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Author Topic: IT help appreciated - hard drives  (Read 2402 times)

Offline GE90

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IT help appreciated - hard drives
« on: June 07, 2013, 11:02:20 pm »
Hi all

Thinking of changing the HD in my Windows 8 laptop for an Solid State Drive. What is the best way to completely clone/copy the whole drive, including the OS?

Any help appreciated!

Cheers!
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Offline xjay1337

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2013, 11:53:26 pm »
Take your documents, music and videos onto an external hard drive.
Install a nice fresh OS.
Copy your documents, music and videos onto new hard drive.

I do not know much about Windows 8 but over time your OS gets cluttered with old reg entries, fragmentation on the disc and what not..
You can buy disk-cloners but I've never tried these with a Sata to SSD copy, only from Sata -> Sata.
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Offline Hedge

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2013, 12:16:02 am »
Just done this with the aid of a programme called Easeus to do Backup.

Stick your ssd into a caddy and run the programme. Just clone the disk, especially if you are downsizing as I did and voila many minutes/hours later stick the ssd into the laptop and watch it boot.

Check that trim is on and disable prefetch and superfetch. Also make sure defragmenter is turned off although win7 does that anyway. :happy2:
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Offline edd666999

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2013, 08:03:30 am »
If you get a Samsung 840 ssd (very good drive) they give you software to do the transfer.

IMO you are much better grabbing yourself a caddy http://www.scan.co.uk/products/dynamode-25-hard-drive-sata-caddy-to-usb-silver-storage-enclosure-bus-powered-pc-mac

Stick your old hard drive in it, install windows on the ssd then plug the caddy in and drag all your data off onto your new install.
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Offline alfboden

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2013, 10:42:09 am »
Ye if your buying a new drive its always worthwhile doing a fresh windows install to get rid of all the crap that builds up.
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Offline GE90

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2013, 12:09:48 pm »
Great, thanks guys.

The laptop isn't that old, and has to date only been used a handful of times. Although I don't have a fresh copy of Windows 7 or 8, I created set up disks with W7, and then again following the W8 upgrade, so I assume these will be as good as fresh??

Re the Samsung drive, there seems to be a basic and a pro..... Basic OK? I was originally looking at the SanDisk Extreme - Samsung better?

Would the drive be a direct replacement, or would I need a different connector and mount?

Thanks again, slightly less confused now!
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Offline Hedge

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2013, 12:19:08 pm »
I bought a Sandisk Extreme after a previous bad experience with a Corsair P.O.S.

I agree a fresh install is ideal but with the requirement for multiple drivers, etc, to be installed it was easier to copy the disk in my case.

Core i7 laptop + 8GB ram + SSD is quick. Yes it could probably be quicker but it's good for me.  :happy2:
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Offline bacillus

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2013, 12:24:09 pm »
I was under the impression that if you just clone the OS from a spinning platter hdd to a ssd hdd then the OS will be out of alignment and affecting performance.

Easiest way of checking the alignment in a Windows environment is to start up AS SSD benchmark program. If the alignment is off it will say bad in the top left corner and ok if correct. You don't have to actually run the benchmark test, just open the program.
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Offline Hedge

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2013, 12:33:44 pm »
Pass.  :confused:

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Offline edd666999

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2013, 01:05:35 pm »
The basic is fine. Samsung giving £15 back on the 250gb version too making it a few £ over £100.

I would just install w7 forget 8 lol.
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Offline Scottymon

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2013, 03:16:23 pm »
Quote from: edd666999 on June 08, 2013, 08:03:30 am
If you get a Samsung 840 ssd (very good drive) they give you software to do the transfer.

IMO you are much better grabbing yourself a caddy http://www.scan.co.uk/products/dynamode-25-hard-drive-sata-caddy-to-usb-silver-storage-enclosure-bus-powered-pc-mac

Stick your old hard drive in it, install windows on the ssd then plug the caddy in and drag all your data off onto your new install.

^I'd do that too.

Vertex4 was quite a quick drive when I bought it... having said that most SSD's will show a clear difference from most HDD's.
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Offline GE90

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2013, 07:22:44 am »
Right, Samsung drive ordered.

My plan is to use the Windows 7 recovery discs I made when I bought the laptop. However, these will need to be ran from an external drive, as the laptop doesn't have an internal drive. Does this sound feasible? Will I need to change the boot sequence to USB port? Which F key is it??

Thanks v much!
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Offline edd666999

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2013, 08:59:47 am »
Which version of windows 7 is on your laptop? Look on the licence sticker on the bottom, it will be home premium x64 or something like that
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Offline GE90

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2013, 09:22:02 am »
Home Premium  OA
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Offline edd666999

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Re: IT help appreciated - hard drives
« Reply #14 on: June 09, 2013, 09:26:27 am »
Quote from: GE90 on June 09, 2013, 09:22:02 am
Home Premium  OA


X86 or x64? 32bit or 64bit?

Open System by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking System.

Under System, you can view the system type.
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