Replacing HDD on a Laptop

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MarkH67

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#225435 18-Nov-2017 17:17

I have a laptop with a 1TB drive that seems to be giving trouble, the machine keeps locking up for many minutes at a time, task manager shows the 8 logical cores doing not much (1-3% CPU usage) and the 16GB RAM at ~18% usage - but the HDD is at 100% usage. Eventually the HDD usage drops to nearly nothing and the laptop works fine again. The Laptop is a decent spec with i7 processor and 16GB RAM, so I'm not yet ready to buy a new one.

So, I'm thinking that maybe it is time to get a new HDD and put it in, maybe a 1TB SSD drive instead for more speed.

The laptop came with Windows 8 (YUCK!) and I updated to Windows 10 (much better).

So all you smart guys, what is the easiest way to get Windows 10 on a fresh new HDD?

Data isn't a problem. Most of my data is on NAS drives and the laptop is currently working well enough to copy some data and settings and saved passwords through to a NAS drive.

All I really want is to replace the drive, get Windows 10 up and running and then I'll install some apps and get it all working with everything I need. I haven't yet done an install of Windows 10 from scratch, I've only updated this PC from Win7 and the laptop from Win8. I can google for instructions but figured that the guys on this forum can probably give me a really quick and easy way of doing it - I trust you to provide the best simple solution.

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#1903781 18-Nov-2017 17:30

Far as I know you download a full ISO (or whatever its called) of Win 10 onto a memory stick, replace the HDD with the SDD and tell it to boot from the memory stick. It'll install and validate itself if most of the hardware is the same.

I wouldn't trust me with this though. Would wait for more detailed advice re I dunno drivers, making images, actually getting inside the newer laptops were you have to remove backs and fronts and keyboard and ribbon cables etc etc.

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lNomNoml

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#1903782 18-Nov-2017 17:36

Use Media Creation tool to make a bootable USB: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Boot the flash drive, it should just validate against your embeded Windows 8 serial key.

If you want to play it safe you can get yourself a Crucial SSD, they come with a free copy of Acronis True Image so that you can Image your drive over, it most likely won't work though given the health of your HDD.

If you need help I can do it for you if you are in Auckland.

MarkH67

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#1903784 18-Nov-2017 17:44

lNomNoml:

Use Media Creation tool to make a bootable USB: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Boot the flash drive, it should just validate against your embeded Windows 8 serial key.

If you want to play it safe you can get yourself a Crucial SSD, they come with a free copy of Acronis True Image so that you can Image your drive over, it most likely won't work though given the health of your HDD.

I'm thinking that a fresh install wouldn't be a bad thing. My current drive came partitioned in two parts which I never bothered changing but I'd like to make the new drive just one partition.

Currently thinking about this: https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/HDDSAM3910/Samsung-850-EVO-MZ-75E1T0BW-1TB-3D-V-NAND-SATA-III

For the price/performance/size it looks like a good choice of drive.

timmmay

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#1903786 18-Nov-2017 17:52

Check the drive height is ok. You'll void any warranty if you do this. Many people can get by with smaller than 1TB - my work laptop is 256GB SSD and I never get close to that.

MarkH67

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#1903789 18-Nov-2017 18:11

timmmay:

Check the drive height is ok. You'll void any warranty if you do this. Many people can get by with smaller than 1TB - my work laptop is 256GB SSD and I never get close to that.

I bought the laptop almost 4 years ago, no warranty to worry about.

This PC has a 256GB SSD (Samsung 830 series) and it hasn't been a problem, mind you - it does have a 2TB HDD as well. I'd like to be able to download whatever I like on the laptop and transfer stuff to NAS drives whenever, having a decent amount of available storage would be nice. I can see that I'd save around $230 if I bought a 500GB drive which I am sure I could get by on, but I'd prefer to have the luxury of 1TB storage.

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#1903791 18-Nov-2017 18:15

timmmay:

Many people can get by with smaller than 1TB - my work laptop is 256GB SSD and I never get close to that.

Definitely. Especially as, if you say, most of your data is on NAS drives.
Depending on whether your lappy has a DVD drive, you may be able to repurpose your existing HDD as a data drive by putting it in a drive bay adapter (this type of thing: <http://bit.ly/2iqBp7K>). Therefore getting the best of both worlds - a fast boot drive, and still plenty of storage.

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MarkH67

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#1903802 18-Nov-2017 19:15

OK, I've created a Win10 bootable USB drive and I'm currently checking through everything on the laptop to ensure any data I want is copied to one of my NAS drives.

