Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

I'm really bad with computers and Hard drives..

Apr 22, 2015 12:37PM PDT

So..

I have a new gaming laptop. It came with a 1 TB and had windows pre-loaded or whatever.

I have a 180Gb SSD that I would like to put my OS on and bot from there.

1.) In the bios I do not see how to change this under boot options, it just has the first boot options and then to add another I have to type stuff?

2.) What is a quick, easy way to get my OS on the SSD?

Any help would be great!

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
Not really.
Apr 22, 2015 12:41PM PDT

I can't see which make/model drive but the most common way is to use the migration tool/software that came with the drive. Before you do this, be sure to make the restore media. THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL.
Bob

- Collapse -
Hmmm.
Apr 22, 2015 12:48PM PDT

The laptop is an Asus G751 J if that helps.

- Collapse -
No.
Apr 22, 2015 12:52PM PDT

"Dual HDD Support(Optional)
HDD Housing for 2ND HDD expansion"

Since you didn't get it with the 2ND HDD housing your effort is all for naught. You'd need that 2nd housing first. Then when that's in you clone the drive to the SSD and put the SSD into the boot position.

If this doesn't make sense, have the work done for you. Otherwise you could burn up an expensive laptop.
Bob

- Collapse -
Wait a second.
Apr 22, 2015 1:01PM PDT

I may just be REALLY dumb, but...

When I take the back off, there is the HDD, then an open slot for what appears to be another hard drive. Is this what you are referring to?

- Collapse -
Then you have the dual drive model.
Apr 23, 2015 12:33AM PDT

Select which to remove, and get going. If you don't know what you are doing, have it done as this is one expensive laptop.
Bob

- Collapse -
Answer
An easy way I've done 3 or 4 time is
Apr 23, 2015 2:56AM PDT

to clone the drive. Which typically involves an external drives case with a USB connector. You ran the clone software and select the new drive as the target and old as the source. I used Acronis True image but there is imaging software for free on the internet.

I've done it on my Acer AS8950G it has 2 drives bays. When i bought it the 2nd drive bay was empty so i cloned the drive in the first bay to the SSD in the external case. I then moved the cloned dirve to bay 1 and the second to drive bay 2. I then purchased a larger SSD and did the same thing again. Then finally on that machine i clonced the drive in the 2nd bay whic was 750 GB to a 1 tb HD and it worked fine.


The recently I purchased an Alienware 18 with a 256 GB MSATA SSD. I found a external MSATA case (about the size of a credit card) and cloned the 256 GB to a 1TB SSD. I use the old 256 GB as an external drive.

- Collapse -
Another thing Samsung has a free
Apr 23, 2015 2:58AM PDT

migration tool that will work for Samsung drives only. It will work cloning another manufacturers drive if the target is a Samsung.