Upgrading to SSD

[ComputerNoob407]

I'm still a noob at computers. My lenovo y50 uses windows 8. I purchased a new Samsung 850 EVO SSD 500gb to replace my 5400 rpm WD slim 1 tb. Without formatting the drive, I inserted the empty drive into a external enclosure, attached a SATA connector though USB on the laptop. First I tried Samsung's data migration to clone, which was successful, but when I replaced the WD slim, after booting it showed the lenovo screen and it immediately went to a blank black screen (mouse shows and HDD activity light blinks). I take the drive out, put back in the enclosure and used Macrium Reflect to clone it. Replaced the drive again and upon booting, it showed the lenovo logo and at the bottom was performing automatic repair. After a few minutes, it said automatic repair couldn't be performed and asked to shut down, this was an endless loop. Both times, the bios recognizes the SSD. So I finally decided to just create an image from macrium reflect on an external hard drive. The image went successful and it passed the verify option, no errors. My question is, do I have to reformat the SSD though disk management again? To restore the image on the SSD, can I put the SSD in an external enslosure with a SATA connector attached via USB and restore the image that way? Would still that be considered an image? If I replaced the HD again, I want to be 100% sure it will boot normally with no problems and function normal. Thanks for advice!

 

[mitchell65]

Perhaps reading this excellent tutorial will help you:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html

 

[ignatzatsonic]

see comments in bold

My question is, do I have to reformat the SSD though disk management again?

You shouldn't have to. An image restoration will do the necessary formatting automatically.


To restore the image on the SSD, can I put the SSD in an external enslosure with a SATA connector attached via USB and restore the image that way?

I've never tried it as I don't use enclosures, but why not just put the SSD into the internal bay where it's supposed to be and restore to that from the external? I'd think restoring to the SSD in an enclosure would just be an unnecessary complication.


If I replaced the HD again, I want to be 100% sure it will boot normally with no problems and function normal.

You are imaging. Therefore, you cannot be 100% sure of anything. It's not a foolproof process, but it seems to be more reliable than cloning. You have to be prepared to have imaging and cloning both fail and have another plan--typically a clean install.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Normally I would create the system image onto the same drive as the os I was imaging if I didn't have an extra one to place the system image on.

Then I would create the WinPE recovery media so I had that to boot to and use to restore the system image.

I would then remove the old hdd and install the new ssd where it was,
Install the old hdd with the system image into the external enclosure.
Boot to the WinPE recovery cd or flash media and restore the image to the new ssd.

Seeing this is a win-8 machine you'd probably have to disable fast start and Secure boot so you could boot to the WinPE recovery media.

 

[AddRAM]

Whenever you reimage a drive, it automatically reformats the target drive. You don`t have to do it.

My question is, why aren`t you doing a clean install on the new ssd ?

That way you`ll have a beautifully clean pristine PC ?

Other then the fact that you will still be using Windows 8

 

[Benteke]

I swapped my laptop 750gb HDD w/a Samsung Pro 500gb SSD a few months ago. Take addRAM's advice and perform a clean install! Can't tell you how many hrs I wasted on the clone/image route... encountered far too many issues to even list here, so I won't. Eventually performed a clean OS install, downloaded & installed apps and then just migrated old HDD data files to the new SSD.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Funny I just restored an image on a 850 evo last weekend worked great and operates great
Of course I went from one ssd to another ssd

An hdd might need a little cleanup but reflect does trim operation pretty well I believe.

 

[ComputerNoob407]

Thank you for all the replies. A clean install sounds really good, but I don't want to reinstall all the programs, windows updates and games from steam and origin. After imaging, I noticed from the macrium reflect log history #2: SYSTEM_DRV and #3: LRS_ESP, the actual size is 4 mb less. #2 total size is 260 mb and #3 is 1000 gb, than the original. What is #4 Will this be a problem when restoring to the SSD? Why is the total size off? Verify option was a success, no errors and from the log, there was no errors as well.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

What settings did you make within Macrium just before you made the image file?

Specifically--did you select certain partitions manually and leave certain partitions unselected?

Or did you choose "image selected disks on this computer"?

Or did you choose "create an image of the partition(s) required to backup and restore Windows"?

Or did you do something else?

You need to post a screen shot of Windows Disk Management show we can see the details of your partition layout. The pic you did post doesn't show that detail.

Lastly--have you made Macrium restore (recovery) media?

The successful verification is no guarantee that an image restoration will succeed.

