Replacing Hard Drive

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Earbanean

937 posts

Ultimate Geek

#241042 8-Oct-2018 10:38

I've never done any hardware work at all, but I want to upgrade my PC's SSD hard drive and reckon it's probably simple enough that I can do it myself. So I'd appreciate a quick sanity check on the process.

I have a Lenovo M83 mini tower with a 125 Gb SSD being used as C drive just for apps and OS and a second 2Tb HD for all my files. So I want to replace the SSD with a new 500 Gb one and take the opportunity to upgrade to Win 10 and also get rid of a lot of Lenovo installed apps.

I was planning to:

- buy a Samsung 860 EVO 500 Gb

- swap that with existing as per hardware instruction manual

- buy OEM Win 10 copy and do clean install on new drive

- reinstall apps that I need.

The only real question I have is, how I boot the PC after swapping the drives. I guess if I purchase Win 10 on disc or USB drive it'll boot off that. But of it's a download copy, how do I first create a boot disc? Do I do it as part of the Win 10 purchase, or from my existing Win 7 before I remove the SSD?

Anything else I've got wrong or not thought about?

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Geek @ Coastguard NZ
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#2103206 8-Oct-2018 10:44

Try upgrading to Win 10 from 7 first, you'll probably find it'll allow you to do it without having to purchase. Then since its only the HDD changing, the license will still be valid.

All you then need to do is install the new SSD, download the Windows 10 creation tool which will make an ISO to burn to DVD or create it onto a USB stick, and away you go.

Either path you take, make sure you backup any data on the current SSD, and to be completely safe, disconnect the SATA cable for the 2TB, then theres no mistake on which drive its installing to.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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Earbanean

937 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2103232 8-Oct-2018 11:02

Awesome thanks, I had no idea the free upgrade was still possible, but a bit of a Google has the instructions to do it. Disconnecting the 2Tb drive cable before install also sounds like a good idea. So thanks for both of those.

robjg63

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#2103234 8-Oct-2018 11:08

Maybe a good idea to clone the existing smaller disk onto the new larger disk before doing anything else.

Then install the new disk and check all is ok.

Once ok you could then run the update on the newer disk - you would have a bit more space for the update to work successfully.

You would also have a fallback of the original SSD with working win 7 - just in case....

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

1101

3122 posts

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#2103334 8-Oct-2018 14:04

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

download win10 ISO , burn to DVD
Install SSD
Boot from DVD, install Win10
Use Win7 key to activate

Bam, clean install.

unplug the 2Tb drive first though :-)

amiga500

1484 posts

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#2103343 8-Oct-2018 14:19

1101:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

download win10 ISO , burn to DVD
Install SSD
Boot from DVD, install Win10
Use Win7 key to activate

Bam, clean install.

unplug the 2Tb drive first though :-)

Unfortunately the Windows 10 1809 64 bit iso comes in at 4.8 gb and is too big for a standard dvd. I tried this on Xubuntu a few days ago & got the error message saying the iso was too big. So probably the best bet is to use the media creation tool in Windows and put the iso onto a flash drive. (The 1803 iso only just fitted onto a DVD)

Jogre

182 posts

Master Geek

#2103354 8-Oct-2018 14:42

Also check that you get drivers for the SSD beforehand as well. Had a nightmare with an HP Z-series as it needed the Samsung drivers to get the drive showing up inside Windows Setup.

Coil

6614 posts

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#2103371 8-Oct-2018 14:52

amiga500:

1101:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

download win10 ISO , burn to DVD
Install SSD
Boot from DVD, install Win10
Use Win7 key to activate

Bam, clean install.

unplug the 2Tb drive first though :-)

Unfortunately the Windows 10 1809 64 bit iso comes in at 4.8 gb and is too big for a standard dvd. I tried this on Xubuntu a few days ago & got the error message saying the iso was too big. So probably the best bet is to use the media creation tool in Windows and put the iso onto a flash drive. (The 1803 iso only just fitted onto a DVD)

Extract the ISO to a flash drive... Don't even need to use the media creation tool, never known anyone to do that. I've installed windows 10's of times just by extracting the ISO onto the flash drive.

I've tried the media creation tool to only have issues so who knows..

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Earbanean

937 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2103379 8-Oct-2018 15:07

OK, doing it from a flash drive should be easy. Will give that a go.

Earbanean

937 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2103381 8-Oct-2018 15:09

Jogre:

Also check that you get drivers for the SSD beforehand as well. Had a nightmare with an HP Z-series as it needed the Samsung drivers to get the drive showing up inside Windows Setup.

So I'd need to get the drivers and copy them to the flash drive that I'll be booting off. Then install them from there?

Do you also need to format a brand new SSD, or is it good to go out of the box?

