Just bought a 250gb SSD, and want to upgrade to Windows 10. How do I do this?

logan832

Honorable
Aug 29, 2012
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0
10,530
Everyone suggests a clean install to 10, and I'd like to do that on my new Samsung 850 evo.

I updated to Windows 10 before, but couldn't get it to boot to the desktop getting the following errors: system_service_exception_igdkmd64 & system_service_exception_atikmpag.sys.

So I booted into safe mode and reverted back to Windows 7. Will this still be a problem for me? I tried doing all the suggested troubleshooting and got nothing. Anyways how do I go about upgrading with my SSD. What order and such?

Currently have a Intel 3570k, Hyper 212 evo cooler, Radeon Sapphire 6870, 8gb ram, Asrock extreme 4 Z77, and a 500gb HD.
 
Solution
Just disconnect your old hard drive and connect the SSD and do a clean install of windows 10 using your windows 7 key and bootable windows 10 media (you can make this with MS media creation tool - google it). Make sure the BIOS is set to AHCI mode for the SSD.

After you have it up and running and activated and are happy with it you can reconnect the old drive, just make sure the SSD is the first boot option in the BIOS so it doesn't boot off the old drive instead.

It's better to install windows with only 1 drive connected so it doesn't decide to put backup files on another drive which can be a nuisance if you want to disconnect the old drive later and a clean install on the new drive is the best option for a clean stable system.

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
You Win 10 was not a valid install for whatever reason, so, 2 ways to do this...

1. Clean install on the new SSD.
Install Win 10, and when it asks, input your existing Win 7 license key

2. Clone. This requires that the total current used space on the HDD be smaller than the size of the SSD.
For your drive, it must be below 200GB total used space.

Clone your WIn 7 to the SSD, and then Upgrade to Win 10.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


This won't work because his Win 10 was never a fully functioning install/Upgrade.
 


You're right, I misunderstood his post entirely. That means that the private message I sent to OP is wrong (he messaged me first). I'll let him know properly. Thanks for pointing that out.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Well, yes. Thats part of the procedures if you do the clone operation of his existing Win 7.
 

logan832

Honorable
Aug 29, 2012
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10,530
This is all flying over my head. I didn't start anything yet, so no worries!

Would it be better to just install my SSD on W7 to work along with my HDD, swap W7 over to my SSD, then try to upgrade to W10? If I had to revert back again, I could just do a recovery on W7 that would be on my SSD correct? After that can I do a clean install?

 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Well...there's a whole lot of other little tiny steps to go through.

1. Open the case. Find a screwdriver if needed.
We can go from there....

I gave the 2 general classifications of what to do.
Clean install or clone.

If details are needed, we can go into those. But in the first suggestion of how to proceed, I'm not going to include every single step and click.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


OK...
1. What do want the end state to be? Win 10 on the SSD?
2. How do you wish to do this? Clean install or clone the old OS?
 

logan832

Honorable
Aug 29, 2012
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End state, I want Windows 10 on my SSD while also being able to use my HDD. Maybe I am using the term clean install incorrectly. I figured it mean that it just be Windows 10 with nothing else installed since everything was wiped.

I'm starting to back my games and files now on a portable hard drive to transfer to my Windows 10 SSD/HDD... Provided I can even install to Windows 10 without getting a boot up error. Not* sure what you mean by cloning.




 

Dugimodo

Distinguished
Just disconnect your old hard drive and connect the SSD and do a clean install of windows 10 using your windows 7 key and bootable windows 10 media (you can make this with MS media creation tool - google it). Make sure the BIOS is set to AHCI mode for the SSD.

After you have it up and running and activated and are happy with it you can reconnect the old drive, just make sure the SSD is the first boot option in the BIOS so it doesn't boot off the old drive instead.

It's better to install windows with only 1 drive connected so it doesn't decide to put backup files on another drive which can be a nuisance if you want to disconnect the old drive later and a clean install on the new drive is the best option for a clean stable system.
 
Solution