Transferring OS to SSD

[Stillwatrpwnage]

Hello!

 

I recently purchased a Samsung 850 EVO 250GB and installed it into my laptop.  I was planning to transfer the OS from my 1TB HDD onto the SSD and possibly put a few games/programs onto it as well but upon looking up how to do so, I'm more confused than before.  I've read that cloning the OS isn't a good idea and that if you do clone the HDD, you have to clone the entire thing.  My HDD has roughly 800GB in use and obviously I can't transfer all of that onto a 250GB SSD, so I'm slightly lost as to what to do.  I have the product key for Windows 7, but my laptop came with it pre-installed on the HDD and I don't have the disc as a result.  Could I do a fresh install of Windows onto the SSD based off of that product key, and would doing so cause any other problems?

[STRMfrmXMN]

Hello!

 

I recently purchased a Samsung 850 EVO 250GB and installed it into my laptop.  I was planning to transfer the OS from my 1TB HDD onto the SSD and possibly put a few games/programs onto it as well but upon looking up how to do so, I'm more confused than before.  I've read that cloning the OS isn't a good idea and that if you do clone the HDD, you have to clone the entire thing.  My HDD has roughly 800GB in use and obviously I can't transfer all of that onto a 250GB SSD, so I'm slightly lost as to what to do.  I have the product key for Windows 7, but my laptop came with it pre-installed on the HDD and I don't have the disc as a result.  Could I do a fresh install of Windows onto the SSD based off of that product key, and would doing so cause any other problems?

You can use the same product key, so long as you haven't used it on another PC. To transfer old files, use a USB to SATA adapter. To do a fresh install, make a USB installer of Windows 7 and plug it in when the laptop is off. Boot it up and your laptop should go into the setup process.

[nishank93]

I'd recommend doing a fresh install as long as the product key you are using is not activated on a different computer. You can download Windows from the Windows website, put it on a USB, and use your product key. If you don't have it, you can find out using ProduKey.

[Stillwatrpwnage]

You can use the same product key, so long as you haven't used it on another PC. To transfer old files, use a USB to SATA adapter. To do a fresh install, make a USB installer of Windows 7 and plug it in when the laptop is off. Boot it up and your laptop should go into the setup process.

 

Transfer the old files to where?  How do I make USB installer?

[Stillwatrpwnage]

I'd recommend doing a fresh install as long as the product key you are using is not activated on a different computer. You can download Windows from the Windows website, put it on a USB, and use your product key. If you don't have it, you can find out using ProduKey.

 

That's very helpful, thank you.  I'll try this.

[STRMfrmXMN]

Transfer the old files to where?  How do I make USB installer?

Get a USB adapter after installing Windows on the SSD. Plug the USB end into the laptop and the old hard drive end into the hard drive. Transfer stuff through the file explorer.

Make a bootable USB by downloading the Windows 7 iso that corresponds to what you had before (Ultimate, Home Premium, Enterprise, etc) and then, when done downloading it, use 7-zip or WinRAR to Extract the ISO onto a flash drive.

[nishank93]

That's very helpful, thank you.  I'll try this.

 

You can leave your old hard drive unplugged during the install. Once Windows is installed, you can plug the HDD back in, and treat it as a secondary storage drive. Then, you can simply delete all the no longer necessary Windows and program files, and keep just your data.

 

This method does mean you have to reinstall all your programs, and set them up again, but at least at the end, you have a "new" computer.

[techguru]

Get a USB adapter after installing Windows on the SSD. Plug the USB end into the laptop and the old hard drive end into the hard drive. Transfer stuff through the file explorer.

Make a bootable USB by downloading the Windows 7 iso that corresponds to what you had before (Ultimate, Home Premium, Enterprise, etc) and then, when done downloading it, use 7-zip or WinRAR to Extract the ISO onto a flash drive.

when done downloading it, use 7-zip or WinRAR to Extract the ISO onto a flash drive.....not extract..he has to burn the iso to a dvd or usb stick with either imgburn or wintoboot

[Stillwatrpwnage]

I'd recommend doing a fresh install as long as the product key you are using is not activated on a different computer. You can download Windows from the Windows website, put it on a USB, and use your product key. If you don't have it, you can find out using ProduKey.

 

 

You can leave your old hard drive unplugged during the install. Once Windows is installed, you can plug the HDD back in, and treat it as a secondary storage drive. Then, you can simply delete all the no longer necessary Windows and program files, and keep just your data.

 

This method does mean you have to reinstall all your programs, and set them up again, but at least at the end, you have a "new" computer.

