Setting up an SSD boot drive

Quote from qwertyaas : Don't clone it. Chances are your disk alignment is off which could hinder performance by quite a bit. Reinstalling on an SSD is pretty quick. Installing programs? Much quicker. Just DL the .exes beforehand to have everything ready to go. There are a few setup steps you should do to maximize your performance. Check out: http://www.overclock.net/t/115665...-ssds-hdds

What do you mean by downloading(?) the .exl's before hand. You mean for programs I have downloaded from the internet? I have always used Ninite in the past with good luck for my download needs. I am more concerned with programs I paid to download from various sites and that I have on disks but I may not be sure where the disks are from. I'm sure the important stuff I'll be able to find. Also, of course, a little stressed about making sure I have all important files off of my current boot drive before I reformat it.

Quote from dragoon7134 : Just a note on this, SSD's are more reliable than a HDD. They don't have any moving parts and are more shock proof (dropping, shaking, vibrating) than a HDD that has magnetic disks that move.

http://www.tomshardware.com/revie...923-9.html


...according to Dr. Hughes(one of the principal creators of S.M.A.R.T. and Secure Erase ), there's nothing to suggest that its products are significantly more reliable than the best hard drive solutions.

Hard drives are well known...SSDs only have a 2 year history. I'll take well-known any day when it comes to DATA.

Quote from someone28624 : What do you mean by downloading(?) the .exl's before hand. You mean for programs I have downloaded from the internet? I have always used Ninite in the past with good luck for my download needs. I am more concerned with programs I paid to download from various sites and that I have on disks but I may not be sure where the disks are from. I'm sure the important stuff I'll be able to find. Also, of course, a little stressed about making sure I have all important files off of my current boot drive before I reformat it.

Ya just mean get everything ready to reinstall so it goes by very quick instead of downloading everything once you reinstall W7.

If you want to make sure you have everything, you can also do a backup/clone if you have a spare drive so you know you have everything backed up.

Quote from qwertyaas : Ya just mean get everything ready to reinstall so it goes by very quick instead of downloading everything once you reinstall W7. If you want to make sure you have everything, you can also do a backup/clone if you have a spare drive so you know you have everything backed up.

Do a Windows Easy Transfer (Just type "Windows Easy" at run line and you'll find it) to make sure you saved everything (It finds EVERYTHING!)... put migration file on a different drive or external drive....

Then run again to bring back data and settings (after clean install and re-installation of any programs)

Also run a keyfinder.... and make note of any keys for later if needed.

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

Quote from boltman2007 : Do a Windows Easy Transfer (Just type "Windows Easy" at run line and you'll find it) to make sure you saved everything (It finds EVERYTHING!)... put migration file on a different drive or external drive.... Then run again to bring back data and settings (after clean install and re-installation of any programs) Also run a keyfinder.... and make note of any keys for later if needed. http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

Awesome program. Thanks! There wouldn't happen to be something similar for drivers, would there? I'm feeling a little paranoid about this whole process.

Quote from someone28624 : Awesome program. Thanks! There wouldn't happen to be something similar for drivers, would there? I'm feeling a little paranoid about this whole process.

Slimdrivers....

https://www.slimwareutilities.com...rivers.php

Windows itself has most drivers you need... slim drivers will find and update the rest

Clean install then run slimdrivers

Quote from boltman2007 : Slimdrivers.... https://www.slimwareutilities.com...rivers.php Windows itself has most drivers you need... slim drivers will find and update the rest Clean install then run slimdrivers

I can't rep you any more, but have I mentioned lately how awesome you are?

New problem. Finally went to install the drive today and I have 4 SATA connectors from my PSU [newegg.com]. Given that I already have two hard drives and two optical drives, I have no place to plug a third drive into my PSU. Is there any easy way to add more connections?

Looks like I need this guy?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Pro...ghjv8bm71y

I bought the cable I linked and installed the drive and installed Windows. Everything was going well but I broke my computer. When I boot I get an error- CPU Fan Error, press f1 to continue. I press F1 and everything seems fine for a few minutes, then the computer just powers off. Interestingly, I can even hear the fan running at a normal volume. While I had the case open I cleaned some dust off the fan, so I'm guessing I dislodged something and my first step is to open the case back up and check connections?

Fun fact: CPU fans don't run well with cables intwined in them.

CPU Fan Error means you don't have anything plugged into the CPU Fan 1 pin on your Motherboard
if you run your fans off of your PSU via Molex, you'll always get this problem
you can disable the CPU fan check if you go into Bios.

Quote from IPT : CPU Fan Error means you don't have anything plugged into the CPU Fan 1 pin on your Motherboard if you run your fans off of your PSU via Molex, you'll always get this problem you can disable the CPU fan check if you go into Bios.

Thanks, but I figured it out. An empty molex connector was stuck in the fan blades. I moved it and it's fine now.

Quote from someone28624 : Thanks, but I figured it out. An empty molex connector was stuck in the fan blades. I moved it and it's fine now.

clearly this is a sign to work on that wiring!