Installing Windows 7 onto a laptop with a newly installed SSD... help

T

trencheel303

Messages
4,888
Edit My Images
No
no longer required
 
Last edited:
i couldnt find a single image utility that would restore to a smaller drive than the one imaged. i ended up doing a blank install.

but remember as soon as windows is loaded run the Windows Experience Rating, it sets a lot of registry keys, disables defrag and alters prefetch for SSD use.

also, i wouldnt disable the page file.
 
If you can get the disk then you will likely end up with a better build. I always rebuild all the laptops we get in as the standard builds they come with are always full of bloatware that noone uses.
 
Uninstall ALL your software, copy all your data to another drive and then you might be able to do it.

OR

Start Again

Then use a 2nd drive for your data and also some of your programs
 
ah, found the disk i was thinking of and its not home premium..

somebody on here must have a disk they can copy for you (its not piracy if he only needs the media and not the key before anyone starts)
 
that's very generous of you Neil thank you for looking.
 
Have you tried a torrent download of the ISO to burn your own DVD. As long as you will be using your own key it isn't piracy.
 
My laptop has a 64GB Kingston SSD installed and it all went easily using the supplied software, it was a stripped down version of Acronis True Image, same on my desktop except a larger 128GB SSD
 
Go into any local computer repair shop, they will give you a vanilla copy of Windows 7 for free.

I have a copy I can post, but it's 32bit. You're product key will be fine to use with it, but it's only 32 bit.

And it's not illegal. It's a copy on a DVDr that needs activating.
 
Trench

PM me your home address and I'll send you a copy of my disk which is 7 64bit Home premium.

As long as you have a genuine COA sticker on your machine there should be no problems, you may have to get some of the drivers of HP's website for some of the more obscure bits.
 
Thanks to everyone who has offered to post out a Windows CD, and Neil for looking for his.

Chris, could I give you my work address instead?
 
Whatever m8 just somewhere to send it LOL.

Carrier Pigeons demand more seed for heavy loads :D
 
You can only shrink it if the total file size is smaller than 64Gb (that may sound obvious)

With Windows 7, use an external HDD to make a backup image, then create the recovery CD that you use to boot.

Swap the HDDs (320Gb and SSD) over and then boot using the CD and select restore and it should find the restore image on the external HDD. It should then copy the image to the new disc.

As this method creates a VHD (virtual hard disk) the VHD is only as big as the data so the target drive size doesn't matter as long as its bigger than the VHD.
 
This might sound a bit silly, but can't you put the original HDD in an external enclosure and boot from that to get you sorted?
 
I tried an SSD

It died after 4 months, so I don't trust them at the moment as when it dies its a complete reinstall of software and drivers etc.

I did the Windows method myself on 2 machines and it worked fine. What part did it fail at, the restore? how big was the vhd?

I don't think it is a format issue as it would recreate the drive. Its just doing the C drive isn't it, not the HP recovery partition when you create the backup?
 
Dale_d3100 said:
I don't think it is a format issue as it would recreate the drive. Its just doing the C drive isn't it, not the HP recovery partition when you create the backup?
Click to expand...

it's doing the C drive and the HP partitions and it does not give me an option to turn any of them off. The only way I probably can is to delete them with Gparted and then try again. It failed at the restore, and the VHD (all of them together in fact) were small enough to fit in 64GB.

I'm using an SSD for the added speed it gives...
 
trencheel303 said:
Neil; I haven't a clue what AHCI is but I looked in my BIOS a few days ago and it's pretty basic to say the least. I didn't even see such an option. Defragging is disabled, and I ran the WEI again to pick up on any changes. Since I imaged Windows onto the SSD, will it recognise it's running on one and use TRIM, or will I have to sort that myself?
Click to expand...

normally its in with the storage settings, what board is it?

once you run WEI windows should sort the rest out, thats all ive done and its been faultless since july :)

otherwise manual settings are all in this thread if i remember rightly?

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/content.php?306-SSD-ABC-Guide
 
Battery life also improves load with an SSD, I got an extra hour on my laptop
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top