Installing OS Onto An SSD On Initial Boot

[FloatingGuru]

Hi, I will soon be purchasing an Alienware X51, but I am choosing to separately buy a Crucial SSD to install the OS on. I can find videos on YouTube detailing how to physically install the SSD, but it would be very helpful if someone could give me to a detailed guide on exactly how to install the OS on the Crucial SSD upon the initial booting of the computer (without having to first install it on the HDD.) I am very new to this, so I would really appreciate help.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Are you sure the Alienware will arrive with no installed operating system?

I don't know anything about Alienware's specific policies, but that would be uncommon if true.

Is the Alienware supposed to come with an ordinary Windows installation disc?

Or is it coming with no operating system whatsoever and you are buying a Windows install disc separately?

More details needed.

An install to an SSD is the same process as an install to an HDD. You need an install disc of some type.

If the machine will have an operating system on an HDD when it arrives and you want to install to an SSD, you would have 2 basic choices:

1: transfer the HDD installation to the SSD through either a cloning or imaging process, probably using a third party program such as Macrium Reflect. This would not be a "clean install".

2: Do a clean install, wiping out everything that is on the Alien HDD. You could do that by using a Windows installation disc you bought elsewhere. You'd activate by using the Product Key that came with the installer. Or by using a burned DVD you made after downloading a Windows installation ISO from Digital River, in which case you'd activate using the Product Key found on the Certificate Of Authenticity sticker on the PC.