Switching to SSD with Windows 7 Upgrade Edition

Hi, I'm sure this has been covered many times, but I'm having a little trouble finding advice specific to my situation.

I just ordered an SSD and will be migrating my Windows 7 64 install over to it. Most people seem to say I should do a fresh install instead of cloning the old drive. Currently my OS is on a partition on my HDD, while the rest of my files reside on a different partition on the same drive.

Where this gets slightly trickier is that my version of Windows 7 is an upgrade edition. From what I remember reading before my initial install, the installer is much happier and the process is much smoother if it can detect an existing Windows installation somewhere on the system. But on the other hand, everyone seems to advise disconnecting all drives but the SSD when installing (to avoid having the boot loader install on the wrong drive?).

I can't have it both ways. The closest I've found to someone with my same dilemma is here: Upgrade Installation - To new SSD From XP

It sounds like in the end he had to do the reinstall workaround (install Windows 7 again over the invalidated installation). Is that what I'm going to have to do? Is there any easier way?

Have a look at this tutorial, which shows you how carry out a clean install with a Windows 7 upgrade disc.

Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

This one shows you how to optimize your SSD before you install Windows.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

I did what you are planning about 6 months ago. I had a Windows 7 upgrade disk installation on an HDD and wanted to change to an SSD.

I encountered no problems. I considered cloning or imaging, but instead did a clean install with my upgrade disk after first disconnecting my HDD.


The SSD was brand new. You have to own a qualifying Windows disk to be able to legally install the upgrade Windows 7, but I've never heard anyone else say "the installer is much happier and the process is much smoother if it can detect an existing Windows installation somewhere on the system".

I can't even recall if I had to do the registry workaround, but it's a 2 minute job to do it.

The whole thing is quite problem-free. Windows will recognize that it's an SSD and make a few adjustments accordingly.

No need to prepare the SSD for install, especially Cleaning with Diskpart which is hard on an SSD.

Just boot installer with only SSD plugged in, adapt these steps to clean reinstall: Reinstalling Windows 7

Leave the Product Key blank during install, then afterwards do the quick registry workaround SeaVixen link and Ignaz referred to just above. Then activate at Control Panel>System.