Need help with SSD

[palamut21]

I am thinking of buying a 120GB crucial BX100 for my system(on a budget) since my HDD is driving me nuts. But before i do i have some questions and i would be happy if you could help me with them.

When installing the SSD on my system would i need another OS activation code?

Would i need to delete the OS from my older HDD which i will still be using or if i just do the boot setup from BIOS to the SSD, would i be fine?

And do i need to load anything else on the SSD than the OS?

Thanks for any kind of help.

 

[MarkW]

I would plug in your new SSD, unplug the hard drive, and install Windows. There is nothing new needed. Install it and use the same registration key.

After the SSD is up and running, then go back and plug in the old hard drive. Make sure you have updated the BIOS to indicate that it is to Boot from your CD/DVD, and then the SSD. I would leave the hard drive off of the boot order, so that you can leave that drive with Windows installed, in case something ever happens to the SSD. Its like having an insurance policy.

The one thing you will need to do after reconnecting the hard drive, is to re-install all of your software. As part of Windows installing on the SSD, a new registry will be created, and nearly all software has entries in the registry that is needed for those programs to function.

If you install the software on the SSD, I would find the setting in each of those programs to save its data on the hard drive, so that you do not fill your SSD up with data.

 

[USAFRet]

1. No.

2. Eventually, yes.

3. OS, drivers, applications.

 

[SBMfromLA]

I'll give it a shot at helping you...

Some people say to clone your old onto your SSD. I personally think that's NOT a good idea... It's better to start off fresh... besides, you said you're having some problems with your current one.. any cloning would just bring the problems you had onto to the new drive.

IMPORTANT: After installing the SSD... and BEFORE installing Windows, go into BIOS and change the interface from IDE to AHCI.. to give you max perfomance on your SSD.

WINDOWS ACTIVATION: After you install... you can easily enter the serial key and activate... since it's the same system (motherboard).. so you won't have any problems

DATA: Ideally, I would recommend just copying your data/media files onto a different location so you can just format your old drive to remove your old version of Windows on it. If I were in your shoes I would just create a partition on my old hard drive.. maybe about half.. then copy over all the data I wanted to save... like photos, music, movies.. Once that was done.. I would be READY to install the SSD and install Windows onto that.

After Installing the SSD and changing to AHCI... I would boot up the Windows DVD and first DELETE the partition on my old hard drive that had my old Windows version installed... remembering my data was saved on partition #2 on that drive... Then... I would Install Windows onto the SSD. When everything was done.. and if I didn't want to have 2 partitions on my old hard drive I would simply expand partitoin to get everyone back into a single drive... and I would be done.

 

[RimStain]

yOu won't need a new OS Key.

You can clone windows, however you will have your current C: size to below the formatted SSD size to be able to do this. Most SSDs will come with a locked cloning program. Crucial uses Acronis True Image HD 2014.

Follow the instructions on the video:
http://forum.crucial.com/t5/The-Cru/Cloning-with-Acronis-True-Image-HD-2014/ba-p/153252

Some SSD have management software, not essential but can be useful.

 

[palamut21]

Thanks for all the help guys. Very much appreciated.