Upgrading laptop storage

[davidlxndr]

I want to upgrade my laptop storage size and speed so I intend to upgrade to a ssd (using an acer e1-531). Would I be able to make a image of my previous hdd or a complete data transfer and keep the OS? or will i have to buy a new key or OS.

 

Also, I intend to get new ram (also faster and larger) but my laptop specs says it is limited to 8Gbs. What happens if I put more than prescribed in there? Will I get the use of that extra memory?

[Mark77]

Windows licensing is generally embedded into the pre-load laptops by way of what is known as a "SLIC" key.  So you can almost always just clone the SSD using various tools, and then swap HDD or previous SSD, for the new SSD.

 

2 hours ago, davidlxndr said:

Also, I intend to get new ram (also faster and larger) but my laptop specs says it is limited to 8Gbs. What happens if I put more than prescribed in there? Will I get the use of that extra memory?

 

Depends upon the chipset and the firmware that has been provided.  Before upgrading beyond a manufacturer's specifications, I would do an  Internet search to see if someone else has done the same.  Or arrange to borrow modules (and/or buy from a retailer with a return policy).  There are no guarantees.

[Captain_WD]

3 hours ago, davidlxndr said:

~snip~

 

Hey there

 

SSD is truly a good way to upgrade a laptop's performance. It is recommended to make a fresh install of the OS and all the applications and games with it when swapping HDDs with SSDs in order to avoid any potential driver or compatibility issues. 

You should be able to reuse the same OS key. If you don't have it you can get it like this: 
Assuming you can boot your computer without any problems, you can easily create a simple VBscript that will read the value out of the registry and then translate it into the format that you need for reinstalling. Copy and paste the following into a Notepad window:

 

Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
MsgBox ConvertToKey(WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId"))

Function ConvertToKey(Key)
Const KeyOffset = 52
i = 28
Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
Do
Cur = 0
x = 14
Do
Cur = Cur * 256
Cur = Key(x + KeyOffset) + Cur
Key(x + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24) And 255
Cur = Cur Mod 24
x = x -1
Loop While x >= 0
i = i -1
KeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & KeyOutput
If (((29 - i) Mod 6) = 0) And (i <> -1) Then
i = i -1
KeyOutput = "-" & KeyOutput
End If
Loop While i >= 0
ConvertToKey = KeyOutput
End Function

 

You’ll need to use File -> Save As, change the “Save as type” to “All Files” and then name it productkey.vbs or something similar ending with the vbs extension. Once you’ve saved it, you can just double-click and the popup window will show you your product key. If you use CTRL + C when the popup window is active, it will copy the contents of the window to the clipboard, and then you can paste it into Notepad or somewhere else.

 

A full backup is always recommended before doing this.

 

Captain_WD.