Installing Windows 7 on new SSD

[jreddog74]

I currently have my OS (win.7 hp 64bit) installed on a Samsung 500gb HDD and I just bought a Corsair 64gb SSD to use as my boot drive. What I am wondering is, what is the best way to re-install my OS on the new drive? This is my first time working with an SSD and I am not sure what to do about my existing OS. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason

 

[brianzion]

hi there
for a quick install if you have windows installation disc unplug all disc drives from the board plug just the ssd in and install windows as normal. or do you want to clone existing drive to the ssd? i don't recommend a clone. a fresh install is best because windows will recognize its a ssd and adjust install accordingly.

Remember do not run a disk defragmenter on a SSD. It can shorten it's life span.

see brinks tutorial How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7 :ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

 

[brianzion]

how much data do you have on the existing drive now? it would be advisable to try and save all important files you want to keep on to a external drive before anything so when you are up and running with the ssd you can reformat the samsung drive getting rid of all the data then moving all your saved files from external drive to the samsung and use the samsung drive for your main downloads/ files etc and just use the ssd for the operating system thus this will keep the ssd seperate you can make your own file system with explorer on the samsung drive. (ssd run operating systems just fine. i run linux kubuntu on my ssd and it runs great)

 

[jreddog74]

Thanks for the quick reply. I wasn't planning to clone my current OS. Just seems simpler to reinstall using the install disc. I don't really have much data on the Samsung drive (whole system is new) so erasing the drive is no problem, except for the fact that I am unsure how to make that happen. Once I have OS installed on the SSD, and have the HDD blank, how do I set it up so that nothing else is written to the SSD?
Again, thanks for the reply and the help!!

 

[brianzion]

windows will install operating system to the ssd and will need to use it for important files (page file hibernate file etc.) but the majority of files can be moved have a read of this tutorial by brink >>> How to Change the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders >>> http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html

 

[gregrocker]

Tips for getting a perfect reinstall - use the ones which apply: Reinstalling Windows 7 - Windows 7 Forums

 

[Jaime74656]

ok I have a question, if I have an SSD with an OS (windows 7 ultimate, not sure what it is X64 I believe) and wipe that clean then just reinstall, or will windows treat it differently and just bork up my SSD (a 32GB SSD drive that already has win7 non it but no longer needed for old machine it was in)

 

[brianzion]

Tips for getting a perfect reinstall - use the ones which apply: Reinstalling Windows 7 - Windows 7 Forums

thanks for your input gregrocker

 

[gregrocker]

ok I have a question, if I have an SSD with an OS (windows 7 ultimate, not sure what it is X64 I believe) and wipe that clean then just reinstall, or will windows treat it differently and just bork up my SSD (a 32GB SSD drive that already has win7 non it but no longer needed for old machine it was in)

You can reinstall to an SSD just like a HDD.

If you have a retail (not OEM) license for Ultimate you can move SSD to the new machine by Sysprepping it on the old hardware so it will start up to install all new drivers, be reactivated on the new hardware: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...lation-transfer-new-computer.html#post1161038

 

[jreddog74]

Ok everyone. I really appreciate all of the help. I am new at this and all of your advice is invaluable to me. I will get to work on the install this Friday morning and hopefully by the weekend I am up and running. Thanks again!!

Jason

 

[Jaime74656]

ok I have a question, if I have an SSD with an OS (windows 7 ultimate, not sure what it is X64 I believe) and wipe that clean then just reinstall, or will windows treat it differently and just bork up my SSD (a 32GB SSD drive that already has win7 non it but no longer needed for old machine it was in)

You can reinstall to an SSD just like a HDD.

If you have a retail (not OEM) license for Ultimate you can move SSD to the new machine by Sysprepping it on the old hardware so it will start up to install all new drivers, be reactivated on the new hardware: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...lation-transfer-new-computer.html#post1161038

cool, i just may do a reinstall from the ground up as I have a fresh copy of 7 anyways for this machine...its a custom build box anyways

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello jreddog74, welcome to Seven Forums!


It may be a good idea to start over and the best way forward would be to wipe the entire Solid State Drive before you start, have a look at this information below and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.


After you have copied out or made back-ups of the data you need to save to external media, use Step One of this tutorial at the first link below to do a wipe (secure erase) to the entire Hard Disk Drive / Solid State Drive.

• Then if you do not want to create the new Windows 7 "System Reserved" partition use the outline in Step Two #2 to create, format and mark Active a single 100GB partition to do the installation to.
• If you do want to create the "System Reserved" partition use the outline in Step Two #3 to create, format and mark Active the System Reserved partition and then create and format the 100GB partition to do the installation to.

Either way, running the "clean all" then creating and formatting the partition(s) using diskpart will get you the best possible space to do a clean install of Windows 7 to; you can always extend the Windows partition to include the remaining unallocated space on the HDD / SSD or create additional Primary partitions or an Extended partition after the installation completes if you choose.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

DISKPART : At PC Startup

Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

 

[Jaime74656]

for the SSD (32gb) im just using it for windows boot drive only, games and what ever else will be put on another drive for the most part...so will I still need to do the disk part stuff? or can i just wipe/erase and install?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

for the SSD (32gb) im just using it for windows boot drive only, games and what ever else will be put on another drive for the most part...so will I still need to do the disk part stuff? or can i just wipe/erase and install?

A format/delete is not a wipe, a format removes nothing, if you want the best space possible to reinstall Windows to you will have to do a wipe secure erase to the SSD.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

   Note

Contrary to popular belief, doing a full format with Windows 7 does not remove any data at all, it just checks for sector errors and marks the space to be over-written as needed, all the data is still there including all the code from previous, failed installation attempts.

​

 

[Jaime74656]

ok, sounds a tad more complicated then i relized, never done that type of thing before...lol....time to start reading it multiple times to be sure i understand it.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

ok, sounds a tad more complicated then i relized, never done that type of thing before...lol....time to start reading it multiple times to be sure i understand it.

Yes just take your time, there's no hurry right; it's not as bad as it looks at first?

 

[gregrocker]

for the SSD (32gb) im just using it for windows boot drive only, games and what ever else will be put on another drive for the most part...so will I still need to do the disk part stuff? or can i just wipe/erase and install?

Using Custom install Drive Options (Advanced) to Delete all partitions, repartition as desired, then Format should be sufficient.

 

[Jaime74656]

ok, will try it...now to get the 2.5 to 3.5 bracket lol!

 

[gregrocker]

Concentrate on getting a perfect install: Reinstalling Windows 7

Then after setup capture a Win7 backup image and you'll never have to reinstall again: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

The SysPrepped image can even be moved to other machines: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...lation-transfer-new-computer.html#post1161038