Installing Windows 7 on SSD

[aberry2014]

I have an Alienware M17x R3. I am wanting to still keep my old drive but just transfer Windows 7 to my SSD. Should I do the factory recover USB method? Or should I just do a clean install of Windows 7 on my SSD?

I have a Crucial M500 120GB.

 

[Brink]

Hello aberry, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Personally, I prefer a clean install, but it's up to you to do a factory recovery or clean. It doesn't matter.

Be sure that you remove the old drive first, then install Windows on the SSD. This will prevent a dual boot setup, and having the boot manager on the old drive instead of the SSD.

Afterwards, while running Windows from the SSD, you can connect the old drive to copy what you want from it to the SSD before formatting the old drive to use as a data drive or how you like.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Mark Phelps]

I used a different method -- which is not the preferred -- but has been working fine for me. I created an image backup of my Windows install on an external drive using Macrium Reflect. I then connected a blank new SSD and use MR to "restore" that image to the SSD. I then rebooted, this time, to the SSD.

Did this months ago and have not encountered any problems resulting from it.

 

[whs]

Have a look at this:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html