 

ProduKey gave me a completely different key than the sticker that was on the bottom of my laptop, and neither of them worked at this link http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery

I'm currently stuck at making the USB installer....

[STRMfrmXMN]

when done downloading it, use 7-zip or WinRAR to Extract the ISO onto a flash drive.....not extract..he has to burn the iso to a dvd or usb stick with either imgburn or wintoboot

No, extract. Trust me, I have done my Windows installs.

[techguru]

No, extract. Trust me, I have done my Windows installs.

umm no..you can't just extract the files to a usb key

[techguru]

ProduKey gave me a completely different key than the sticker that was on the bottom of my laptop, and neither of them worked at this link http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery

I'm currently stuck at making the USB installer....

use magicjelly bean key finder...best one (just uncheck the crapware in the installer)

[STRMfrmXMN]

umm no..you can't just extract the files to a usb key

Yes, yes you can. I can take it to a PM if you want, but yes, you can extract the ISO. Its contents are what would be on a disc install.

 

EDIT: If you want proof, do exactly as I just said with any Windows ISO, and then use the Windows 7 bootable USB maker. The process for both is the EXACT same thing, bar the program renames the flash drive rather than keeping the old name that you assigned it.

[techguru]

Yes, yes you can. I can take it to a PM if you want, but yes, you can extract the ISO. Its contents are what would be on a disc install.

 

EDIT: If you want proof, do exactly as I just said with any Windows ISO, and then use the Windows 7 bootable USB maker. The process for both is the EXACT same thing, bar the program renames the flash drive rather than keeping the old name that you assigned it.

ok do this....format your usb key to fat32

take your iso and extract it exactly to the usb stick

reboot with your stick in and see if it will boot

1000$ for you if it boots

[Stillwatrpwnage]

I'm still stuck at making said USB, if anyone cares.

[STRMfrmXMN]

ok do this....format your usb key to fat32

take your iso and extract it exactly to the usb stick

reboot with your stick in and see if it will boot

1000$ for you if it boots

Will do. I'll post proof if you want. 4:3 aspect ratio all day.

 

EDIT: A little over an hour after I will post a video.

[STRMfrmXMN]

I'm still stuck at making said USB, if anyone cares.

Download the ISO from GetIntoPC, you can use the Microsoft Windows 7 Bootable USB Maker if you don't like my process, and you're golden.

[techguru]

this is what you use to burn the iso to the usb stick

http://www.wintobootic.in/

[STRMfrmXMN]

this is what you use to burn the iso to the usb stick

http://www.wintobootic.in/

*Or you just extract the ISO*

[techguru]

*Or you just extract the ISO*

umm no...you can ignore this noobie

[Stillwatrpwnage]

Download the ISO from GetIntoPC, you can use the Microsoft Windows 7 Bootable USB Maker if you don't like my process, and you're golden.

 

Isn't.. isn't that straight up illegal?

[STRMfrmXMN]

this is what you use to burn the iso to the usb stick

http://www.wintobootic.in/

So from this article http://www.techsoup.org/support/articles-and-how-tos/what-do-after-downloading-iso-files-from-microsoft

 

Overview of Installation Choices

An ISO installation file is a collection of all the individual files and folders that would be on an installation DVD, merged into a single file. You have three main choices for making these files and folders accessible:

• Extract the installation files to a folder
• Mount the ISO file as a virtual device
• Write the installation files to DVD

 

 

 

Isn't.. isn't that straight up illegal?

Downloading the ISO is not. Using an illegally obtained product key - that is illegal. If you had a legally installed copy of Windows before then you're golden.

[Stillwatrpwnage]

So from this article http://www.techsoup.org/support/articles-and-how-tos/what-do-after-downloading-iso-files-from-microsoft

 

 

Downloading the ISO is not. using an illegally obtained product key - that is illegal. If you had a legally installed copy of Windows before then you're golden.

 

Okay, so I need to download the exact ISO for Windows 7 Home Premium SP1?

[STRMfrmXMN]

Okay, so I need to download the exact ISO for Windows 7 Home Premium SP1?

If you had Windows 7 *Home Premium* on your PC before, then yes, you MUST download the Home Premium ISO. Here you can find that: http://getintopc.com/softwares/operating-systems/windows-7-home-premium-free-download-iso-32-bit-64-bit/

Whatever version of Windows is listed when you log into your PC is what you have. You can also find out by typing RAM into the search box in Windows and clicking the first link that shows up. That should tell you near the top what version of Windows you are using. I am using Windows 7 Ultimate, for example.

[techguru]

http://mirror.corenoc.de/digitalrivercontent.net/

en_windows_7_home_premium_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_676549.iso 

you probably want this file