Upgrading to an SSD for my Laptop

[Naxy]

Hi all

So I was wondering if it were possible to upgrade my HDD to an SSD on my laptop? Here is my laptop http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05493257

Also, here is an image of my drive https://ibb.co/r3CVFNj

Would something like this work in my laptop? https://www.newegg.ca/samsung-860-evo-series-500gb/p/N82E16820147674?Item=N82E16820147674

 

Thanks!

[.Apex.]

8 minutes ago, Naxy said:

Would something like this work in my laptop? https://www.newegg.ca/samsung-860-evo-series-500gb/p/N82E16820147674?Item=N82E16820147674

Yes, definitely

[Naxy]

1 minute ago, _Syn_ said:

Yes, definitely

Excellent! I don't know if you know this, but what would the installation process be like? I did install an SSD as the main drive on my desktop computer and that consisted of putting windows on a USB, then installing windows through the BIOS, and then making the SSD as the boot-up drive (Very short version). I did look online for installing an SSD for a laptop and many sites said to get a SATA to USB converter and to clone the drive and such. 

Any thoughts?

[RyzenDoctor]

I wouldnt clone the drive. If you can grab drivers off of the manufacturer website, I'd go with a clean install. You should be able to find your windows key on your laptop somewhere (physically). If using windows 10 you should be able to download the ISO file and write it to a USB drive.

[.Apex.]

3 minutes ago, Naxy said:

Excellent! I don't know if you know this, but what would the installation process be like? I did install an SSD as the main drive on my desktop computer and that consisted of putting windows on a USB, then installing windows through the BIOS, and then making the SSD as the boot-up drive (Very short version). I did look online for installing an SSD for a laptop and many sites said to get a SATA to USB converter and to clone the drive and such. 

Any thoughts? 

You could clone the drive if the HDD is smaller/same size as the SSD, but personally I wouldn't recommend it, it's better to just do a fresh install rather than *possibly* having to deal with problems later

The procedure is the same, you put Windows 10 on a USB and boot from it using BIOS and install Windows

[Rhaemond]

Yes it will, have you considered an M.2 ssd? Does your laptop have a slot for one? 

Also, just do a fresh install. Cloning gives you more headaches than benefits if something goes wrong. 

[Naxy]

2 minutes ago, RyzenDoctor said:

I wouldnt clone the drive. If you can grab drivers off of the manufacturer website, I'd go with a clean install. You should be able to find your windows key on your laptop somewhere (physically). If using windows 10 you should be able to download the ISO file and write it to a USB drive.

Its a fairly new laptop, so I have like zero personal files on it, and if cloning is to help transfer those files to the new drive, I don't think I need to do that.

So for a clean installation, I would just download the drivers for my laptop on an external drive, put windows on a USB stick. Take the old drive out, put USB in, to install windows, then put the SSD in and done!

[Naxy]

5 minutes ago, _Syn_ said:

You could clone the drive if the HDD is smaller/same size as the SSD, but personally I wouldn't recommend it, it's better to just do a fresh install rather than *possibly* having to deal with problems later

The procedure is the same, you put Windows 10 on a USB and boot from it using BIOS and install Windows

Seems like most people suggest the clean installation. If it is the same procedure than should be no fuss. 

[RyzenDoctor]

Yeah cloning is to maintain your old files... Honestly when switched from a HDD to an SSD I would never clone the drive. The boot record needs to be properly made along with the file system. Go with a clean install. That hard drive looks perfect.

[.Apex.]

4 minutes ago, Naxy said:

I would just download the drivers for my laptop on an external drive

No need for that, Windows 10 takes care of all the drivers and IF there's a missing driver then Internet would surely be already available so you could install it after you boot into Windows

[Naxy]

2 minutes ago, RyzenDoctor said:

Yeah cloning is to maintain your old files... Honestly when switched from a HDD to an SSD I would never clone the drive. The boot record needs to be properly made along with the file system. Go with a clean install. That hard drive looks perfect.

Sounds like a plan!

