How do i install ssd on my laptop?

[umairarif]

Hi all,
As title says i want to install ssd on my laptop and make it first drive with all windows files on it. I have bought samsung 840 250 gb ssd. I have sorted out my data that i want to keep on my laptop. I know how to physically install ssd but I want some one to help me on how to copy existing windows and data files some where, and then after installing ssd of course how to run those windows file on ssd. I hope my questions are clear enough. I tried to put this post on tutorial section but for some reason it did not allow me to post there.
million thanks in advance.

 

[richnrockville]

Umairarif, welcome to the windows 7 forum.

First great on the SSD, but, it won't work if all you do is copy the files from your old C drive to the SSD.
Windows has to either be installed on your new SSD or it has to be rewritten with an image of your older C drive.

As long as your old C drive is equal to or smaller than your new SSD, then windows Imaging utility will do the job.

If your old C partition is larger than your SSD, that won't work properly without doing some manipulation of your existing old C drive to reduce it's boot partition equal or less than your new SSD.

I use Acronis 2013 and make an image of the C drive on an external USB hard disk so that when Acronis (or the free Macrum) will create the necessary files and partition on your new SSD.

If your old C drive is = or smaller than your new SSD. All should be well but you have to first make an image of your boot C partition on an external USB disk or another spare hard disk.

Installing your SSD is pretty easy in most cases and then you can boot the recovery disk that you made in the windows image program or Acronis or Macrum. then select restore to your new SSD.

There could be some glitches as the drivers for your old Hard disk might need updating for the new SSD.

Give it a shot and let us know how it is going>

Rich

 

[umairarif]

ok I will take it one at a time, so just checked my OS(C) partition size by right clicking and then going to properties, it say total capacity 451 gb which is bigger than my ssd(250 gb). this means I have to do some thing to resize this partition?
regards

 

[bigmck]

Take a look at this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html It will guide you through the transfer. As you will see there are two ways to do it. One is with a lot of commands and the other you spend $19.95 and the program does everything for you. If you have $19.95, that is the way to go.

 

[umairarif]

All of this is very complicated because I a basic home user. but I am sure I can do it. so do I need any hardware apart from ssd and all of its attachments? I have hp dv7 which has 2 hdds 500gb each. So my understanding is that I will take 1st hdd of my laptop and replace it with ssd. but I dont understand when should I use this paragon program? before installing ssd of after?

do I need this external enclosure?

 

[edwar]

The total capacity of the drive doesn't matter. It is how much stuff you have on the drive, Space used. If that Space Used is larger then the Total size of the SSD then you will need to Off Load some of those files to an External drive. Once that is done just use one of the free Imaging programs to Image your present drive to an External drive and then install the SSD and load that image on the SSD.

 

[umairarif]

My c: partition size is 451gb, from which used space is 48 gb, my ssd is 250 gb, this means I dont have to manipulate the files on c: partition?

when you say image the data, does this means copy the data ?
can I use one off my hhds to image this data and then load from it to ssd later?

 

[LittleJay]

If you could go into disk management and use the Snipping Tool to take a screen shot of your current HDD setup, then post that screen shot here, it would be very helpful.

 

[umairarif]

If you could go into disk management and use the Snipping Tool to take a screen shot of your current HDD setup, then post that screen shot here, it would be very helpful.

how to get hdd setup?

 

[LittleJay]

Go to the start menu and type disk management into "search programs and features. It will show you a link to disk management that you can open.

 

[umairarif]

ok got it.

 

[edwar]

My c: partition size is 451gb, from which used space is 48 gb, my ssd is 250 gb, this means I dont have to manipulate the files on c: partition?

when you say image the data, does this means copy the data ?
can I use one off my hhds to image this data and then load from it to ssd later?

Right. You are only using 48GigaBytes of that 451GB so all you have to is Image old drive, load that image on the SSD.

 

[umairarif]

My c: partition size is 451gb, from which used space is 48 gb, my ssd is 250 gb, this means I dont have to manipulate the files on c: partition?

when you say image the data, does this means copy the data ?
can I use one off my hhds to image this data and then load from it to ssd later?

Sorry to be a pain, but image means copying? and can i do that on my spare HDD?

 

[LittleJay]

If you want to use the native Windows Imaging to install your C partition on the SSD, then you will need to shrink the size of it to fit on the SSD. Here is a tutorial that will show you how.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2672-partition-volume-shrink.html?ltr=P

One you have done that you can then go into "Backup and Restore" and on the left hand side choose the "Create a system image" feature. Save the image to your 2nd HDD and when it is finished it wiill ask if you want to create a "system repair disk". If you don't already have then do so. Once that is done, install your SSD in the computer and boot up into the system repair disk. From there you can restore the image you created to your SDD from your 2nd HDD, which I assume you will be leaving in the computer.

 

[umairarif]

if i use acronis 2013 for true imaging my hdd, after installing ssd will it be a straight forward procedure to upload this image on to ssd? like from boot menu I will chose the location where image files are and then boot from there or is it some thing different i have to do?
thnakns

also if you can see my HDD snapshot, can you please tell me which file do i need to image?

 

[LittleJay]

I have never used Acronis software before, so I don't know what the capabilities are. You might have to read the manual first, unless someone else, who is more familiar with it will post here.

 

[umairarif]

which files do i need to make image of? is it just c: where os file are?

 

[LittleJay]

A system image should contain all the files on the C partition. And since you have a system reserved partition, you will need to include that in your image as well, because that is where your boot files are located.

 

[edwar]

Yes it is. But you should get the Bootable Media version of TI2013 from the Acronis website so you can create a bootable DVD or USB thumb of it, USB thumb made with a program like ISO to USB to burn it to a USB stick, and start the computer from that to do the imaging and Re-Loading of that image on the SSD.

You MUST save that image to an external drive. You should not try to save it to your present internal drive as that will just screw up the image.

 

[edwar]

which files do i need to make image of? is it just c: where os file are?

Yes IMAGE the Complete Drive. Everything, All Partitions, Complete Drive.