change to SSD withour reinstalling windows

[mdbusa]

Hello

How can I change from hdd to ssd without reinstalling windows?

add ssd as second disk and then clone hdd to ssd? then remove hhd?
If so can someone suggest a cloning software

using win 8

 

[drinkmorejava]

Are you sure the manufacturer doesn't have software for that. Most do these days.

I did it two years ago and it was awful: had to decrypt everything, resize my current partition, manually align the partition on my SSD, then image ...ugh, glad I'll never have to do that again.

 

[mdbusa]

manufacturer of SSD? i didnt buy one yet. im looking at getting either a samsung or intel drive--at least 120 gb

 

[slpdLoad]

I've been happy with Macrium Reflect for things like that.

 

[mdbusa]

I've been happy with Macrium Reflect for things like that.

thanks i just downloaded the free version- ill see if it can do what I want

 

[hot120]

Both Samsung and Intel have data migration tools that do it for you, and the tools come with the SSD's. Very easy to use.

 

[mdbusa]

thanks--i'm really looking forward to seeing the performance gains. Im using a 80GB mech hdd and Im constantly having to make space

 

[Murloc]

maybe the migration tools do it automatically, but otherwise you have to resize, realign and make sure that TRIM & AHCI are activated and that defrag is deactivated.

I would reinstall just to be sure, I heard OS installation is pretty fast on a SSD anyway.

 

[lehtv]

I would probably also reinstall.

disconnect hdd and connect ssd -> enable AHCI if supported by your motherboard -> install windows on ssd -> connect hdd -> boot to ssd -> copy over important data to ssd -> format hdd for use as media storage

 

[sequoia464]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2342417

Pretty decent price right now on a marvell based Toshiba 256gb unit with everything you need to migrate over (149.99). These seem to be pretty solid units, ordered one myself yesterday.

 

[corkyg]

I've done it twice now with Arconis TI-2013 (Bootable thumb drive) and both were perfect - nothing needed to be changed - all installed software was intact and operational. No resizing, alignment perfect, AHCI done before. Each machine took about 8-10 minutes, no more to Samsung 830 256's.

BTW, I never clone "automatically." Always manual and in control. I don't trust auto stuff very much.

 

[bgt]

I just clone it with EaseUS ToDo Backup Home 6.0 sw.

 

[Meghan54]

Geez, why reinstall? I've moved my Windows install at least 5 times-from HD to SSD to SSD to SSD.

For the move to SSD from HD, I simply put the drive into the computer, formatted under Windows, then ran migration software (Intel was the first move...have used others, such as Samsung and Acronis. Never had one lick of problems.

 

[Engineer]

I've been happy with Macrium Reflect for things like that.

This. Have done this 4 times with no issues.

 

[sequoia464]

This. Have done this 4 times with no issues.

Have used Macrium Reflect several times also lately - Don't even think of using Acronis anymore.