Question Adding an SSD as the boot drive to an existing system

[BoomerD]

Not really sure where to put this.
As a result of building a new rig for myself and dismantling an older one, I now have a spare 256GB Toshiba SSD that I'd like to add to my wife's Dell as her boot drive. The system currently has a platter drive that has gotten slow as hell.
I DO NOT want to lose a single file, picture, document...ANYTHING in this PC...or I'll hear about it for years to come. (that's experience talking.)
If I put the SSD in the system, change the BIOS boot order, and install Windows 10 on it without removing the OS from the spinner...won't the two versions (both W-10) "fight" each other?
The ONLY thing I'd want to remove from the existing drive would be the OS.
I can't just clone that drive...1 TB won't fit into 256 GB.

Edit: changed drive to 256 from 240.

 

[Shmee]

Time to refresh this thread...A couple of days ago, she got so frustrated at how slow her PC has become, she finally said, "FINE! MAKE IT WORK RIGHT!"

I ordered a WD Green 1TB SSD for her machine. That arrived today. (before I get a ton of flack, I've had good results with the WD Green SSDs in the past)
Tomorrow, the drive adapter should arrive from Amazon. (Her Dell was never built for SSDs, only HDD cages.)

So...tomorrow...the "fun" begins.

While far from the best SATA SSDs, they are reasonable, and usually inexpensive. I got a 120GB WD Green for free with a Newegg order before. Was included with a Corsair 200R.

 

[BoomerD]

While far from the best SATA SSDs, they are reasonable, and usually inexpensive. I got a 120GB WD Green for free with a Newegg order before. Was included with a Corsair 200R.

I had a 240gb WD Green in the IBuyPower PC I had for almost 4 years. Never a problem. I considered TeamGroup and Silicone Power...because they were a bit cheaper...but went with a brand I have some trust in. (not that it really makes much difference)

 

[igor_kavinski]

I had a 240gb WD Green in the IBuyPower PC I had for almost 4 years.

I have the same in my main "net surfing" Ivy Bridge laptop with 32GB RAM. As long as it doesn't get bogged down by too much disk activity, it's fine. However, you never know with WD these days what you are getting. I hope you luck out and get the one with TLC NAND. If it somehow turns out to be QLC, that will be sad (don't think WD will highlight that in the spec sheet. Sneaky *expletive*)

 

[BoomerD]

No idea about that. Welp...the mounting adapter I got didn't work...only had a 4 pin molex power connector, not SATA...then, the Dell mounting rails wouldn't line up with any of the holes on it...so it's going back to Amazon. I have a plastic SSD mount that came with my ancient HAF 932 case. It doesn't really work right either...so I have the drive stuck into a spare ODD slot and the plastic mount zip tied in place. (Hey y'all watch this here!) We'll see it it works or not.

 

[BoomerD]

Just to be sure I'm doing this right...I have her old HDD disconnected and the new SSD connected. Currently downloading the windows install media...then, IF it recognizes the drive and installs...I can use reconnect the old HDD and Macrium to copy the old disk to the new...right?

 

[igor_kavinski]

Just to be sure I'm doing this right...I have her old HDD disconnected and the new SSD connected. Currently downloading the windows install media...then, IF it recognizes the drive and installs...I can use reconnect the old HDD and Macrium to copy the old disk to the new...right?

No. You have to boot from the old HDD. Install Macrium on it. The SSD should be connected to one of the SATA ports.

Use Macrium to clone source drive (HDD) to destination drive (SSD).

When done, disconnect HDD and leave SSD connected.

Turn PC on and it should boot like nothing changed, except wayyyy faster.

If you do it the way you are trying to, Macrium won't let you copy the HDD to the SSD with the fresh Windows install if you boot from the SSD. Fresh Windows install is not required in cloning.

HOWEVER, you CAN do it your way by fresh installing Windows on the SSD. Then connect HDD and clone only the drives other than the boot drive from the HDD to SSD. For that to work, you need to have only a small (100GB) C drive on the SSD and you can use the SSD's free space to clone the HDD data partitions onto the SSD's unallocated space.

 

[BoomerD]

No. You have to boot from the old HDD. Install Macrium on it. The SSD should be connected to one of the SATA ports.

Use Macrium to clone source drive (HDD) to destination drive (SSD).

When done, disconnect HDD and leave SSD connected.

Turn PC on and it should boot like nothing changed, except wayyyy faster.

But install windows on the new drive first...right? (I hope so...it actually is installing first time)

 

[igor_kavinski]

But install windows on the new drive first...right? (I hope so...it actually is installing first time)

No need. If you install Macrium on the old HDD and use it to clone the HDD onto the SSD, there is no new Windows install. The old Windows install will work fine on the new SSD and much faster.

If you install Windows on SSD anyway, it will be a waste of time because using Macrium from old to new will overwrite the newer Windows with the old HDD's existing Windows.

 

[tcsenter]

so I have the drive stuck into a spare ODD slot and the plastic mount zip tied in place. (Hey y'all watch this here!) We'll see it it works or not.

It'll be fine as long as it's oriented in a way that doesn't place any bendy stresses on the cable connector and not going to flop around in there. I've done several like this myself, for the same reasons.

Just to be sure I'm doing this right...I have her old HDD disconnected and the new SSD connected. Currently downloading the windows install media...then, IF it recognizes the drive and installs...I can use reconnect the old HDD and Macrium to copy the old disk to the new...right?

Hmmm, me thinks you're doing one unneeded step? Do you intend to clone/image the entire HDD to the SSD, instead of clean install Windows and all applications?

