Need help, how can i make SSD primary drive?

[MadMorigan]

Just ordered in a Samsung EVO 850 500gb, heard a lot of good things about it. Can someone give me a step-by-step on how to use this model to be my primary drive?

I have one free sata port and I know how to physically install it, just never have done a data migration before

I have a desktop with Win 8.1 and 2x500gb hdd.

 

[tinmann]

I'd do a clean install of Widows on the SSD. Intel has a data migration tool that's easy to use that is free to download from their webpage.
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=19324

 

[Nuwan Fernando]

Are you going to fresh install windows on it or just migrate the current installation to the SSD?

 

[HEXiT]

migration software works but its not 100% effective. i had issues with a recently installed version of win 7 with my evo.
it was a minor issue but an issue all the same. (got occasional lockups 5-6 times in the 3 weeks after installing the drive) i fresh installed and the issues disappeared.

as for fitting you have 2 choices. either plug it into the next available sata port, then go into bios and set the ssd as the primary boot drive. then install windows as normal.
or unplug and move down your current drive onto the spare sata and plug the ssd into the port you just freed up.
again just boot off the dvd and install as you would onto an hdd.

 

[MadMorigan]

nuwann, I would rather not have to fresh install if given the choice; i just want the quickest, most painless way...
Unfortunately, my windows came pre-installed so i received no windows disk

 

[Nuwan Fernando]

Connect the SSD to the computer

Use the intel data migration tool from

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=19324

to migrate your current installation to SSD. Once it's done, you can set it as the first boot device to use it as the primary Disk. Also please note that to get the maximum out of an SSD, plug it to a SATA 3(6Gbps) port.

 

[Qerass]

nuwann, I would rather not have to fresh install if given the choice; i just want the quickest, most painless way...
Unfortunately, my windows came pre-installed so i received no windows disk

I recently built a new computer and used the Windows version from my pre-installed last computer. I did it by downloading my Windows version (match it exactly) from Digital River (Microsoft's official online distributor).

I installed Windows using the thumbdrive installation tool on that page.

I was surprised to have no problem authenticating the Windows version, even though it was a completely new computer. Your Windows serial should be on the side of your case. (I had tried using a "windows token manager" 3rd party app to transfer the authentication, but that didn't work.)

The Digital River links are here: http://www.howtogeek.com/186775/how-to-download-windows-7-8-and-8.1-installation-media-legally/

 

[MadMorigan]

thanks for your feedback guys, I'll wait til the product gets here and then see what method works.