Question Upgrading from HDD to SSD in new laptop. Should I install additional software before or after cloning?

digital_ecologist

Reputable
Sep 26, 2018
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I have just purchased a new Dell laptop. My plan from day one was to buy it with a cheap spinning drive, and swap it out for a Crucial SSD from the MX series. I understand how to do the upgrade, but I am a bit of an edge case, and there is a significant number of programs (some of which are quite large) that I'll need to install before I can use the computer as my daily work horse. Would installing all the software before cloning to the SSD significantly protect the SSD health by saving read/write cycles? Or would I just be making the software install process unnecessarily slow for little benefit?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
I have just purchased a new Dell laptop. My plan from day one was to buy it with a cheap spinning drive, and swap it out for a Crucial SSD from the MX series. I understand how to do the upgrade, but I am a bit of an edge case, and there is a significant number of programs (some of which are quite large) that I'll need to install before I can use the computer as my daily work horse. Would installing all the software before cloning to the SSD significantly protect the SSD health by saving read/write cycles? Or would I just be making the software install process unnecessarily slow for little benefit?
Drive health is irrelevant in this situation. No difference either way.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Also, if it is brand new laptop, I wouldn't clone it at all.

Get it, power up and get the OS activated etc.
Power off.
Swap the drives, and do a simple clean install on the new SSD.
You get to decide what initial bloatware and drivers you do or don't install.
Then, install all of your personal software.