Do I need to format my SSD before doing a fresh Win 7 intall?

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AndyW1984

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Hi all,

I have just purchased a new SSD (OCZ Agility 3 120GB) and have just a couple of question before i take the plunge and enjoy what I have been told is the best bang for buck upgrade I could of got.

1. Do i need to format the SSD straight out of the box before using it for a fresh install of Win 7?

2. If i unplug my existing hard drive and then plug my new ssd in and install windows, can i then plug my old HD in and format it from the new windows installation?

Many thanks in advance and I apologise if there are already posts on this but after hours of sifting i couldn't find a definative answer. :)
 

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Mesh
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The SSD will be formatted automatically as part of the Win 7 install process. You don't need to independently format it.

Yes, you will be able to plug the old drive back in and have your way with it---reformat, retrieve data, etc. Be sure it is unplugged before you install to the SSD.
 

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Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bitIntel Skylake i5-6600K, not overclocked8 GB HyperX DDR4-2666 (2 x 4 GB)none; graphics are integrated on CPU
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Excellent, thank you for the prompt reply. Think i will still back-up my data before i give it the old unplug reinstall. Looking forward to booting up with it!
 

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You're most welcome.

Backing up your important data first is an excellent idea.

Please post back to let us know how you get on or if you need further help.
 

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Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-BitIntel Core i7 870 @ 2.93GHz8Gb Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 664MHznVidia GeForce GTX 460 1024MB dedicated RAM
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HP Pavilion Elite 495UK
OS
Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-Bit
CPU
Intel Core i7 870 @ 2.93GHz
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MSI 2A9C (CPU1)
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8Gb Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 664MHz
Graphics Card(s)
nVidia GeForce GTX 460 1024MB dedicated RAM
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Realtek HD Audio
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HP2310i
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1920 x 1080
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1x1954GB Hitachi HDS22020ALA 330 (RAID), 1x1954GB Hitachi External for backup and storage
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460W
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HP Elite
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Air cooled
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Logitech K750 solar-powered keyboard
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Logitech Wireless M180 mouse
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Pure Avanti Flow Internet Radio with iPod Dock, 64Gb iPod, HP USB Speakers, Sony MDR-V500 Headphones, Sony Vaio F-Series Laptop
The tutorial linked by Seavixen is excellent, but the 'clean all' command is not necessary on a new SSD.
 

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Just a quick note to say thank you for the info guys. The drive is all installled lovely, just having a few issues with the stupid 2.5 to 3.5 adapter i got! But the ssd is fantastic, definately one of the best upgrades I have done.

Next stop mobo and processor!

Again big thank you for all your advise.
 

My Computer My Computer

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Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Mesh
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
One of the best adapters with a SSD are Velcro dots and place the drive behind the mobo if your case allows and then you don't use a drive space at all.
 

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A blend of brains, brawn and dumb luck.
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AndyW1984 said:
Just a quick note to say thank you for the info guys. The drive is all installled lovely, just having a few issues with the stupid 2.5 to 3.5 adapter i got! But the ssd is fantastic, definately one of the best upgrades I have done.

Next stop mobo and processor!

Again big thank you for all your advise.
Click to expand...

You're very welcome.

Pleased to hear the upgrade is going well and thanks for the update.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-BitIntel Core i7 870 @ 2.93GHz8Gb Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 664MHznVidia GeForce GTX 460 1024MB dedicated RAM
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP Pavilion Elite 495UK
OS
Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-Bit
CPU
Intel Core i7 870 @ 2.93GHz
Motherboard
MSI 2A9C (CPU1)
Memory
8Gb Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 664MHz
Graphics Card(s)
nVidia GeForce GTX 460 1024MB dedicated RAM
Sound Card
Realtek HD Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
HP2310i
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
1x1954GB Hitachi HDS22020ALA 330 (RAID), 1x1954GB Hitachi External for backup and storage
PSU
460W
Case
HP Elite
Cooling
Air cooled
Keyboard
Logitech K750 solar-powered keyboard
Mouse
Logitech Wireless M180 mouse
Internet Speed
2Mb
Other Info
Pure Avanti Flow Internet Radio with iPod Dock, 64Gb iPod, HP USB Speakers, Sony MDR-V500 Headphones, Sony Vaio F-Series Laptop
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