Windows 8.1 clean install on a new hard drive.

maxxpower18

Member
Apr 21, 2010
38
0
0
I just bought an Asus VivoBook and I'm replacing the hard drive with an SSD, which means that I'll have to reinstall Windows. I'm assuming that I'll have to download all the drivers beforehand and install them after the clean install correct?
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
14,558
248
106
I would just image the drive onto the SSD. It would still be way faster than the mechanical drive in there, and much less time involved.

Depending on the model you get, the software will either come with the drive or be available for download.
 

agfkfhahddhdn

Senior member
Dec 14, 2003
318
2
81
Imaging the drive COULD be great, because then it'd be the same install that the laptop shipped with but on the SSD. I recently installed an SSD in my Asus VivoBook and was able to image the new drive...but it took a lot of effort. If the SSD isn't the exact same size as the original drive you will have to jump through a lot of hoops. Since you just bought the laptop, and likely don't have anything of value already saved, I would just do a clean install. Windows should auto-install enough drivers that you can get online afterward and add whatever Asus-specific stuff you need, but it's not a bad idea to play it safe and download them beforehand.
 

Smoove910

Golden Member
Aug 2, 2006
1,235
6
81
Imaging the drive COULD be great, because then it'd be the same install that the laptop shipped with but on the SSD. I recently installed an SSD in my Asus VivoBook and was able to image the new drive...but it took a lot of effort. If the SSD isn't the exact same size as the original drive you will have to jump through a lot of hoops. Since you just bought the laptop, and likely don't have anything of value already saved, I would just do a clean install. Windows should auto-install enough drivers that you can get online afterward and add whatever Asus-specific stuff you need, but it's not a bad idea to play it safe and download them beforehand.

Not entirely true... why would the SSD need to be the exact size? The computer doesn't care.

What you do is buy an external harddrive case, throw your SSD in there for the moment, connect the (external drive) to USB, then clone the current drive to your SSD. Once the harddrive is cloned to your SSD, you take the SSD and install into your laptop. You can throw the mechanical harddrive from your laptop into the external case and have a backup if needed.

For the record, I've used this method numerous times. Works flawlessly.

Here's a link to a free trial of Acronis True Image:
http://www.acronis.com/en-us/homecomputing/trueimage/gettrial/
 

corkyg

Elite Member | Peripherals
Super Moderator
Mar 4, 2000
27,370
239
106
Smoove910 is correct. No need to labor through the clean install myth. If the existing HDD works as you like, simply clone it to the SSD. If the drives are different size, use proportional cloning.
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
14,558
248
106
....If the SSD isn't the exact same size as the original drive you will have to jump through a lot of hoops. ...

Sounds like you didn't select proportional cloning, or you were using a utility that didn't offer it.
 

ignatzatsonic

Senior member
Nov 20, 2006
351
0
0
I just bought an Asus VivoBook and I'm replacing the hard drive with an SSD, which means that I'll have to reinstall Windows. I'm assuming that I'll have to download all the drivers beforehand and install them after the clean install correct?

I'd say no.

If you decide to do a clean install rather than image/transfer the current C to the SSD, all I'd really worry about before the install is the NIC driver.

Windows typically supplies necessary drivers, either from the install disc or as soon as you connect to Update.

That usually includes the NIC driver, but I've seen occasional cases where it didn't. The NIC driver is the most important one for a new install as it lets you get on the net and get other drivers if necessary. If it turns out that the drivers supplied by Windows are inadequate for whatever reason, then go out and find the ones you need.

This opinion doesn't apply if you are the type who always has to have the latest BIOS, the latest driver, the latest version of all software, etc. I generally leave working stuff alone and change only if I have issues.
 

haimdeer

Junior Member
Oct 1, 2014
6
0
0
Same question guys,

If I'm installing the new SSD, without making an image of the old hard-drive, would windows start installing as if it was a new computer ?
I would prefer doing a clean install, so I don't mind that at all.

Where does the installation files are stored anyways?

Thanks guys,
Haim
 

Gunbuster

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,852
23
81
Same question guys,

If I'm installing the new SSD, without making an image of the old hard-drive, would windows start installing as if it was a new computer ?
I would prefer doing a clean install, so I don't mind that at all.

Where does the installation files are stored anyways?