If so, you can use Macrium to create bootable USB Macrium restore media, which you can boot from and do that cloning/imaging. You would need to connect the HDD back in, boot to Windows, start Macrium then create the USB restore drive, shut everything down then swap the SSD (connect) and HDD (disconnect), then boot from the USB drive and image/clone from HDD to SDD. I'm pretty sure you can't clone to the disk you have booted from in order to run Macrium from Windows.

 

[igor_kavinski]

If so, you can use Macrium to create bootable USB Macrium restore media, which you can boot from and do that cloning/imaging. You would need to connect the HDD back in, boot to Windows, start Macrium then create the USB recovery drive, shut everything down then swap the SSD (connect) and HDD (disconnect).

That's kind of an advanced user thing to do. Installing Macrium on the old HDD and cloning from within the old Windows to SSD is much simpler.

I'm pretty sure you can't clone to the disk you have booted from in order to run Macrium from Windows.

Correct.

 

[tcsenter]

That's kind of an advanced user thing to do. Installing Macrium on the old HDD and cloning from within the old Windows to SSD is much simpler.

Ah yes! I overlooked that entirely. Just boot Windows from the HDD, start Macrium and clone/image to the SSD.

 

[BoomerD]

It'll be fine as long as it's oriented in a way that doesn't place any bendy stresses on the cable connector and not going to flop around in there. I've done several like this myself, for the same reasons.



Hmmm, me thinks you're doing one unneeded step? Do you intend to clone/image the entire HDD to the SSD, instead of clean install Windows and all applications?

If so, you can use Macrium to create bootable USB Macrium restore media, which you can boot from and do that cloning/imaging. You would need to connect the HDD back in, boot to Windows, start Macrium then create the USB restore drive, shut everything down then swap the SSD (connect) and HDD (disconnect), then boot from the USB drive and image/clone from HDD to SDD. I'm pretty sure you can't clone to the disk you have booted from in order to run Macrium from Windows.

That's kind of an advanced user thing to do. Installing Macrium on the old HDD and cloning from within the old Windows to SSD is much simpler.


Correct.

Dammit...Windows is loaded and booted.

 

[tcsenter]

Yeah disregard the second paragraph of that post. I made it even more complicated than necessary.

 

[BoomerD]

So...should I go in and reformat the SSD before I try to copy the HDD to the SSD?

 

[tcsenter]

So...should I go in and reformat the SSD before I try to copy the HDD to the SSD?

Macrium should handle that, at least notifying or prompting if it needs you to make a decision.

 

[BoomerD]

Macrium should handle that, at least notifying or prompting if it needs you to make a decision.

Ok, thanks.

 

[BoomerD]

The new drive SEEMED to clone fine...shows up in "My PC," shows up as a SATA drive in the BIOS, but it's not available as a boot device.

 

[Tech Junky]

The bew drive SEEMED to clone fine...shiws up in "My PC," shows up as a SATA drive in the BIOS, but it's not available as a boot device.


View attachment 83572

Pull the power cable on the HDD and as if it boots.

 

[tcsenter]

Is that BIOS screen with or without HDD attached? Windows Boot Manager (UEFI) is what you want but if that is with the HDD attached then it's probably the HDD. But if it is without HDD connected, then that's your SSD. As mentioned, just disconnect HDD and boot it again.

 

[BoomerD]

Is that BIOS screen with or without HDD attached? Windows Boot Manager (UEFI) is what you want but if that is with the HDD attached then it's probably the HDD. But if it is without HDD connected, then that's your SSD. As mentioned, just disconnect HDD and boot it again.

That's with both the HDD and SSD connected. Unfortunately, for a while, I'll need to keep both drives active. Maybe turn the HDD into storage only.

 

[tcsenter]

What model Dell is this? Depending on the BIOS, sometimes there can be another setting to make a drive available/unavailable from the list of boot devices. What is that option "Hard Disk Drivers" at the bottom of the screen shot? I know that is misspelling it should read "Drives" not drivers because I've seen that before. But I can't remember what you get when you open it.

But probably in your case, it's because there are two drives with identical boot sector/loaders now. So the BIOS has to defrault to one of them, I believe that may be decided by the SATA port #. Should be the lowest # such as SATA 0 or SATA 1. Try plugging the SSD into the lowest port #.

Lastly try to invoke the system Boot Menu usually F9, F10, or F12. It will often display during POST like 'F12 for One Time Boot Menu' or 'Device List' or some kind of wording like that. From there you can see if the SSD and HDD are both listed as available and select between them each boot.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Try removing the HDD temporarily to see if the SSD boots.

If it does, connect HDD via USB adapter, go to Disk Management and delete the hidden 100MB boot partition on the HDD. That should stop confusing the BIOS.

 

[BoomerD]

So...if I have both HDD and SSD plugged in, only the HDD shows in sysinfo. No option to change boot order there. If I unplug the HDD, the system boots just fine from the SSD.

Try removing the HDD temporarily to see if the SSD boots.

If it does, connect HDD via USB adapter, go to Disk Management and delete the hidden 100MB boot partition on the HDD. That should stop confusing the BIOS.

I have an ODD enclosure that will work with the HDD. I'll look at that and maybe give that a try.

 

[BoomerD]

Here's what I see in Disk Management: (disk 1 is the HDD. Oddly, the HDD has less free space

 

[Tech Junky]

So...if I have both HDD and SSD plugged in, only the HDD shows in sysinfo. No option to change boot order there. If I unplug the HDD, the system boots just fine from the SSD.

It's because you cloned it which also clones the UUID of the drive. System won't work w/ both enabled. Once you have it booted on the SSD wipe the HDD and you can then put it back inside as extra storage.