Solved Need help with aligning my new Samsung 830 SSD.

[linnemeyerhere]

Samsung 830 has a bad alignment issue, first install was a clone of a Vertex SSD and it ran blazing fast but in AS SSD shows over 500,000k bad. Then did a clean install and after getting all my updates and software re-loaded had a similar huge number bad again but still a very quick drive and both installs showed 7.9 in WEI. So now I've imaged my Samsung to a Seagate HDD, I've totally cleaned my Vertex and need to restore the image to it then I can use the Samsung clone tool to hopefully properly align the Samsung 830 and be off to the races as they say. So I need help with re-storing the image to the Vertex then cloning should be smooth from there???

 

[DavidE]

Have you seen these tutorials?
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/113967-ssd-alignment.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html

 

[linnemeyerhere]

David,
Thanks, I had a chance to look at the tutorials and already knew that a clean install would take care of the alignment issue but it didn't. Called Samsung and before arranging for a new drive I wanted to see if I could image/clone it back on to the Samsung and get it to align? I've never had this issue with an SSD before but even with the 500,000+k bad showing in AS SSD benchmark it's still just a crazy fast drive, but being driven to perfection is like a sickness....lol !

 

[essenbe]

Alan, clean install. Disconnect all other drives so just the Samsung is connected. Boot to the installation disk, and at the first window, hold down shift and press F10. That will give you a command prompt. these are the commands to create and format an aligned partition. You will only have 1 disk showing, so will select disk 0 where I selected disk 1. When finished, type exit and press enter twice. You will be back at the language window, then just install. It will be aligned because you just did it.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Steve,
This will be the last resort (another clean install) I'm hoping that from my image I can properly align to the Samsung as I just don't have the time to do another clean install.

 

[essenbe]

Alan, when you did the clean install, was there a partition on the drive?

 

[LittleJay]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/205905-ssd-fix-misalignment.html?ltr=S

I ran across this tutorial and was wondering if it would help you.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Steve, I did the clean install last weekend and no partition.

 

[essenbe]

Alan, others may disagree, but this is my experience with SSDs. I have never known the Windows 7 installer to not properly align and SSD to a raw drive. If you use an imaging program, you will need to create an aligned partition first. If you do that the imaging program will, most of the time but not always, leave the alignment at what you set it. If you do not align the partition first, it seems that the imaging program carries the alignment from the drive you created the image from over to the new drive. The only sure and fail safe way I know to do it is with Paragon Migrate. You have to do nothing except select the OS, if you have more than one, select the destination disk, you have to tell it to format it, and press copy. I have done it both to a mechanical hard drive and an SSD back and forth at least 50 times and it has never failed once. That and doing the clean install using diskpart are the only ways I know of to be certain the SSD will be aligned when finished.

That has been my experience with different programs and images from several programs. Other's mileage may differ.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Boy of boy Steve and that about sums my experience up. My clean install was going to be a smooth problem solving experience, but no such luck. This very issue had the Samsung tech stumped and thinking maybe it was an issue with the drive it's self. As you mentioned maybe the first install from the clean installed Vertex III was the source of the first go round alignment issue but when I formatted and then clean installed the second go around and had the exact same issue well that has a lot of heads scratching.

 

[essenbe]

Alan, was that a mistaken choice of terms you made? If you formatted before the clean install and did not align it, it will be at whatever the program you used decided the alignment should be. You need to set the alignment yourself, as in diskpart. If you install on a raw drive, the installer will align it, and as far as I know, has always been correct. The installer will not align a formatted partition. And if you formatted, you had to have a partition.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Steve,
I guess I misunderstood. The Samsung drive was only raw when I used the Apricorn software to clone the W7 OS and software that was on the OCZ Vertex III SSD, then when that proved misaligned then I formatted the Samsung drive and clean installed W7 and it. So to sum up where I am currently I have my Samsung imaged to a HDD and have wiped my Vertex clean. I was going to as Wolgang suggested restore the image on the HDD to the Vertex and then clone the Samsung using the Samsung transfer tool.....but I'm open to all suggestions. I'm wondering why I can't just use the cloned HDD and the Samsung transfer tool to transfer the image to the Samsung direct but Wolfgang said that I needed to restore the image to another drive then use the transfer tool because without restoring first the drive wouldn't be a bootable drive. Maybe I'm misunderstanding things, I'll hope to get your feedback and others as to the best course of action from here......I'm just trying to avoid another clean install but I'm seeking a good if not a more optimized alignment for sure form here. maybe a purchase of Paragon makes the most sense from here?

 

[essenbe]

Wolfgang's suggestion may work. But, I would align it first. But, that's just me. But, maybe I'm missing something. Why can't you use the Samsung transfer tool from the hard drive to the Samsung without using the vertex? I'm sure you have a good reason. It sounds like it was the Apricorn software that messed you up to begin with. I've never used it, but it is supposed to give proper alignment, just like Acronis is supposed to. But, Acronis won't. I know that from experience, even if you align the drive first. That's why I love Paragon. I have 1 night a week I migrate my system to an old hard drive I have, just in case. Best backup you can have.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

I was wondering that myself, why would it matter which drive SSD or HDD I restore the image from? I'm going to bite the bullet and purchase the Paragon and then look to finally migrate to the formatted Samsung when I can get some time. Like you the Apricorn has always worked but just to use something else I used the Acronis 2010 to image to the HDD.
Regarding a complete image I agree it's the very best back up you can have and I had been using the Apricorn and now the Acronis for that very purpose and looks like I could be headed towards a Paragon regular imaged drive.

 

[essenbe]

I think it's the best choice. To me, Paragon Migrate was the best $20 I have spent. You won't need time. Once you start it, in 20 minutes you'll be booting into your SSD. It does not do images, it completely transfers the whole OS.