Laptop 1TB HDD to 1TB SSD conversion - what do i need to do?

motorguy

I've an Alienware 13 laptop with a 1.0 TB HDD and i'm thinking of changing the hard disk to a 1.0TB SSD drive, specifically this one :-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Solid-State-Drive/dp/B00P738MUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440268990&sr=8-1&keywords=1+tb+ssd

OR, this one :-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-inch-Solid-State-Drive/dp/B00LF10KTE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1440268990&sr=8-3&keywords=1+tb+ssd

I've heard i can get a cable and clone the drive, but what cable would i need, and what s/w is best to do this?

Is it just one of these cables?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Startech-inch-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84/ref=pd_sim_147_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0PBTJMC1K40C6FB5Q5BR

Happy enough with the swap out as its just screws on the back of the machine.

Thanks in advance.

custardy

I prefer a clean install over cloning drives personally.
Does the machine only have room for one drive?

System

If its got an mSata slot then a better and cheaper idea is to fit an mSata for the OS and keep the 1TB drive as is

enfield_freddy

!!!!!! wrote: »

If its got an mSata slot then a better and cheaper idea is to fit an mSata for the OS and keep the 1TB drive as is

agreed ,,,

motorguy

I think the Alienware 13 can take 2 msata drives OR one 2.5 inch, so i cant have an msata and the current drive in situ

The alternative would be to fit two msata drives - one small one for the OS and another for everything else.

I'm not sure i wanted the complication of trying to do that. Just cloning the drive held appeal - i have a load of games downloaded via steam and a rather slow internet connection at home, so didnt want to have to redownload everything.

If i went down the fresh install route, how easy is it to do a fresh windows 10 install, given the machine was originally a windows 8.1 and upgraded?

enfield_freddy

if you can borrow a desktop machine for 10 mins , and can pop it open , connect your original drive to a sata and power and the new drive to sata + power , there is a free program called MiniTool Partition Wizard , see here for free version http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html


this simple program can be installed , the original drive copied to the new one , with settings for ssd , and then deleted from the host machine


edit: , yup do a new install on the new drive , download and burn the iso from here , https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10


you can then borrow a h/drive caddy , or even buy a case to make your old drive as a portable , then copy files/piccis etc over

GunJack

enfield_freddy wrote: »

if you can borrow a desktop machine for 10 mins , and can pop it open , connect your original drive to a sata and power and the new drive to sata + power , there is a free program called MiniTool Partition Wizard , see here for free version http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html


this simple program can be installed , the original drive copied to the new one , with settings for ssd , and then deleted from the host machine


edit: , yup do a new install on the new drive , download and burn the iso from here , https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10


you can then borrow a h/drive caddy , or even buy a case to make your old drive as a portable , then copy files/piccis etc over

but this won't get over the issue of having lots of Steam games installed and having to re-download&install on a slow connection

enfield_freddy

GunJack wrote: »

but this won't get over the issue of having lots of Steam games installed and having to re-download&install on a slow connection

in that case , as we have tried to help , and the OP has even offered to reload win10 as a clean install , unless he has access to a spare PC , he should take it to his local "PC Charm" (other rip off establishments are available) and let them clone the drive


the impossible we can do , miracles take longer ,


he may find that the time v cost or reloading a few game is substantially less than the cost at PC Charm.


I have already suggested getting a caddy or a case for the old drive , so that he can extract his personal data , so we have 3 choices


1: contact a friend with a desktop PC , go armed with a couple of spare sata/power leads and a few cans of beer/wine
2: visit PC Charm
3: install win 10 on new drive , and d/load his "games" again .


this is the 1st hard drive case listed on amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002UZO07C?keywords=hard%20disc%20caddy&qid=1440317857&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2


1 PC Charm = £50 PLUS
2 H drive case = £5

safsnowball

I've said it in another thread and got shot down in flames, but by far the simplest way is to buy a USB to SATA cable and use free software to clone the old drive to the new one (an example cable is shown in the suggested bundle on the Amazon page for the SSD) Macrium Reflect Free, is easy to use, others are available.

Once cloned follow general advice available from a quick search on the internet for making sure the SSD is optimised.

When happy do upgrade to Win 10 and once it's activated you have the option of a clean install.

enfield_freddy

ok , I did actually point out a case to hold the drive for about £5 , this can even be used afterwards ,


now then we hit a problem , I have used mini disk tool , because it allows you to set the parameter's up for a SSD , I have not use Macrium Reflect however .




I do know that to do a disk clone from an active windows drive tyo a new drive , the machine has to be rebooted out of windows and it copies in a DOS environment , however I have yet to get a USB drive to be recognised at this point




"When happy do upgrade to Win 10 and once it's activated you have the option of a clean install. "


he can do a clean install now , but is worried about d/loading some games on a slow internet

poppellerant

I'd take the slow internet completely out the equation and just do a clean installation. You can always leave the machine running overnight to download your games, or even all day too.

If you're absolutely desperate to try and avoid redownloading your games again, you could always try this method: Backing up games: STEAM Utility or Copy Steamapps folder?