Windows 7: Transfering Windows 7 to SSD from HDD on new laptop?

After you install Windows, go back in your Bios and change the boot order. It should be your DVD first and then your Hard Drive with your Windows on it next. You must have changed the boot order before you installed Windows. Just go in the same way and change the boot order again as I described above.

If you don't disconnect the HDD on port0, you may end up with your bootmgr on the HDD and the system on the SSD. This is not really dramatic and it can be fixed, but it is an unnecessary detour.

Alright, wouldn't I make the SSD 1st because I don't have a DVD drive?

I think i'm going to try it tonight, I have my USB made up.

On a side note, will I need to repeat this process of unplugging the HD when I do a factory reset in the future?

If you're doing a Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 then you'll probably not want to do the inferior factory recovery again. Instead after you get it set up and running as you like, save a Windows 7 backup image to the HD to use in place of Recovery. It's all in the tutorial.

Just installed a clean version of windows 7, the computer is incredibly speedy.

I do however have an issue. I can't seem to connect to my wireless network?

The computer seems very bare. There are 9 items under "other devices" in device manager that have yellow question marks. I've read that the devices will be automatically installed once I run all of the windows updates but I can't access to internet to run the updates.

I'm going to hold off on putting the other HDD in until everything is running smoothly.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks again!

Also, I forgot to note, I never was given the "activate windows" box when filling in my user name/ time zone etc. It skipped over the "network connection" page also where you normally select either home, office or public network connection

Normally if you have the ethernet cable plugged in you'll get the driver 90% of the time and be ready to connect at boot, wireless is installed only about 60% of the time.

This is why it says in the Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 tutorial to put your wireless or ethernet driver in your backup so that if the installer doesn't provide it you can install it to get online quickly to do all Important and Optional updates which will require several rounds with restarts.
. Driver Install - Device Manager
Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3)

As it also says in the tutorial you find the wireless or ethernet driver on the PC or device maker's Support Downloads webpage for your model PC or device.

There are tips on installing all of your needed apps and programs and even a mass installer for the most important ones in the tutorial as well.

The Dell Reinstallation DVD self activates.

Thanks, I looked around dells site for drivers and found the following:

Drivers & Downloads | Dell United States

Would I want to download all of the drivers listed or just the network driver and let windows update take care of all the needed drivers? Thanks again for the help

I already answered that question, and if you'd take the time to read Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 you'd already have known the answer.

The blue link provides detailed steps given that will absolutely assure you get and keep a perfect install as long as you stick with the methods and tools in the tutorial.

Sorry to be a bother, I have looked through the tutorials in detail but am still having issues.

I downloaded the drivers from dells website (they came out to 1gb) and pasted the "cabinet file" into my drivers. When trying to update the drivers in device manager Windows cannot find them.

Maybe I do not have the correct drivers. What I have is a Cabinet file with over 3000 files into (a few are compressed)