[Naxy]

Just now, _Syn_ said:

No need for that, Windows 10 takes care of all the drivers and IF there's a missing driver then Internet would surely be already available so you could install it after you boot into Windows

Weirdly enough, when I installed my SSD on my desktop, I downloaded the internet drivers and put them on a separate drive. When I installed windows and turned the internet on, it wouldn't connect because it didn't have the drivers. So just to be safe I will probably download the drivers just in case. But the rest of my plan sounds good though? IN terms of removing the old drive, installing windows from the USB, and then installing the SSD?

[.Apex.]

7 minutes ago, Naxy said:

Weirdly enough, when I installed my SSD on my desktop, I downloaded the internet drivers and put them on a separate drive. When I installed windows and turned the internet on, it wouldn't connect because it didn't have the drivers.

Possibly a really old system that Windows no longer supports, or just a WiFi card that is not supported (if)
 

7 minutes ago, Naxy said:

So just to be safe I will probably download the drivers just in case. But the rest of my plan sounds good though? IN terms of removing the old drive, installing windows from the USB, and then installing the SSD?

Install the SSD before installing Windows from USB, but yep it's pretty straight forward, nothing else you have to do, you can quote me here if you have any problems

[Naxy]

2 minutes ago, _Syn_ said:

Possibly a really old system that Windows no longer supports, or just a WiFi card that is not supported (if)
 

Install the SSD before installing Windows from USB, but yep it's pretty straight forward, nothing else you have to do, you can quote me here if you have any problems

Right. After I install the SSD, I boot from the USB to install windows using BIOS. After that I can take out the USB I believe. 

[.Apex.]

Just now, Naxy said:

After that I can take out the USB I believe. 

After you see the Desktop yes, you can take it out before that but it's hard to explain at which point so just wait till you see the desktop

[Dedayog]

24 minutes ago, RyzenDoctor said:

Yeah cloning is to maintain your old files... Honestly when switched from a HDD to an SSD I would never clone the drive. The boot record needs to be properly made along with the file system. Go with a clean install. That hard drive looks perfect.

No offense, but 5 laptops provide proof of cloning working perfectly so far.  (edited, forgot the work laptops done too)

 

A good cloning software does the boot records as well as all the files, registry etc.  What crap software have you used that failed on you?

 

I'd throw in a SATA drive, replacing the HDD.  No need to go NVMe, even if you could.  Clone away if you want, just make sure the DATA will fit.  New drive doesn't have to be larger than the old drive, just has to fit your data.

 

Buy a USB cable to attach the new SSD to, clone the HDD to it, then install the SSD.  Done.

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJZJI84/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Naxy]

Just now, _Syn_ said:

After you see the Desktop yes, you can take it out before that but it's hard to explain at which point so just wait till you see the desktop

Yeah, sounds like the advice I got a while back when I was installing the SSD for my desktop. Well, I will get the SSD and give the installation a go. If any problems arise, I will hop on the forum and give you a message. Thanks for the help!

[.Apex.]

1 minute ago, Naxy said:

Thanks for the help! 

no problem

[RyzenDoctor]

2 minutes ago, jstudrawa said:

No offense, but 3 laptops provide proof of cloning working perfectly so far.

 

A good cloning software does the boot records as well as all the files, registry etc.  What crap software have you used that failed on you?

 

I'd throw in a SATA drive, replacing the HDD.  No need to go NVMe, even if you could.  Clone away if you want, just make sure the DATA will fit.  New drive doesn't have to be larger than the old drive, just has to fit your data.

 

Buy a USB cable to attach the new SSD to, clone the HDD to it, then install the SSD.  Done.

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJZJI84/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

god I dont remember that was ages ago

[Dedayog]

4 minutes ago, Naxy said:

Yeah, sounds like the advice I got a while back when I was installing the SSD for my desktop. Well, I will get the SSD and give the installation a go. If any problems arise, I will hop on the forum and give you a message. Thanks for the help!

Btw, look at the Crucial MX500 over the Samsung if you want to save a little money.

[DoctorNick]

On 6/27/2019 at 4:20 AM, Rhaemond said:

Yes it will, have you considered an M.2 ssd? Does your laptop have a slot for one? 

Also, just do a fresh install. Cloning gives you more headaches than benefits if something goes wrong. 

He linked to the laptop manual - page 57/58 - installation of M.2 http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05493257

 

BUY M.2! Corsair MP510 or Intel 660P