More SSD Questions

[ComputerWizKid]

I posted This thread awhile ago. I have a couple more questions about an SSD upgrade

1. Can you partition an SSD like you can a normal hard disk drive?
2. Can you dual boot as my friend wants a dual boot of Windows 7 & a distribution of Linux (Probably Linux Mint)
3. Would dual booting hurt the performance and lifespan of an SSD (if it is even possible)

Is there anything else I need to know about an SSD upgrade?
as this is going to be my first time using an SSD

Do I just install it and format it using the OS format utility and then proceed to install the OS of choice (Windows 7 + Linux)
Do I need to run a sector alignment tool?

Thanks

 

[RU482]

1. yes, just like an HDD
2. yes, just like an HDD
3. Hmm, good question. I wouldn't think it would reduce life.

As long as you are using Win7 or later era OS, alignment shouldn't be an issue.
enjoy!

 

[tweakboy]

Your sectors will be ok. First thing first you get the latest firmware for your SSD vendor. Also if you use imaging you can put whats on your current drive into your SSD and disconnect drive.. Your done now you SSD boot into winblowz in 15 to 20 seconds. I can go on and on. Its the best upgrade youll have ever done.

No you don't need no tool my friend. create a image onto external. Then restore the image onto SSD.. and off you go. I have even 512k sector size and get 551Mbps

Anyhow. Go with 2 companies. Samsung and Crucial . The new 600 dollar Crucial M500 came out 960GB for 600 dollars. gl

 

[ComputerWizKid]

1. yes, just like an HDD
2. yes, just like an HDD
3. Hmm, good question. I wouldn't think it would reduce life.

As long as you are using Win7 or later era OS, alignment shouldn't be an issue.
enjoy!

Thank You just what I needed to know

PS: Cute avatar

 

[postmortemIA]

partitioning is virtual. SSDs use controllers to manage how data is stored. it won't affect it as long as you keep nice alignment.

 

[aviator78]

Answer to 3:
It will neither hurt the performance nor the lifespan. And yes, it is possible =). A SSD is logically seen nothing else than a HDD.

 

[Elixer]

Technically, anything you write to the SSD reduces the lifespan.

 

[Cerb]

Is there anything else I need to know about an SSD upgrade?

Turn on AHCI, if it's not on already, and do the initial partitioning with Windows 7's installer (installing Windows, then shrinking the partition w/ GParted, would be just fine). Windows will do the alignment, and set up its system partition. Most Linux installers do, as well, as does GParted, by default, but with Win7 and Win8, and their beginning partition, I like to let them do their thing, first.

Any Linux distro with a full installer, will then be able to replace the bootloader, and add Windows as an option (you really want to install Linux after Windows!), but not all will necessarily be able to shrink the Windows partition, by themselves. Live GParted can handle that problem, though. You just resize with it, reboot, let Windows run chkdsk, then reboot again, this time installing your distro of choice, adding any new partitions (assuming you didn't take care of that while in GParted).

Some distros need a separate /boot, but that's the most they might need for added partitions, and most don't need that anymore, these days, so you can usually have one big /. You can also add swap space as a file, if you don't want to make a partition for it. Make sure to choose whatever the advanced option is, for partitioning, making/selecting partitions (a single bootable /, as EXT4, if possible). With a whole disk for Linux, you can skip that step, but I don't trust the automatic installer judgement, with Windows there, too. They often do unexpected things, IME.

Linux and FUSE/NTFS-3G offer good enough NTFS support, today, that if you're faced with choosing which one to give more room, give it to Windows.