Coil

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#2103385 8-Oct-2018 15:14

Earbanean:

Jogre:

Also check that you get drivers for the SSD beforehand as well. Had a nightmare with an HP Z-series as it needed the Samsung drivers to get the drive showing up inside Windows Setup.

So I'd need to get the drivers and copy them to the flash drive that I'll be booting off. Then install them from there?

Do you also need to format a brand new SSD, or is it good to go out of the box?

This is a very rare case that I have never seen myself and worked with many SSD's, but the website from the manufacture will have it.
Probably due to an OEM machine with an OEM copy of windows rather than a generic copy..

Cheers

robjg63

4096 posts

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#2103418 8-Oct-2018 15:40

Coil:

amiga500:

1101:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

download win10 ISO , burn to DVD
Install SSD
Boot from DVD, install Win10
Use Win7 key to activate

Bam, clean install.

unplug the 2Tb drive first though :-)

Unfortunately the Windows 10 1809 64 bit iso comes in at 4.8 gb and is too big for a standard dvd. I tried this on Xubuntu a few days ago & got the error message saying the iso was too big. So probably the best bet is to use the media creation tool in Windows and put the iso onto a flash drive. (The 1803 iso only just fitted onto a DVD)

Extract the ISO to a flash drive... Don't even need to use the media creation tool, never known anyone to do that. I've installed windows 10's of times just by extracting the ISO onto the flash drive.

I've tried the media creation tool to only have issues so who knows..

Yep - Download the ISO image - - if you check the option to write to a USB it will chug away through the download and then fail at the last bit.

MS seems to have left it broken for quite a while.

EDIT: Have played around with windows 10 installs onto a few SSDs recently - and they never asked or seemed to need specific drivers - they just worked.

If its brand new it shouldnt need formatting.

If you are doing a new/fresh win 10 install it should ask to do that if required. If you are upgrading, you will have already cloned your win7 disk over so you wouldnt be formatting it either.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

Coil

6614 posts

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#2103420 8-Oct-2018 15:42

robjg63:

Coil:

amiga500:

1101:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

download win10 ISO , burn to DVD
Install SSD
Boot from DVD, install Win10
Use Win7 key to activate

Bam, clean install.

unplug the 2Tb drive first though :-)

Unfortunately the Windows 10 1809 64 bit iso comes in at 4.8 gb and is too big for a standard dvd. I tried this on Xubuntu a few days ago & got the error message saying the iso was too big. So probably the best bet is to use the media creation tool in Windows and put the iso onto a flash drive. (The 1803 iso only just fitted onto a DVD)

Extract the ISO to a flash drive... Don't even need to use the media creation tool, never known anyone to do that. I've installed windows 10's of times just by extracting the ISO onto the flash drive.

I've tried the media creation tool to only have issues so who knows..

Yep - Download the ISO image - - if you check the option to write to a USB it will chug away through the download and then fail at the last bit.

MS seems to have left it broken for quite a while.

I've never known anyone to download straight to removable media lol... I havn't ever tried let alone thought it was a good idea. But anyway...

Lias

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#2103506 8-Oct-2018 18:53

Not particularly relevant for OP because of the desire to do a clean install, but as an FIY for others reading this, Samsung's Data Migration tool is absolutely amazing for migrating to a Samsung SSD. You connect the new drive as a secondary drive, boot to your existing HDD or SSD, run the software, unplug the old drive, and it just works. It's so simple I'm pretty sure my 8 year old could do it.

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dickytim

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#2103624 9-Oct-2018 05:42

Lias:

Not particularly relevant for OP because of the desire to do a clean install, but as an FIY for others reading this, Samsung's Data Migration tool is absolutely amazing for migrating to a Samsung SSD. You connect the new drive as a secondary drive, boot to your existing HDD or SSD, run the software, unplug the old drive, and it just works. It's so simple I'm pretty sure my 8 year old could do it.

This works well in a PC but if you try it via a laptop with a USB to SATA adaptor it can be an issue as the drive isn't seen as a Samsung drive.

Coil

6614 posts

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Inactive user

#2103635 9-Oct-2018 07:20

dickytim:

Lias:

Not particularly relevant for OP because of the desire to do a clean install, but as an FIY for others reading this, Samsung's Data Migration tool is absolutely amazing for migrating to a Samsung SSD. You connect the new drive as a secondary drive, boot to your existing HDD or SSD, run the software, unplug the old drive, and it just works. It's so simple I'm pretty sure my 8 year old could do it.

This works well in a PC but if you try it via a laptop with a USB to SATA adaptor it can be an issue as the drive isn't seen as a Samsung drive.

I have a universal USB3 caddy which seems to work really well in the northshore if someone needs to borrow it.

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