Planning to upgrade my Laptop's HDD to SSD

[omersang]

Good day!

 

I'm planning to upgrade my 4 year old Laptop's HDD to a Samsung 850 EVO 250GB. It will be my first time disassembling my laptop. Upon google-ing this is what I will be doing step by step.

 

- Change the SATA type to AHCI

- Reset the PC using Windows 10 Recovery

- Clone the drive to the new SSD using Acronis True Image HD 2015

- Replace the HDD

- Hope everything works.

 

Do you have any suggestions or notice wrong with the procedure that I will be doing?

[STRMfrmXMN]

1 minute ago, omersang said:

Good day!

 

I'm planning to upgrade my 4 year old Laptop's HDD to a Samsung 850 EVO 250GB. It will be my first time disassembling my laptop. Upon google-ing this is what I will be doing step by step.

 

- Change the SATA type to AHCI

- Reset the PC using Windows 10 Recovery

- Clone the drive to the new SSD using Acronis True Image HD 2015

- Replace the HDD

- Hope everything works.

 

Do you have any suggestions or notice wrong with the procedure that I will be doing?

- It should be in AHCI to start with but if it isn't, then yes, do that.

 

- Just reinstall Windows, don't bother with cloning nightmares.

 

- Have a clean install of Windows on a fresh new drive and watch the speed.

[Mira Yurizaki]

Buy an external enclosure for the old hard drive. Now you have a portable USB hard drive!

[omersang]

21 minutes ago, STRMfrmXMN said:

- It should be in AHCI to start with but if it isn't, then yes, do that.

 

- Just reinstall Windows, don't bother with cloning nightmares.

 

- Have a clean install of Windows on a fresh new drive and watch the speed.

I just upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10. I don't have my product key anymore. If I download the Windows 10 from the Windows website upon installation will it ask for a product key?

[STRMfrmXMN]

24 minutes ago, omersang said:

I just upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10. I don't have my product key anymore. If I download the Windows 10 from the Windows website upon installation will it ask for a product key?

Your Windows 7 key will work as a Windows 10 key. It should be on the laptop somewhere. Otherwise, can you upgrade to Windows 10 before installing it on your new SSD so that a product key will be registered already, thus you can do a clean install with ease? Something like this:

 

Leave your current HDD with Windows 7 installed in laptop

Upgrade to Windows 10

When Windows 10 is installed successfully on your laptop, remove the old HDD and put the new SSD in.

Do a clean install of Windows 10 with the new SSD installed

[omersang]

32 minutes ago, STRMfrmXMN said:

Your Windows 7 key will work as a Windows 10 key. It should be on the laptop somewhere. Otherwise, can you upgrade to Windows 10 before installing it on your new SSD so that a product key will be registered already, thus you can do a clean install with ease? Something like this:

 

Leave your current HDD with Windows 7 installed in laptop

Upgrade to Windows 10

When Windows 10 is installed successfully on your laptop, remove the old HDD and put the new SSD in.

Do a clean install of Windows 10 with the new SSD installed

How can I go back to Windows 7?

[STRMfrmXMN]

14 minutes ago, omersang said:

How can I go back to Windows 7?

Oh wait, I totally read that wrong!

 

Do the following, ignore what I just said. I didn't realize you already had W10 installed.

 

Remove old hard drive

Put new SSD in

Reinstall Windows 10 using a Windows 10 ISO on a USB flash drive.

[omersang]

5 minutes ago, STRMfrmXMN said:

Oh wait, I totally read that wrong!

 

Do the following, ignore what I just said. I didn't realize you already had W10 installed.

 

Remove old hard drive

Put new SSD in

Reinstall Windows 10 using a Windows 10 ISO on a USB flash drive.

Which one should I pick?

[STRMfrmXMN]

Just now, omersang said:

Which one should I pick?

USB flash drive. Make sure you have one plugged in, of course.

[omersang]

Just now, STRMfrmXMN said:

USB flash drive. Make sure you have one plugged in, of course.

