Transfer OS/Programs to SSD or fresh install?

[SirSavage]

Not sure if this is the right section to post this question or not, if not, then sorry. Anyways, I'm building a computer tomorrow, but unfortunately the SSD won't be here for another 5-6 days and I'm a little impatient. So I'm wondering, should I just go ahead and install the OS and all my programs on my HDD for now and just transfer it all to the SSD when I get it, or just wait to do a fresh and clean install on the SDD when I get it. If its going to be better to just wait, I'll suck it up and be patient, if it doesn't matter then I'll probably do it tomorrow. Honest opinions welcome!

 

[genghiskron]

do it clean. clean > dirty.

 

[SirSavage]

Bah, thats what I figured. Ugh I'm so impatient. Oh well, guess I'll wait.

One more thing then. If I'm going to wait to install the OS on the SSD, how do I know if I put everything together right before that? If the BIOS starts up and everything shows up? Sorry this is such a noob question. Never built a PC before.

 

[Guest]

If I understand correctly you mean youre going to install the SSD and use the computer as is as a test before wiping and doing a clean install. Correct me if Im wrong.

After you install the SSD (Theres not a whole lot to mess up on if youre just installing a storage drive; power and SATA) turn on the computer. If you get a strange sequence of beeps and the like, something is wrong. If you dont get any abnormal beeps, go into the BIOS and make sure that the SSD is showing up and showing the correct capacity.

If the BIOS is showing everything correctly, boot up your OS and sit back, relax, and use your computer for a bit; if you did install it wrong or the drive is faulty, better it fail as an empty extra drive rather than your main OS drive.

The last step is totally unecessary if youre confident in the quality and installation of the drive. I only suggest it as you mentioned youve never build a PC before, and taking extra precautions never hurt anybody.

As for the original question, I am totally for the clean install. It is by far the best approach if you can spare the time to. It just leaves less to go wrong if you do a clean install.

Hope this helps.

 

[SirSavage]

If I understand correctly you mean youre going to install the SSD and use the computer as is as a test before wiping and doing a clean install. Correct me if Im wrong.

Hey, thanks for the advice. Thats not exactly what I meant, sorry if I worded it funny. Here's where I'm at...

I have all the parts, but not the SSD. I want to put the rest of the computer together so when the SSD gets here, I can just put the OS on and be good to go. So what I mean is, if I put the rest of the computer together, but don't have the OS installed because I'm waiting for the SSD, how do I know I did it right? Does that make sense?

 

[genghiskron]

well there would be nothing wrong with installing the OS on the HDD right now. Then you could check to make sure everything is working properly with the install. when the ssd arrives, wipe and reformat the hdd, and install the OS on the SSD. I thought you were talking about installing everything on the HDD, and trying to clone the install files onto the SSD. That is often problematic.