It depends on the option you select. The Windows installer will let you delete the existing partitions and start fresh.
 

haimdeer

Junior Member
Oct 1, 2014
6
0
0
But there shouldn't be any partitions there, if I'm installing a fresh new SSD drive, right? Or is there sth that I'm missing.
I assume that the windows 8 in installation lies else, and not on the old hard-drive I'm removing. Am I right ?

Thanks.
 

Gunbuster

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,852
23
81
But there shouldn't be any partitions there, if I'm installing a fresh new SSD drive, right? Or is there sth that I'm missing.
I assume that the windows 8 in installation lies else, and not on the old hard-drive I'm removing. Am I right ?

Thanks.

Right, if you put a new SSD in there the Windows installer will handle it. That's what the installer does.
 

haimdeer

Junior Member
Oct 1, 2014
6
0
0
Great, thanks a lot.

I was just wondering, where is the windows 8 installer located?
Is it in the 24GB SSD drive, or elsewhere ?
I mean, it used to come with a CD right? How does it come now ?
 

haimdeer

Junior Member
Oct 1, 2014
6
0
0
But is this the only way? I assumed windows 8 installer is located somewhere, either on the hard-drive or on the 24GB SSD.

I mean, if the laptop came with a preinstalled windows 8, and I can obviously "remove everything and reinstall windows", the windows installer should be somewhere.

Here are the disks I have got, where I assumed the Disk1 OEM partition, is the windows 8 installer.
gPT2GEwIAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC
 

ArisVer

Golden Member
Mar 6, 2011
1,345
32
91
24GB SSD? Why this small? Is this the new one you got? Send it back and get a larger disk.

As others suggested, clone your old disk.

Windows 8 has a recovery and a reset option.

The third option is a new installation if you have the installation disk. Make sure you also have the key code else you will be in trouble activating it.

I am not sure how the reset option works (probably like a restore point) but I doubt that you will find the installation files anywhere.
 

haimdeer

Junior Member
Oct 1, 2014
6
0
0
So some details, for some reason I can't attach a screen shot of the disk management.

The machine is Asus Vivobook S400.
It comes with 500G hard-drive (which I intend to replace), and a 24G SSD/flash drive (which I don't have access to). The computer comes with a pre installed windows 8, and part of its features is to do a clean install and "remove everything and reinstall windows". So I figured that means there is an installation somewhere.

The disk management tells me that in the 500G disk, in addition to the partitions I used for normal file systems, there are three more partitions that I can't access: 300M EFI partition, 600M recovery partition and another 20.01G recovery partition.
In the 24G disk, there are 4G OEM partition, and another 18.36G Primary partitions.

I assumed windows installation is located in the 24G OEM partition. I was hoping that when I remove the old 500G and replace is with new SSD, windows installation would start automatically and install it to the new SDD, just as it did for the 500G when I first turned it on.

But now I can't tell if that is what is going to happen, and if not why.
And, where is the windows installation files are indeed located.

Thanks.
 

Gunbuster

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,852
23
81
The 24GB SSD is likely configured for Intel RST (Cached storage of the "hot" data from the spinning drive)

The restore/install data is most assuredly not on the SSD.
 

Gunbuster

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,852
23
81
Original equipment manufacturer, anything that came with the laptop when you bought it could have that designation.

Also take a second to think about it, why would they fill the SSD up with the absolutely coldest and infrequently used data?
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,570
10,200
126
Hit the Windows key, type in "recovery", click on "recovery disk creator", plug in a suitably large-sized USB flash drive, and use the program to create a bootable install of your recovery partition.
 

inachu

Platinum Member
Aug 22, 2014
2,387
2
41
Only using a physical hard drive cloner or norton ghost would demand the hard drive be the same size or larger.
 

inachu

Platinum Member
Aug 22, 2014
2,387
2
41
The logic behind why some things request you get a same sized or larger hard drive is because the way they copy entails they copy the black space of the hard drive as well.

So it seems Acronis can have the ability to just copy the data minus the empty black space.
 

corkyg

Elite Member | Peripherals
Super Moderator
Mar 4, 2000
27,370
239
106
Acronis True Image has always had a checkbox for proportional cloning. Big to little or vice versa. Not a problem. The real key to good, error free cloning is to not do it from within Windows.