 

[ComputerNoob407]

Well, when macrium reflect v5.1.5870 opened, all the partitions were already selected and I chose to 'image this disk' below. I used the recommended settings 'medium compression level', 'intelligent sector copy', 'automatic file size', and 'highest priority'. I created the image using an admin. account I disabled real time protection on my antivirus and didn't have anything open or running in task manager while the image was being created, screen saver was off. Yes I created a bootable USB 'windows PE 4.0' Here is disk management of my OEM hard drive, this was before the image was created.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Hmmm.....two recovery partitions. I can't recall seeing that before. May not matter or be an issue.

You say "all partitions were selected". I assume you do NOT mean E was included?

Will your PC in fact boot from that recovery media you made?

If it will, and ALL partitions on disc 0 are included in that single image file you made, then I'd say you've done about all you can do.

It should restore. It may not. You'll never know for sure until you try it. If it goes up in flames, be prepared to do a clean install even though you don't want to do that.

 

[ComputerNoob407]

Yes, the 'E' drive is the external backup. Can I test the marcrium boot USB by booting from and and exiting the PE environment?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Can I test the marcrium boot USB by booting from and and exiting the PE environment?

Why "test" it?

As I understand it, you want to restore that image to an SSD.

See if you can do that.

If you cannot for whatever reason, you don't need a separate "test" to tell you something is wrong.

It isn't enough that the recovery media will boot. You need to know if you can restore. You won't know until you try to do exactly that.

 

[ComputerNoob407]

Well...um what I'm asking is....can I put the SSD in an external enclosure attached to SATA cable from usb and goto into the PE enoviroment and restore from there? I don't want to take apart my laptop again just to find out the rescue usb or image isn't working...sorry for the confusion. First time I took the bottom cover off I broke 4 tabs near the hinge, and there are some plastic pieces scattered inside, and i've taken the bottom cover off about 4 more times because the first two clones didn't work.

 

[torchwood]

note to all
the replacement SSD is SMALLER than the original drive 1t >> 500GB.

Roy

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Well...um what I'm asking is....can I put the SSD in an external enclosure attached to SATA cable from usb and goto into the PE enoviroment and restore from there? I don't want to take apart my laptop again just to find out the rescue usb or image isn't working...sorry for the confusion.

I have no idea. I don't use externals or enclosures.

You won't know squat until you try it.

Aren't you going to have to take your laptop apart sooner or later anyway, even if you can restore to an SSD in an enclosure? How else would you eventually get the SSD into the laptop?

 

[ComputerNoob407]

note to all
the replacement SSD is SMALLER than the original drive 1t >> 500GB.

Roy

I don't think I mention that sorry, my current hard is a 1 tb capacity and the SSD is 500 gb capacity (which I want to transfer). The image created from macrium reflect shows around 320 gb used space.

 

[ComputerNoob407]

Well...um what I'm asking is....can I put the SSD in an external enclosure attached to SATA cable from usb and goto into the PE enoviroment and restore from there? I don't want to take apart my laptop again just to find out the rescue usb or image isn't working...sorry for the confusion.

I have no idea. I don't use externals or enclosures.

You won't know squat until you try it.

Aren't you going to have to take your laptop apart sooner or later anyway, even if you can restore to an SSD in an enclosure? How else would you eventually get the SSD into the laptop?

I think I know what your saying. If I restore the image on the SSD in a external enclosure attached to SATA from usb, even though the image restore was successful, I still have to take the cover off to replace the current one. But while the SSD is still in the enclosure, can I boot off that while the current HD is still inside the laptop to be sure it works fine, or will that cause boot problems?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

To belabor the point yet again: you won't know squat until you try it.

Nothing matters until and unless you can get the SSD working properly with the restored image when the SSD is installed inside the laptop. Why concern yourself with something else? Why insert unnecessary steps and hardware such as enclosures?

 

[ThrashZone]

note to all
the replacement SSD is SMALLER than the original drive 1t >> 500GB.

Roy

I don't think I mention that sorry, my current hard is a 1 tb capacity and the SSD is 500 gb capacity (which I want to transfer). The image created from macrium reflect shows around 320 gb used space.

Not much room to grow
ssd's need additional space to write to because of trim unlike hdd's which is I believe 10-20% of the ssd space.

You should clean install and use the hdd or another one for your personal files
Just install windows and programs on the ssd.
If you have games you can install them on the hdd along with personal files.