Windows 7 upgrade on new SSD/HDD build

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biggs9281

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Feb 10, 2012
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Ok, I have a couple of questions pertaining to my new pc build that is being shipped to me. I am building a new computer using a Corsair Force GT 120gb SSD as my boot drive and a Seagate Barracuda 1tb drive for files and whatever else. Now, the first part of my question is...

When installing the SSD (my EVGA Z68 SLI has SATA 3) is there anything special I need to do? I assume there isn't, other than just plug it into the SATA 3 port and go. Now, once the computer is up and running, what must I do to get windows to install on it? I have read about changing from IDE to AHCI (not sure if my BIOS will have that or not but I will find out soon). Is there anything else? I also read that changing the boot priority to dvd rom first, SSD second, then the HDD third will help as well. Both drives are brand new so no partitions or anything, clean install.

Second part, I bought the upgrade version of Windows 7 professional 64 bit and to install it, can I just pull out my old retail copy of Windows XP and install that first, then once it gets me to the desktop, reboot and do it all over again, this time installing the Windows 7 upgrade over it? In theory, I imagine this is how I would have to do it, but I am not positive so that is why I am inquiring.

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated! This is my first SSD and the first time I am using a upgrade version of Windows (I always buy retail but didn't want to shell out almost 300 bucks after dropping 1700 on my new gaming rig).
 
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Your motherboard will have the AHCI setting in the bios and you should set it to use that before you install Windows as you mentioned.

You have the boot order correctly listed above, also; You'll do fine.

One thing though, don't hook up the cables for the HDD until after Windows is installed, otherwise Windows will put some stuff on that drive instead of the SSD.
Ok, I was able to answer the second part of my question by visiting this site...

http://www.mydigitallife.info/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media-and-product-key-on-formatted-or-empty-blank-hard-drive/

and it looks like it will save me some time (though I hear that the install times on SSD Sata 3 drives are very quick)
 



I have done the double-install in Vista using the "clean install" followed by the "upgrade install" ontop of the clean-install to get it to activate.


On Windows 7, I did the registry hack manually as mentioned in your link.
It worked perfectly. I didn't want to have to install Vista on a new drive just to have to do a clean install of Windows 7. It worked fine.
 
Your motherboard will have the AHCI setting in the bios and you should set it to use that before you install Windows as you mentioned.

You have the boot order correctly listed above, also; You'll do fine.

One thing though, don't hook up the cables for the HDD until after Windows is installed, otherwise Windows will put some stuff on that drive instead of the SSD.
 
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