Upgrading to SSD and windows 8.1

[windsurfer20]

Hello,
I just bought a Samsung EVO 840 250GB SSD that I want to add it to my PC and have my OS and main programs I use on it. I also want to upgrade my OS from windows 7 to windows 8.1. I will be buying windows 8.1pro student which requires windows 7 to be currently installed. I would like to use my old harddrive for my photos/documents etc. What would be the best way to approach this, with the least amount of reinstalling?

Any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks

 

[Mattios]

I would suggest upgrading to 8.1 Pro, then cloning your disk to the SSD. See this guide: http://www.cnet.com/how-to/migrating-to-ssd-get-yourself-a-new-computer-without-getting-one/

Then you can wipe the old drive and use it for data storage.

If your current drive size is larger than your SSD, then I would suggest finding an external hard drive to store photos and other documents on during the cloning process, so that you can duplicate your HDD to the SSD.

 

[windsurfer20]

Can I use an external drive that has my backup on it to store the photos/documents etc.? Or would I need to modify the drive?

 

[Mattios]

You shouldn't need to modify it - just plug it in, move your files over, plug it in to the new PC/OS, move files back.