Installing Windows 10 onto SSD

JobsforFun

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Jul 27, 2015
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I currently have windows 10 already installed on my PC, but I recently bought an SSD and I have a Windows 10 DISC from a friend who had an extra one on hand. How exactly would I go about installing the windows 10 onto the SSD?
 
Solution
SSD having nothing on it is all good. no hidden surprises there.

This vid at the beginning goes through the process of preparing the USB but later on shows how to install Windows10, will be the same for the DVD.

[video=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKbR6XT7fcA"][/video]

I just searched youtube and typed how to install windows 10. This vid at the beginning is concerning USB but can pretend it's a DVD and set Bios accordingly to boot from DVD if that's what you'll be using, your system might even detect the DVD as a boot media without adjusting Bios boot order so maybe try this first. Power up PC open DVD, put the Win10 DVD in and hit restart. If it boots from the DVD it will give a message soon with a "press key to continue" press whatever key it asks.

D JAY Cva

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if you already have a windows 10 installed in your hdd , just use the software comes with the ssd to clone the drive , if you want to perform a clean install , then you can simply connect the ssd and perform the installation as per normal windows installation using the DVD ...





 

boju

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Pretty easy to do, but first just make sure the Win10 disk is the same Win10 version that is currently installed. Was this an upgrade?

Just disconnect your HDD that's got Win10 on it already so you wont get confused which storage device you want to install on. Connect the SSD and boot with the Win10 disk selecting boot priority in Bios.

If this is an upgrade no matter it will activate online so when it asks for the serial can skip.

After Win10 is installed on your SSD, reconnect your other HDD.

Don't forget to confirm Win10 version and change Sata mode to AHCI under storage configuration in Bios before installing Windows.
 

JobsforFun

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DSadly the windows 10 I currently have installed was from the free upgrade I downloaded
 

boju

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Ok sure, the os you upgraded from that will be the version your Win10 is now, or just simply check system information:

Picture as an example:

11236659861.png


Under Windows edition. If your friends Win10 disk is same edition you can use it.

Microsoft ID's your motherboard and ties it with your previous Windows CD key online when doing an upgrade. Wont need to worry if the storage device is the only change.


If your friend's Win10 edition is different then you can use Microsoft's Win10 media creation tool to set you up either a DVD or USB: https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/software-download/windows10

Or

Use Rufus, another popular application to create a USB stick bootable with Windows 10. https://rufus.akeo.ie/

Either means will require downloading the Win10 ISO so make sure you choose the correct edition you upgraded to.
 

JobsforFun

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I am a complete noob at this, how exactly do I make sure they're compatible? Do they both have to be 64-bit? I am new to this whole thing in general. Like when you said check the 'Windows Edition' which part of the system control panel is that? And if they're both compatible .I just unplug the HDD and then plugin the SSD and put the install disc into the PC and let it do it's work?
 

boju

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64bit 32bit doesn't matter, the edition you have is entitled to either Bit versions. The edition i mean as in Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate etc needs to be the same. Say if you upgraded from Windows 7 Professional, Windows 10 will then be upgraded as Windows 10 Professional and if your friends Disk was say Windows 10 Home Premium, that will not work. Microsoft's online activation will see which edition your key is registered to and wont accept. You can see there in the pic 'Windows 10 Pro' beside the large Windows 10 logo in blue, that bit of description needs to be the same as written on your friend's DVD.

That screen will be under System and Security in Control panel. In your search, the bar that pops up with your start/windows key, type in either System or Control panel. Typing either will start giving you results more or less straight away. Look for System information or open Control panel and find System and Security, you'll have System option to click on there.

To install from either USB or DVD yes, just enter your bios (Usually delete key on bootup) and in there you'll have boot options to select. UEFI Bios's should have a picture of HDDs, USB, DVD trays etc. Click on which method you want to boot from and next time you reset the PC will attempt to boot from that device. If Windows 10 install was successful to boot will take you through the process of installing.

Install process will take you to an area where it will ask to partition. Partition is like foundation to your house for Windows to sit on ;P , so it will ask to create one. When you do there will be a small amount of the HDD or SSD space, which Windows needs to work with so that's normal if you see that, the rest of the hdd will be just the one partition.

Once Windows is installed on the SSD, copy what ever you like from the HDD over if theres anything there worth saving then format it, use it as a storage drive.

Remember never to defrag an SSD :) Not like conventional HDDS, defragging will harm the SSD.



 

boju

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Can either clone or reinstall. I would recommend a fresh install coming from an upgrade just for general performance/various issues upgrades can often cause.

If your system is running fine, yea i'd suggest cloning but just a reminder SSD's perform better using AHCI mode in Bios. Depending on your Motherboard it can be defaulted to IDE. If you did clone Windows and if Bios is set to IDE, Google how to change that in the registry is simple enough searching how to change Windows 10 AHCI registry. http://www.pingzic.com/how-to-enable-ahci-in-windows-10/ Change the value after changing it in the Bios first.

Todays motherboards should have AHCI enabled by default, but doesn't hurt to check what your Bios is set to.


It would be beneficial to know how to install Windows 10 again if anything did go wrong.
 

JobsforFun

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Jul 27, 2015
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thanks for your help, they're both the home versions from what you've said they should work. is there a video of someone doing this? I think it'd be a lot easier for me to do this.
 

JobsforFun

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Jul 27, 2015
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What exactly should I lookup on youtube? "How to install windows 10 onto SSD?" pardon me from being a complete noob XD. Also just in case you needed this information the SSD has nothing installed on it, it is completely clean currently.
 

boju

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SSD having nothing on it is all good. no hidden surprises there.

This vid at the beginning goes through the process of preparing the USB but later on shows how to install Windows10, will be the same for the DVD.

[video=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKbR6XT7fcA"][/video]

I just searched youtube and typed how to install windows 10. This vid at the beginning is concerning USB but can pretend it's a DVD and set Bios accordingly to boot from DVD if that's what you'll be using, your system might even detect the DVD as a boot media without adjusting Bios boot order so maybe try this first. Power up PC open DVD, put the Win10 DVD in and hit restart. If it boots from the DVD it will give a message soon with a "press key to continue" press whatever key it asks.

 
Solution

JobsforFun

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Jul 27, 2015
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thanks for all the help man, I really appreciate all the help, if you don't mind can I message you If I need any help?