Will it look for a product key after installation? 

[STRMfrmXMN]

2 minutes ago, omersang said:

Will it look for a product key after installation? 

No, but during the actual install there will be a screen that comes up asking for a product key. There's a button that says "I don't have a product key" and when you press that, the second you're connected to the internet your PC's installation of Windows 10 will be activated.

[Not_Sean]

I'd just use ProduKey to get your W10 key and than do a clean install, Thats what I did to all my clients systems that did the W7 -> W10 upgrade as the idea of a OS installed on top of another OS makes me cringe.

 

Its not illegal to use it as you do own the product and are getting the key for yourself, not for profit or such. 

[omersang]

1 minute ago, STRMfrmXMN said:

No, but during the actual install there will be a screen that comes up asking for a product key. There's a button that says "I don't have a product key" and when you press that, the second you're connected to the internet your PC's installation of Windows 10 will be activated.

I currently have Windows 10 Pro, when I connect to the internet will the activation be Windows 10 Pro?

[omersang]

21 minutes ago, STRMfrmXMN said:

No, but during the actual install there will be a screen that comes up asking for a product key. There's a button that says "I don't have a product key" and when you press that, the second you're connected to the internet your PC's installation of Windows 10 will be activated.

Also, i went to my bios set up and can't see a way to change SATA mode from IDE to ACHI. Btw, how can I know if I'm already in ACHI mode?

[omersang]

2 hours ago, STRMfrmXMN said:

- It should be in AHCI to start with but if it isn't, then yes, do that.

I just checked my SATA mode and it is in RAID mode. I check my bios and there is no way to change the SATA mode there.

[Tamesh16]

7 minutes ago, omersang said:

I just checked my SATA mode and it is in RAID mode. I check my bios and there is no way to change the SATA mode there.

i am not sure what the problem is here, Samsung magician takes care of all of this, and even their Data transfer although not as great as using a fresh install of windows, it does allow you to just transfer your OS ( well clone uk ) , and thats all there is to it, only thing is that you would need a scsi adapter, and it should literally take little to no time to do, i recently did mine with the same ssd and everything. but idk your preference, so my method may not be as good.

[omersang]

12 minutes ago, Tamesh16 said:

i am not sure what the problem is here, Samsung magician takes care of all of this, and even their Data transfer although not as great as using a fresh install of windows, it does allow you to just transfer your OS ( well clone uk ) , and thats all there is to it, only thing is that you would need a scsi adapter, and it should literally take little to no time to do, i recently did mine with the same ssd and everything. but idk your preference, so my method may not be as good.

Can the Samsung Magician change the SATA mode?

[Tamesh16]

9 minutes ago, omersang said:

Can the Samsung Magician change the SATA mode?

well i am not sure if Magician does it, but it did change when i swapped out my hdd for the SSD, and all i did was clone and swap, 

[omersang]

28 minutes ago, Tamesh16 said:

well i am not sure if Magician does it, but it did change when i swapped out my hdd for the SSD, and all i did was clone and swap, 

What software did you use to clone your hdd?

[Tamesh16]

1 minute ago, omersang said:

What software did you use to clone your hdd?

Samsung Data migration, which comes with the 850 evo

[omersang]

51 minutes ago, Tamesh16 said:

Samsung Data migration, which comes with the 850 evo

Did the SATA mode also change? What SATA mode are you in right now?

[STRMfrmXMN]

2 hours ago, omersang said:

Also, i went to my bios set up and can't see a way to change SATA mode from IDE to ACHI. Btw, how can I know if I'm already in ACHI mode?

It's probably in ACHI, don't worry about it. If it's in RAID with one drive it'll work like AHCI I do believe.

[Tamesh16]

Honestly i agree, shouldnt worry too much about ahci, cause it should already be in that mode, just once you have a compatitable controller. Which any modern laptop should have 

[Tamesh16]

Sorry for bad english ?

[Ingrid_W]

Fresh install is recommended.