ssd upgrade for hp compaq pro 6300 sff

[extreme_noob]

I am thinking of getting a samsung 860 evo 250 gb ssd for my hp compaq pro 6300 sff. I plan on keeping the hard drive in for files that i don't need to load quickly. the 6300 sff has 1 sata 3.0 port, 2 sata 2.0 ports, and 1 esata port. It comes with a sata III hdd and an optical drive. First of all, I was wondering whether the 860 evo is even compatible with my pc, and second I was wondering where to plug everything.

 

[RealBeast]

Yes, the SATA Samsung 860 EVO is compatible. Best to attach it to the SATA 3 port, as a HDD cannot even saturate a SATA 2 connection.

When you do a clean OS install to the SSD leave the HDD unplugged. After loading the OS then power down and attach the HDD so that the system reserved partition ends up on the SSD.

 

[extreme_noob]

so attach the ssd to the sata 3 and hdd to the sata 2 or vice versa?

as for os install, would it be ok to use a usb to sata cable to copy the hard drive to the ssd, wipe the hdd, then put in the ssd? thats what i was thinking of doing.

 

[RealBeast]

so attach the ssd to the sata 3 and hdd to the sata 2 or vice versa?

as for os install, would it be ok to use a usb to sata cable to copy the hard drive to the ssd, wipe the hdd, then put in the ssd? thats what i was thinking of doing.

Yes, SATA 3 to SSD and Sata 2 to HDD. If you clone the HDD onto the SSD, use the internal connections -- you don't need to use USB. If you are short on data/power connectors temporarily disconnect the optical drive connectors and/or use a power cable spliter.

Cloning may or may not work depending on how much data you have on the HDD or how much you can slim it down so that it all fits.

 

[extreme_noob]

ok thanks I wont have a problem with the power cable the computer conveniently has a power cable with three connectors (one for hdd one for od). as for plugging in the ssd should I be concerned about the computer getting confused between the drives? Finally, I have ensured that the cloning will work because I checked and my hdd has 218 gb of stuff on it.

 

[RealBeast]

Sounds like you are good to go!

 

[extreme_noob]

ok so i turned off my pc plugged in the ssd and power cables. I unplugged the hdd from the sata 3 port which it was plugged into and i plugged the ssd into that port. When I turned the computer back on it said something about a disk error so I returned the sata cords to their original states and turned on again. It worked but no ssd plugged in. any help?

 

[RealBeast]

It should say disk error since you have not yet installed the operating system on the SSD. Attach it again and then boot from the installation DVD or USB stick to install the OS to the SSD.

And if you still want to clone the SSD from the HDD, start it up with the HDD attached and the SSD attached. Then run the cloning program, which should see the SSD even though it is unallocated. You can then run the cloning program to make the copy.

You will then have to detach the HDD, attach the SSD to the SATA 3 port and start up. Sometimes you need to do a startup repair using an install media disk/USB or you can make a recovery drive for Windows 10 (it was called a system repair disk in Windows 7). Then you can startup and repair the SRP to use the SSD as the OS disk. This may not be necessary, but have a repair tool in case needed.

 

[extreme_noob]

sorry im dealing with a much bigger problem right now
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3775242/computer-bricked.html#21276944

 

[extreme_noob]

k nevermind i fixed that problem now back to this one

 

[extreme_noob]

so you're saying plug the ssd into the sata 2 port temporarily to keep the hdd in the sata 3 then clone?

 

[extreme_noob]

also if I have both the hdd and ssd plugged in at the same time and they both have windows will I be allowed to choose which disk to boot from?

 

[RealBeast]

Leave the HDD on its current SATA 3 port for now, connect the SSD to a SATA 2 just for the cloning (it will go onto the SATA 3 later). It will not cause an issue to attach both just for the cloning and you will attach only the SSD once cloned to the SATA 3 and run the Windows recovery drive if needed to make the computer use the SSD attached on the SATA 3. After that step then attach the HDD to a SATA 2 and erase it by reformatting.

 

[extreme_noob]

okay thank you I will do it tomorrow and tell how it goes

 

[extreme_noob]

ok i got it plugged in and everything but I don't have enough space to clone the recovery image if i clone the system and the C drive. Is that ok?

 

[RealBeast]

You make the recovery drive on a USB stick like THIS.

 

[RealBeast]

You don't need to copy the partition that is labeled recovery image if you don't want to since you can use a USB recovery stick and that partition takes up space that you may want to use for data/programs.

 

[extreme_noob]

thanks i have it all installed, but one last question: if i put all of my documents on my old hard drive while the applications that may use those documents are on the ssd, will i encounter problems with that in the future?

 

[RealBeast]

No, but you will likely need to show the application where the specific document is the first time you open each unless you are saving them to the HDD with the new SSD based application.

 

[extreme_noob]

i saw that two of the games i opened created new folders in a new document folder in my c drive

 

[RealBeast]

i saw that two of the games i opened created new folders in a new document folder in my c drive

Most programs will do that unless you change the default storage for them. Sometimes that is done in the program by default and other times you can select each time where you save just like every Windows OS since Windows 95.

 

[extreme_noob]

so how to I change where it saves?

 

[RealBeast]

so how to I change where it saves?

Read HERE.

 

[extreme_noob]

I did what it says, and it didn't work.

 

[RealBeast]

I did what it says, and it didn't work.

While that method does work, you don't absolutely have to have it.