Windows 7 SSD Install -- "Backup Media"

TheHighRoad said:

Hello!

I purchased a Mushkin Callisto Deluxe 60GB SSD yesterday (still in shipping transit) and have a Western Digital Black 500GB hard drive with Windows 7 Professional 32-bit installed on it.

I am going to want to do a clean install of my Windows 7 onto my new SSD. I would just like to have a clear plan of action as to how to get windows installed without it complaining and having to spend hours trying to figure out what went wrong.

First of all I bought the Digital River Student Windows 7 upgrade promo during which time I upgraded from my Windows XP, and I ordered the Windows 7 backup media (product X15-60650-01). Is this disc bootable? Will it be able to install directly to my SSD with the aid of the "upgrade media clean install" work-around.

For reference, the exact disk (albeit the 64-bit version) is scanned by DocBrown here: Ebay purchase

Do I first reformat the Western Digital Black HDD and then install Windows onto my SSD or do I install to the SSD (only drive plugged into SATA) and reformat the HDD after plugging it in while Windows is running off of the SSD?

I also have the HDD running on IDE mode something I never intended on doing, does anyone have the knowledge of when and how to change it over to SATA AHCI; as it needs to be reformatted anway?

Thanks!!!
TheHighRoad

I'm not too certain of whether or not the DVD will be bootable, but I do think that it may be. If so, you can use the "Clean Install From Upgrade Media" media workaround to install directly to the SSD. The install process will take care of the partioning and formatting of the target drive for you.

Just be sure to change the SATA setting in your system BIOS from IDE to AHCI first...

Hello TheHighRoad, welcome to Seven Forums!



Sounds like you have a good plan; it is suggested to enable AHCI before you start the install to the SSD though if you need to get back to the old install after you have reconnected it you will have to change back to IDE mode for it to boot, you can change back and forth between the two if needed.


Have a look at this tutorial at the link below for an out-line on the "Clean all" command (secure erase) an excellent method or over-writing old data on a HDD, just be sure to move the data you want to keep before you start. Running it this way, it will not allow the new Windows to be over-written when run from there.

Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command

Hello again.



You can boot the DVD and if you get to this screen you'll know it's bootable; then you can remove the DVD and restart the PC without concern of the install starting.

Also have a look at Step One in this tutorial for an alternative method to boot to diskpart to do a wipe that won't matter which mode the PC is in.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

click to enlarge

My pleasure, glad I could help!



I just realized I posted the wrong link, here's the correct one.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Case1 said:

"Just be sure to change the SATA setting in your system BIOS from IDE to AHCI first..."

I did not do this when I put Windows on my SSD drive. Did I mess up? I did activate the C drive (SSD) and made the D drive (HHD) inactive.

No, but if Windows was installed onto your SSD (or any other hard disk for that matter) with the bios settings on IDE compatibility, and you then set the bios to AHCI, then Windows will have a hissy-fit and will likely need to be re-installed.

This is why I said to first change your BIOS to AHCI mode before installing Windows.