Looking at this PC (my game PC) I see that my 256GB SSD has around 64GB free, if it died and needed replacing I'd go with a 500GB just to have a decent amount of available space. Since my laptop doesn't have a 2TB HDD to suppliment the SSD I'm thinking that I'd rather just spend the extra $230. The laptop handles my downloading and torrent sharing so that I can shut down the game PC whenever I don't need it - the laptop is quieter and uses less power.

lNomNoml

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#1903819 18-Nov-2017 20:06

MarkH67:

OK, I've created a Win10 bootable USB drive and I'm currently checking through everything on the laptop to ensure any data I want is copied to one of my NAS drives.

Looking at this PC (my game PC) I see that my 256GB SSD has around 64GB free, if it died and needed replacing I'd go with a 500GB just to have a decent amount of available space. Since my laptop doesn't have a 2TB HDD to suppliment the SSD I'm thinking that I'd rather just spend the extra $230. The laptop handles my downloading and torrent sharing so that I can shut down the game PC whenever I don't need it - the laptop is quieter and uses less power.

Can't go wrong with Samsung SSD's, if you need an extra hard drive you can swap out the optical drive for a hard drive / SSD, using an adapter you can buy from PBTech for abour $30.

cadman

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#1903894 19-Nov-2017 00:44

timmmay:

Check the drive height is ok. You'll void any warranty if you do this. Many people can get by with smaller than 1TB - my work laptop is 256GB SSD and I never get close to that.

I've got 1.75TB in my laptop over 3 internal drives (1x 500GB mSATA, 1x 250GB SSD SATA, 1x 1TB SATA HDD) and I'm always low on space.

timmmay

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#1903903 19-Nov-2017 07:34

cadman:

timmmay:

Check the drive height is ok. You'll void any warranty if you do this. Many people can get by with smaller than 1TB - my work laptop is 256GB SSD and I never get close to that.

I've got 1.75TB in my laptop over 3 internal drives (1x 500GB mSATA, 1x 250GB SSD SATA, 1x 1TB SATA HDD) and I'm always low on space.

If you have a laptop as a main machine and want to store a bunch of stuff it'll fill up. People with a lot of data could consider using a NAS, and keeping what they really need on the laptop.

My work laptop is just that, work, no media or anything, just programs and a bit of data. My home computer on the other hand has maybe 7TB of storage, some of it RAID mirror. Lots of family video and photos, that stuff gets large.

MarkH67

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#1903918 19-Nov-2017 08:37

cadman:

I've got 1.75TB in my laptop over 3 internal drives (1x 500GB mSATA, 1x 250GB SSD SATA, 1x 1TB SATA HDD) and I'm always low on space.

There are easy solutions for that.

I have two external HDDs (2.5" drives not needing a power connection) that are 2TB each and I have several NAS boxes with my newest one being the one I leave on all the time - it has 2 x 8TB drives and 2 spare bays so I can add more if I need.

I use my laptop as my main PC and download torrents and other stuff on it. I move off stuff now and then to the NAS drives and keep it from running out of space. I've had this laptop for almost 4 years and the 1TB drive has had enough space for me this whole time.

Once I swap to a 1TB SSD drive I'll have just as much space (but on one partition for less mucking about) with MUCH better speed.

If I needed more space on the laptop itself, I'd go with the suggestion of pulling the DVD drive and putting in an adaptor and 2nd HDD - a 2TB SATA HDD costs around $140.

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pgs2050

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#1903954 19-Nov-2017 10:44

One problem that is frequently encountered when installing a new operating system is the availability of drivers, especially for a laptop. Therefore it may be worth it to take a backup of the drivers that are currently installed on your Windows 10 laptop. I think there are a few freeware apps that can automate this process. Does not take long and maybe you may not need them, but it can't hurt to spend a few minutes on this.

Batman

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#1903956 19-Nov-2017 10:49

I've never voided any warranty by IMMEDIATELY cloning the HDD to an SSD on all my new laptops and swapping onto the SSD.

Imagine buying a car and changing the wheels, then engine blows up and Toyota says AHA WARRANTY VOID.

If possible, I'd clone your HDD onto an SSD and then chucking the SSD in. Most SSDs will fit (they make them mostly the thinner height now)

MarkH67

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#1903959 19-Nov-2017 10:57

Over 4 years (minus a couple of months) I've upgraded from Win8 to Win8.1 to Win10 and now I really think a fresh install is overdue, there is bound to be junk that should be cleared out.

Drivers hopefully wont be an issue, it never came with Win10 drivers so obviously it was able to download what it needed when it needed. I might have network drivers on hand though, if it can't access the network then it can't download any drivers it might need.

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#1903972 19-Nov-2017 11:32

Fresh install in windows 10 is easy (or so I am led to believe), just click the equivalent of factory reset and bob's your uncle. Hence that's why I said to clone your HDD to SSD install SSD and click factory reset equivalent (Microsoft gives it some fancy long winded label)

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