft). I'm fairly certain this is not restricted to the HDD, SSD itself it's usually related to the chipset/motherboard. I have used samesung migration >found here< befor and after the upgrade just to see when I got my 950 pro. I didn't have any activation issues either way I did it.



 
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luky1971

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For clarification about "original system configuration", if your laptop came installed with Windows 8, then Windows 8 (or 8.1) is your original system configuration and anytime you install Windows 8 or 8.1 on any hard drive, whether it's your current or the new ssd, it will recognize your computer and you will not need a key. However, if you clean install Windows 10, it will not recognize your computer because it did not originally come installed with Windows 10, and therefore you will need a key. Therefore, in order to avoid using a key, you would have to first get Windows 8.1 on the SSD whether through clean installation or cloning, and then upgrade the SSD to Windows 10, or upgrade your current hard drive's installation of 8.1 to 10, and then clone that to the SSD. You can't install 10 from scratch without a key. But to get the same effect, you could just factory reset your OS after upgrading to 10 and it will perform like a clean installation.
 
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modrummer

modrummer

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I feel like I ought to sum things up of what I did to do this all properly after being helped, to make things compact and simple.
Steps I did:
1. Backed up any important files and folders on some storage device/Google Drive or similar service.
2. Leaving my OS on the HDD as 8.1, I created a flash media installation of windows 8.1 on my USB (4G of space min required). Windows 8.1, unlike 10, doesn't require a key for installation when using the media installation, that is why 8.1 was picked instead of 10.
3. I replaced my HDD with the new SSD and booted up with the flash drive already plugged in. You may have to change a setting in the BIOS to allow the USB to boot first so as to run the installation of windows 8.1.
4. Install Windows 8.1 normally (You will have to use the Custom installation rather then Upgrade option for this to work).
5. Simply Update to Windows 10 afterwards and you are done. You will successfully have installed windows 10 on a new SSD without migrating all of your data (wanted or unwanted) from the HDD to the SSD.

Hope this helps.
 
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