question about installing windows to ssd

[ChrisDFW1]

i just built a new pc and about to install an oem copy of windows 7. i have an ssd and a hdd and want to put windows on the ssd. do i select the upgrade version or custom and do i need to unplug my hdd to put it on my ssd?

 

[USAFRet]

Not upgrade.

And while not required, it is recommended to install with only the target drive connected.

 

[matt20020]

when i did it i turned off the pc and unplugged the normal hardrive and just installed it on the ssd, then once installed i plugged my old hardrive back in and it worked fine. Can you explain what you mean by upgrade install?, usually i just see recommended or custom?

 

[ChrisDFW1]

ya when i get to the install options one option is upgrade and other is custom.. maybe it does say recommended. i am currently unplugging the hdd and install.

 

[matt20020]

yeh just go on custom install then, also check that the sata setting are right for the ssd before you install windows on it!

 

[matt20020]

oh sorry if it does say recommended then use that option instead of custom!

 

[USAFRet]

oh sorry if it does say recommended then use that option instead of custom!

If you have only the target drive connected, yes....Recommended.

 

[matt20020]

tbefore you install windows onto the ssd check the bios your sata type should be on AHCI this will give you a much faster boot time, but you must do it before installing windows

 

[ChrisDFW1]

ok so now that i try to install windows its giving me an error that says '' windows could not format a partition on disk 0. the error occurred while preparing the partition selected for installation. error code 0x80070057''

 

[matt20020]

are you selecting the correct partition?, ive done this many times, look for the one with the most free space on then try that!

 

[matt20020]

there should be a partition you can select where the total space is a little below what the actual size of your drive is?

 

[ChrisDFW1]

there is another partition but its only 100mb. so do i have to create one?

 

[USAFRet]

there is another partition but its only 100mb. so do i have to create one?

OK.
That 100MB partition is a System Reserved partition from a previous install (or failed install)

Is the SSD the only drive connected?
If so.....Advanced, delete any and all partitions on that drive.
Install.

 

[ChrisDFW1]

i did that and same error

 

[USAFRet]

i did that and same error

So the SSD is the only drive connected.
And you deleted whatever partitions are on it.
And you're telling Windows to use the entire unallocated space?

What are you installing from?

 

[ChrisDFW1]

yes ssd is the only drive and i have deleted all partitions. i am trying to install from a disc

 

[Tom Tancredi]

Hold on OP let me clarify;

Adding SSD requires a COMPLETELY CLEAN BUILD - all drives BARE. You can't install to just the SSD, add the HDD and then 'still have my programs'. Programs have little parts all over the HDD that are impossible to 'move' or 'repoint to' in regedit, so you have to reinstall every application. "What if I don't wipe?", well here is the BIG problem, the HDD is set as the BOOT OS. So when you turn on the computer and the BIOS says "okay who do I tell all this hardware info to" BOTH the HDD and SSD say "HEY ME HEY ME HEY ME HEY ME" then start to fight over who is in control. Many times this results in the "Boot Sector Damaged - Repair hit Y" and suddenly one of the drives tell the other one it is 'blank' and well it rewrites the Boot Sector and 'Wipes the drive' (really it doesn't but Windows never can get past this point even when trying to 'fix it') and you lose everything.

The process to "Add SSD to current system" (try Google sometime MANY articles out there on these things ya know) is to first have a external HDD, your copy of Windows, all your application CDs and the article on "How to move my STEAM games to another drive" if you have STEAM downloaded games. Plug in ext HDD, run Windows Easy Transfer to backup your data. Then follow the steps for STEAM to move them to the ext drive if you have room (you should but might want to consider how much you have BEFORE doing any of this). Now download and create a DBAN CD to wipe the HDD and set it as a bare drive.

Install SSD, boot from Windows DVD, install Windows. Download all Patches and Options except BING, repeat till there is no more Windows Updates appear. Download and run Slim Drivers, install all the latest updates but you don't need to reboot until you do the last update. Go to www.filehippo.com and download AVAST! or AVG then download and install Malwarebytes so you can scan weekly for malware (and you will need to scan after you restore your data to make sure you didn't backup any malware onto this clean system). Now begin to install every application BUT WARNING, as your SSD is LIMITED in space you need to ALWAYS MANUALLY tell the software to INSTALL to the C:\ (HDD) instead of C:\.... that it would do. Follow the steps for STEAM.

When all done, then run Windows Easy Transfer to restore your settings and 'feel' - reboot required. Now your back to as you were on a SSD, but now you need to do more management of the system. If this is a Samsung drive use the Samsung Magician to tune Windows to optimize the use of the SSD, otherwise look up SSD Tips and Tricks in google for the many articles covering this. As compared to off the shelf systems that include a SSD and preconfigured, you will have to do alot of the maintenance by hand

 

[ChrisDFW1]

this is a clean build

 

[Tom Tancredi]

Well you mentioned 'UPGRADE', and that is only provided if it sees a BOOT OS already (the HDD) or a previous attempted Windows Install that failed, it tries to 'upgrade' the version to the version on the DVD.

 

[ChrisDFW1]

i mentioned the upgrade part because when i get to the type of install it gives me 2 options. upgrade or custom. there is currently no OS On this system as its a clean build

 

[Tom Tancredi]

i mentioned the upgrade part because when i get to the type of install it gives me 2 options. upgrade or custom. there is currently no OS On this system as its a clean build

Then sadly you will probably have a problem. This appears to be a Windows 7 UPGRADE edition, not a Windows 7 edition DVD. This means that you would ALREADY have to have Windows installed (say XP or Vista) to 'upgrade' to Windows 7. You can't install Windows 7 Upgrade by itself, it will refuse to install because the edition and key are not 'valid' without a previous Windows install to upgrade from.

 

[ChrisDFW1]

Ok well I finally figured out what is wrong. And Tom, you are right. I did buy the wrong version of WIndows. IT is in fact an upgrade version. However this still is not the issue with the SSD. The issue is the sata drivers. They are not updated to be compatible with windows 7 so even if I had the correct windows version i will still get the same issue. However this would explain why windows gave me a file error when i tried installing on my HDD after about 5 mins of installation. Thanks for pointing that out Tom. I did find an SSD that works with my M5a99x evo mobo tho... that being a toshiba q pro. SO my plan is to install the correct copy of windows to my new toshiba SSD and RUn all my new software discs for all the parts of my new rig and update all my mobo drivers then see if I can install a fresh windows install to my samsung 840 evo SSD. If this works then my plan is to return the toshiba and get another samsung 840 evo. THank all you guys for your input. I cannot believe my mobo sata drivers are not windows 7 ready. THis is the most stressful issue i have ever had with a computer. THanks again for all your input!!