SSD installations questions.

chancemitchell · Oct 19, 2017

My HD that I originally bought with my gaming PC has became dreadfully slow on start up. So I bought a Samsung Evo 850 500GB SSD. I was debating if I should buy the SATAIII to USB and make a clone like it seems most people do or look for an extra SATAIII in my computer and clone it from there.

My second question is if I have an extra SATAIII to just plug it in to my motherboard. Would it be worth it to transfer my OS and other programs to my SSD and leave my HD in for storage space. Or am I better off just cloning and removing the HD.

Hey Thanks for reading.

USAFRet · Oct 19, 2017

chancemitchell :

Unless you have a very weird, small motherboard, you have more than 1 SATA port.

How much total space is consumed on the existing HDD?

Specific cloning instructions to follow, depending on the answer to the above.

vapour · Oct 19, 2017

Just migrate OS to SSD, 500 gb is not enough, keep HD as storage

https://www.howtogeek.com/97242/how-to-migrate-windows-7-to-a-solid-state-drive/

R_1 · Oct 19, 2017

if you can find the SATA port go that route. SATA is faster than USB which will need to be translated at either end.

chancemitchell · Oct 19, 2017

USAFRet :

chancemitchell :

Unless you have a very weird, small motherboard, you have more than 1 SATA port.

How much total space is consumed on the existing HDD?

Specific cloning instructions to follow, depending on the answer to the above.

I have 770GB free of 930GB... so I feel like space shouldn't even be an issue and I might as well run the SSD alongside my HDD.

USAFRet · Oct 19, 2017

chancemitchell :

OK then.

Specific cloning steps, exactly like this:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe as necessary.
Delete the original boot partitions, here:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/4f1b84ac-b193-40e3-943a-f45d52e23685/cant-delete-extra-healthy-recovery-partitions-and-healthy-efi-system-partition?forum=w8itproinstall
-----------------------------

chancemitchell · Oct 19, 2017

R_1 :

I have a MSI X58A-GD45 motherboard. It has two SATAIII ports and seven SATAII ports according to details. I'm trying to figure out which of those are currently plugged into my DVD and HDD.

chancemitchell · Oct 19, 2017

USAFRet :

chancemitchell :

OK then.

Specific cloning steps, exactly like this:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe as necessary.
Delete the original boot partitions, here:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/4f1b84ac-b193-40e3-943a-f45d52e23685/cant-delete-extra-healthy-recovery-partitions-and-healthy-efi-system-partition?forum=w8itproinstall
-----------------------------

I'll get back to you after I finish this process

R_1 · Oct 20, 2017

chancemitchell :

the two white ports are the SATAIII ports, the others are SATA II.

chancemitchell · Oct 21, 2017

USAFRet :

So I'm going to leave my HDD plugged in and plug in my SSD, I'll download the software from the samsung SSD for doing the migration since it came with it. Don't I have to change something in the BIOS other than cloning my C drive. I'm going to clone the C drive onto my SSD and then change the priority for booting. But my HDD and DVD are plugged in with SATAII so I plug in my SSD into the SATAIII port and I should be gravy right?

USAFRet · Oct 21, 2017

chancemitchell :

Follow the above instructions explicitly.

chancemitchell · Oct 21, 2017

USAFRet :

I'm sorry I'm confused. I have my ssd mounted in a mass cooling system. It's hooked up to my motherboard and a sata 6g cord. Do I plug that cord into a sata 3 port or a sata 2 like my HDD and DVD are

USAFRet · Oct 21, 2017

chancemitchell :

Leave it in the SATA III (6GB) port.
But after the cloning operation, you must power off and disconnect the original HDD. Let the system power up from the new SSD.
Reconnect the old HDD later.

That line about swapping cable locations around is because sometimes it does make a difference. Some boards and BIOSs are touchy like that.

chancemitchell · Oct 21, 2017

OK cloning almost done. So I'm gonna shut down unplug my HDD. And restart. When i restart I'll open my bios and set the boot order but I need to switch something to achi also right?

USAFRet · Oct 21, 2017

chancemitchell :

ooo...AHCI vs IDE mode.
If it is NOT already AHCI mode, you must go through this process:
https://winaero.com/blog/switch-from-ide-to-achi-after-installing-windows-7-or-windows-8/

chancemitchell · Oct 21, 2017

OK so I went to boot my pc only my dvd and ssd plugged in. It's only listing my cddvd in boot device list do I need to unplug it to get ssd to show up

USAFRet · Oct 21, 2017

chancemitchell :

Yes, take out the DVD.

But...in the cloning process, did you select ALL existing partitions on the source hard drive?

chancemitchell · Oct 21, 2017

USAFRet :

Yeah I copied everything over. Unplugged dvd now no listed devices. Ssd is plugged into the sata3

USAFRet · Oct 21, 2017

chancemitchell :

USAFRet :

Yeah I copied everything over. Unplugged dvd now no listed devices. Ssd is plugged into the sata3

So, in the BIOS, what are the booting options, exactly?

chancemitchell · Oct 21, 2017

USAFRet :

chancemitchell :

So, in the BIOS, what are the booting options, exactly?

Nothing is plugged in but my SSD and nothing I listed as an option

USAFRet · Oct 21, 2017

chancemitchell :

USAFRet :

Nothing is plugged in but my SSD and nothing I listed as an option

What does it actually say?
A picture would help.

chancemitchell · Oct 21, 2017

USAFRet :

chancemitchell :

What does it actually say?
A picture would help.

Sorry I'm responding viit
a crappy phone. It literally reads no bootable device press any key to reset.

chancemitchell · Oct 21, 2017

If I plug it into my sata2 will that work or is that a terrible idea

USAFRet · Oct 21, 2017

chancemitchell :

Then you either did the clone thing incorrectly, or...there were multiple drives connected originally.
In that case, the boot partition ended up on the second drive, and was not captured in your cloning operation.

Connecting to a SATA II port will make no difference.

chancemitchell · Oct 21, 2017

USAFRet :

So I'm screwed or can I go back and boot from HDD.?

SSD installations questions.

Reputable

Titan

Champion

Expert

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Reputable

Expert

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Share this page