How to put SSD as boot drive?

[Cee]

Is it possible to buy this SSD , install windows to it for faster boot time and better windows score?

If it is, how do I do that? I want all my programs/files/folders just as it now...

Would I need to like 'uninstall windows' from my current drive (only have one), or can I just take out my current drive, put in SSD, install windows 7 and put my current drive back in again?
Its really confusing for me.

Any help appreciated.

 

[fseal]

1) Before changing anything on your current system. Run the Settings and Transfer wizzard on your current machine to back up your user account, mail, IE settings program filessss or anything else you want (It's configurable). Have it save to a file or folder on your current harddrive (if you have room).

2) Take out old drive, put in SSD.

3) Reinstall windows clean. Do updates.

4) Reattach your old drive (Make sure in the BIOS that it is not selected to boot from...)

5) Run settings and transfer wizard again and restore your settings from the old drive to the new drive.

You can then just leave your old W7 install. It can actually be exceptionally difficult to get rid of. Formatting your old drive to remove it may be the only practical way of handling it. Course only after you have moved everything off of it to the SSD that you wanted to keep.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello Cee.









The "Move To" option in this tutorial at the link below is an excellent way to move things from the old OS to the new one in Windows Explorer, much better than drag/drop.


Context Menu - Add Copy To Folder and Move To Folder

 

[gregrocker]

Most new HD's include cloning software to clone your old HD over to the new one. If it isn't referenced on the setup literature, then look on the Support Downloads webpage for your model SSD. WD and Seagate both have free Acronis to use if one of their HD's are involved on either end.

Cloning may not result in best performance, although it is worth a try to save a lot of work. You may need to run Startup Repair from Win7 DVD if the MBR isn't copied correctly.

If cloning doesn't work as you want, then you'll need to clean reinstall with old HD unplugged. After install, plug back in the old HD to drag files over into corresponding User folders. Once they are all moved over, I would wipe the old HD with DISKPART Clean All command to get rid of any code on it then create partition(s) and format in Disk Mgmt: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

 

[mjf]

"Cloning may not result in best performance, although it is worth a try to save a lot of work. You may need to run Startup Repair from Win7 DVD if the MBR isn't copied correctly."

I'd be interested in the reason. The MBR (as important as it may be) is the first physical 512 bytes on the disk and why would it be prone to copying error in the cloning process more than anything else?

Is there a size issue to deal with if your SSD is smaller than your old HDD?