Installing OS to SSD from HD (not cloning) Help

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otacon237

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Nov 24, 2015
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Hello everyone,

I recently bought a Muskin 1TB Reactor SSD and i want to install windows 10 on it using my existing license and boot from it, and have some of my games and utilities installed on it, and use my 3 WD blacks as storage. i don't want to go the cloning route since i heard that can cause a lot of issues with drivers/firmware etc so i figured i would just do a clean install.

I already have it physically installed and hooked up. I know i'm supposed to switch the bios to ACHI for it, and format it in NTFS before installing, right?

Next is where the sticking point comes, i want to install windows 10 on it but i only have a windows 8.1 license. it came with a free upgrade option so my OS drive (one of the blacks) is already running windows 10. my thought was to create a windows 10 installation media so i wouldn't have to go through the extra step of upgrading from windows 8.1 but i am worried it might not accept the windows 8.1 cd key. secondly, i don't have a disk drive or a flash drive big enough to accept the installation media.


tl;dr my questions about installing OS to SSD

1. Do i have to format the SSD before installing my OS on it?

2. Will my Windows 8.1 CD Key (came with a free upgrade to Windows 10) work with a straight up Windows 10 install? (rather than 8.1 first then upgrading)

3. is there a way i can set up the installation media on one of my existing HDD's so that i can install to the SSD from that (without using any external disc or flash media)

thanks!
 
Solution
Hlsgsz
1. you take care of that during the install.
2. straight W10 install with the 8.1 key. Simple as that.
3. use flash media

Assuming you are on an Intel platform, going through these steps will ensure the best results:

Download the Media Creation Tool from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/ and make a bootable USB wiht it.

Get the latest drivers from here: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25165/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-RAID-Driver?product=55005
File: f6flpy-x64.zip. Unzip it to a folder on a USB drive(it can be the one with windows on it).

Disconnect all other drives except the one you are installing to.

Go into the BIOS and disable "CSM" and enable "Secure boot" in the Boot...
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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1. If all you are changing is the drive, you do not need to concern yourself with the old Win 8.1. That is gone, dead, do not need it.
Assuming this system was Upgraded and activated with Win 10, you have a digital entitlement for that system. The mothership knows, and will activate it when you are online after the install.

2. "the installation media on one of my existing HDD's" - No. DVD or USB. Create it with this: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/

3. Cloning is not nearly as hazardous as you make it out to be. It is an exact copy of the existing system, just on a new drive.
Of course, a clean install always works. A clone usually works. Especially if you follow the correct procedures.
 
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k1114

k1114

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May 2, 2010
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You are running windows 10 so now the key is "windows 10" and works for the install. You may not even have to put it in since you already have the pc running with it. Even if you skip the step, it should auto activate after it's installed. You don't need to format as the installer does that when you select where to install. You can't install from a hdd and you'd want to disconnect any other drives to prevent it from putting the system partition on it.
 
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Hlsgsz

Hlsgsz

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Feb 29, 2016
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1. you take care of that during the install.
2. straight W10 install with the 8.1 key. Simple as that.
3. use flash media

Assuming you are on an Intel platform, going through these steps will ensure the best results:

Download the Media Creation Tool from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/ and make a bootable USB wiht it.

Get the latest drivers from here: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25165/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-RAID-Driver?product=55005
File: f6flpy-x64.zip. Unzip it to a folder on a USB drive(it can be the one with windows on it).

Disconnect all other drives except the one you are installing to.

Go into the BIOS and disable "CSM" and enable "Secure boot" in the Boot section.



Start the install and when it asks where to install hit "have disk" and point it to the folder you put the above files in.


**WARNING: THE FOLLOWING WILL WIPE AND ENTIRE DISK, NOT JUST A PARTITION**

Then hit SHIFT+F10 and:
diskpart
list disk
select disk x(where x is the drive in case)
clean
convert gpt
exit
exit

Hit refresh, select the clean drive, and the "new". Windows will create several partition and auto-select the correct one to install to(you can also set the size of the partition after hitting "new", but you don't need to if you are using the whole drive).
 
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Solution
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otacon237

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Nov 24, 2015
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So there's no way to install from another HDD? i'll run out and get a flash drive if necessary, i'm just lazy and was wondering if there was another way.

i'm not technically "replacing" the HDD i just want to run the SSD so i can get the faster load times in games and apps/windows, and use the HDD's as storage.

would it be OK if i re-plugged in all the other HDDs after the install (including the one with the old OS install on it)? and then gradually over a few weekends move all my stuff i want over to the SDD and eventually wipe it? would there be any cd key issues with that? i plan to have the SDD first in my boot order in the meantime so i won't accidentally boot from the old drive. i just don't wanna wipe it quite yet since i wanna move a few of my main games over to the SDD before wiping the old OS disk.
 
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Hlsgsz

Hlsgsz

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So long as you follow the steps i listed, especially the disconnecting all teh other drives one, you'll be fine.
Also, you probably have W installed in legacy BIOS mode and the HDD unsing MBR, so it won;t be bootable after you disable CSM in the BIOS(disabling CSM disables all legacy boot modes and teh PC will only boot from a GPT partitioned drive with a UEFI win install, hence the disk part stuff in the checklist). UEFI gives your system protection through secure boot and considerably faster boot times, so it's highly desirable.
 
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k1114

k1114

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The extra steps are usually not needed. You shouldn't need to convert to gpt or enable/disable other settings manually if the mobo is already set as uefi. It's important to have mobo settings be right before installing though. You can even boot to the hdd still and not have issues. All they see is it's the same pc and the same key. I had my hdd still not wiped for many months after I upgraded to a ssd.
 
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Hlsgsz

Hlsgsz

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Those steps may or mey not be needed depending on teh state of the SSD. I say one should do them anyway to get things right the first time.
 
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otacon237

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Nov 24, 2015
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i think my i already have UEFI and GPT set since one of the WD's was a 6tb one and i needed it to use all of the space, could be wrong on that, i will check though. picked up a 32gb flash drive today so i will go with that option. thanks everyone! i will report back if the installation is successful.
 
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Hlsgsz

Hlsgsz

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Go through the steps i listed regardless, they can't hurt either way.

EDIT: You can still use a 6TB HDD in legacy MBR mode but you just can;t make partitions larget than [strike]4tb[/strike] 2TB on it.
 
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A

ArtPog

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Sep 17, 2014
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You meant partitions no larger than 2 TB, right? I assume the 4 TB notation is a typo, yes?
 
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Hlsgsz

Hlsgsz

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Yes, you are correct. 2TB. Sorry for that.
 
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