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Question

Replacing HD with SSD

Mar 9, 2015 5:14AM PDT

I just ordered a Samsung SSD to replace the HD in my Dell XPS-8300 desktop. I've installed operating systems a hundred times, and have a SSD in a laptop, but I've never installed a SSD. Any advice regarding any diffferences, either in installing the SSD or the OS?
One specifuc question is about the cables; my Dell came with a SATA 3 HD, so do I need different cables?
One thing I do know about is to disable automatic defragging.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
I can't tell which OS.
Mar 9, 2015 5:25AM PDT

Some don't support TRIM but for the most part I don't install the OS but clone the drive with the maker's tools. A bit easy and not as hairy as it was back then.
Bob

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Windows 7
Mar 9, 2015 8:15AM PDT

This is Windows 7 Home Premium. I have the original re-install disks (OS + drivers). Seeing as I keep my computers running "clean & mean" I've thought about the clone option but I have no problem starting from scratch. I'm terribly organized, so I'm all set if I want to re-install all my programs and such. I just get the important stuff first, and re-install the rest as needed. I'm retired, so I can't say I'm pressed for time. My own personnal files are backed up multiple times and I'll still have the old HD available anyway.

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Answer
Dell practice
Mar 9, 2015 6:26AM PDT

Newer Dell PCs that have SSD installed don't have the "recovery partition" present. That increases the available media space and SSD supplied by OEM vendors generally are intended to increase space. In some cases these are installed by the OEM as probable fast boot and any 2nd HD as the real workhorse for storage. The TRIM cmd. should be present on any PC not XP OS, but that's not always a given but usually is for newer Win 7 and above. As SATA issues that won't be a problem, the bios should handle all that, just be aware of SATA port are active for RAID or not thus use the proper selected #ports. Before you install anything and have your current PC setup, update the Dell bios to handle any new changes. ie: If you have A07 and now A12 is the newest it maybe prudent to update but with the "as is" h/w now present. That's an optional, but i find Dell bios updates levels can be wide.

tada -----Willy Happy

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Answer
Done!
Apr 8, 2015 6:26AM PDT

After installing the Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD in the desktop, it went so well that I decided to instead put that one in a laptop, and ordered another 1GB SSD for the desktop. I used the cloning method, using an Apricorn USB 3.0 adapter, which came with a CD for an easy to use cloning utility. Cloning 240 GB of data took 59 minutes. The Samsung SSDs come with a CD to install some sort of utility, but I'll tell ya, I couldn't figure out what it was supposed to do; I didn't see the term "copy" or "clone" anywhere. I highly recommend the Apricorn; you can even opt to not transfer your data files.
The only quirks I saw, and it happened all 3 times, was that System Restore points didn't make it through the process, probably because the settings all changed. "C-drive" System Restore was "off", but Recovery and secondary internal drives were now "on". Not a problem, but it's something to make sure is checked and re-set up. The other thing is Google Chrome lost it's extensions (only 2, AdBlock & WOT) and homepage settings - for some reason. Also, expect saved cookies to disappear.
It's certainly all worth it. Start-up time went from 1.5 min to 23 seconds, and everything else is quite snappy. One oddity is that although a cold start-up is 23 seconds, coming out of hibernation takes 29 seconds.