New
#1
What software to use with SSD clone and for backup too? Many Choices!!
Hi
I have few questions. Let me explain my situation. I picked up the 512 GB Samsung 840 Pro SSD to install in my Dell 17R N7110 laptop with the 64 bit Windows 7 Ultimate OS. To replace the stock 1 TB hard drive requires removing the keyboard, palm rest, optical drive and some more items. It is a little more than I want to get into for now. So, I am taking an easier route. I ordered a hard drive caddy from NewModeUS.com. This is a kit to install my SSD where the optical drive is. I can then use the optical drive with NewModeUS.com’s eSATA-USB kit. These kits look to be very simple and straight forward modifications.
My questions are software related. I have several cloning/migration programs that I can use. I have Samsung’s Data Migration and SSD Magician software, Paragon’s Migrate OS to SSD 3.0, Apricorn's EZ Gig IV from Clippard and a couple of other free programs. I also have my Windows 7 Ultimate discs to do a fresh install if I choose to go this route instead. One of my problems is that I don’t know how to proceed with this: I like Dell’s programs that came installed on my laptop. I would also like to have a fresh install of Windows’s 7 too. How can I have both?
If I decide to take the easy route and just clone/migrate my computer “as it is now” onto the SSD. Which software should I use? I've read so much, but I haven’t read hardly anything about Samsung’s software. I see that whs recommends Paragon’s migration software in his “SSD – Install and transfer the Operating System” tutorial which I have. My Crucial version of EZ Gig IV seems easy enough. I see that Paragon’s product properly aligns the SSD. What about the others? We might think that Samsung’s software would, but I really don’t know. Does it align the SSD’s? What about the others? I guess that I could align it afterwards.
If I want to do a fresh install of Windows 7 plus include all the Dell programs that came with the laptop. How would I go about doing this? These preinstalled Dell programs aren’t all available online. My other installed programs would be no problem.
I want to copy my computer before I begin. I have Window’s imaging and recovery software, Dell's Data Safe backup program, Norton's backup program and some other free programs. Which would work the best? I have 852 GB left on the original 1TB hard drive ( Disk 0 ). I have a 102 MB partition, a 19.53 GB partition (Recovery) and then the last partition ( C: ) that has 60.29 GB used of the 911.88 GB capacity for the 1 TB hard drive. That leaves 851.59 GB left. See below. I'm confused a bit. It says that the capacity of my 1 TB HD is 911.88 GB. Isn't that a bit too much to lose?
I apologize for this wordy post. I’m just a bit apprehensive about doing this project.
Last edited by LeftC; 08 Jan 2013 at 20:19.