How to install an SSD HD into laptop without a Win7 disc?

[lightheir]

I was hoping to upgrade my laptop HD to a SSD.

The hardware shouldn't be a problem for my ACER. I, am , however, unsure of how to go about doing this when the Windows7 came preinstalled onto the harddrive. I believe there is a partition with it, but I'm unsure of how to get it onto the SSD.

[Ged]

Use a disk clone package like Macrium Reflect.

[killjoy2012]

Just google "hard drive clone" and you'll find your answer.

I recommend Acronis True Image, but it isn't free. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGLDgyOZLVo
There are freeware options, but it may be more complicated, require more know how, etc.

With a laptop, you'll also have the added complexity in that most laptops only have space for 1 SATA drive. So you'll probably either need to make an image of your current laptop HDD and save it to disk (e.g. a USB connected external HDD), then clone/image that image to the SSD using some sort of "boot from CD" functionality. Or buy a USB 2"5" HDD dock and clone the current laptop HDD directly to the SSD, and then swap the SSD in after cloning.

Or alternatively, if you have a desktop too, then cable up whatever you need to get both the SSD and laptop HDD added into the desktop and just use Acronis TI to clone directly. But the 2.5" laptop HDDs will likely need a 2.5" USB dock or adapter (2 would make it easier).

[tuningfork]

I recently bought a Samsung 840EVO SSD. I was prepared to use Clonezilla, but the SSD came with some Samsung-branded cloning software that I went ahead and used. It worked well and I didn't need to reinstall anything.

[SimonJester]

Along with the cloning recommendations I would highly recommend you create you install / recovery disks. There should be a program to kick that process off. You will need these disks if your hard drive dies completely or if you need to wipe out the drive and start fresh.

[overst33r]

Win7 has native backup image capability, but I am not sure if it allows for hardware differences.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... =windows-7

[AviN]

If you want to do a clean install, use the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to put the setup on a USB flash drive:

http://wudt.codeplex.com/

You should be able to find a Windows 7 product key on the bottom of your laptop. Make sure to select the edition (i.e. Home, Professional, etc.) listed on the product key sticker and then the setup should accept the product key.

[lightheir]

I recently bought a Samsung 840EVO SSD. I was prepared to use Clonezilla, but the SSD came with some Samsung-branded cloning software that I went ahead and used. It worked well and I didn't need to reinstall anything.

How is the SSD speed working out for you? Noticeable? Marginal?

[dbCooperAir]

Win7 has native backup image capability, but I am not sure if it allows for hardware differences.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... =windows-7

I have used this and it worked out fine.

Create a boot/recover disk.
Create an image to a USB drive.
Install new drive.
Boot from disk.
Install image.
If the drive is a different size you will need to resize the new drive.

Or you can clone the drive as other have noted as well.

[vkfu]

Another vote for Macrium Reflect. You can put your new SSD in a USB enclosure and clone your hard drive to it. Then replace the hard drive with your SSD.

[Ged]

If you want to do a clean install, use the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to put the setup on a USB flash drive:

http://wudt.codeplex.com/

You should be able to find a Windows 7 product key on the bottom of your laptop. Make sure to select the edition (i.e. Home, Professional, etc.) listed on the product key sticker and then the setup should accept the product key.

Some laptop manufacturers no longer apply the sticker, or over time it can become unreadable. Fortunately there are utilities like KeyFinder that will recover the key for you. With that you can install Win 7 from media or an image.

[pochax]

Follow these instructions:
How to Migrate to a Solid-State Drive Without Reinstalling Windows:
http://lifehacker.com/5837543/how-to-mi ... ng-windows

[ubermax]

I have a Lenovo laptop & replaced my 60 gig SSD with a 256 gig SSD a couple years ago ; Lenovo packages backup software with their systems and so I went that route but having Window7 I also thought about doing it the way Overst33r and dbCooperAir suggested .

However based on reading that link that Overst33r provided I would create a system image using the tools provided with Windows 7 to an external HD rather than a stick (USB drive) - then I would follow the steps provided by dbCooperAir with only a few modifications as follows :

Create a boot/recovery disc
Create a system image to an external HD
remove laptop battery
remove old drive , insert new
reinstall battery
boot from disc
install image on new drive
dbCooper mentioned resizing ( partitioning) the new drive ; I needed to do this and bought Acronis Disk Director to re-partition the new drive - highly recommend Acronis.

The scary part for me was the booting ( in my case it was from the external HD rather than a disc as above) - I wasn't sure if I'd be able to return to the spot where I could give the install command - but it worked out and if it didn't I knew I could always re-insert the old SSD - same for you .

Windows 7 provides the tools to create a system image but not partitioning tools and so that was the reason I needed Acronis ; however, I would suggest you first see how the space on the new drive is allocated before you buy something like Acronis ; I had no choice because Lenovo reserves space on their systems for their software - it's generally a small amount but in my case it turned out to be a huge chunk on the new drive and so I needed a way to re-allocate that space.

I would have to think that your situation and mine are pretty common and I think it's amazing that computer makers don't provide detailed steps on how to do it - I had to figure it all out on my own by going to user forums and searching the internet .

Good Luck OP !!

[ajcp]

If you want to do a clean install, use the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to put the setup on a USB flash drive:

http://wudt.codeplex.com/

You should be able to find a Windows 7 product key on the bottom of your laptop. Make sure to select the edition (i.e. Home, Professional, etc.) listed on the product key sticker and then the setup should accept the product key.

As I said in this thread, I recommend this method over cloning your drive. Besides the HD->SSD problems, installing an OS is extremely easy and gives you a chance to clear out old junk that's been building up over the years. As Ged pointed out, if there's any information you can't find on the computer, there are utilities to find it for you.

[BolderBoy]

I recently bought a Samsung 840EVO SSD. I was prepared to use Clonezilla, but the SSD came with some Samsung-branded cloning software that I went ahead and used. It worked well and I didn't need to reinstall anything.

How is the SSD speed working out for you? Noticeable? Marginal?

I got my first SSD with a laptop I bought last month. The bootup is faster; I'd say on a continuum from RAM - to - HDD, that the SSD is on the left side of the middle, but by no means = to RAM speed. The SATA interface is probably the speed limiting issue. Otherwise I like it.

[topos]

An easy way is to buy an SSD upgrade Kit. It contains both the hardware (to temporary connect the SSD to an USB port) the software (Acronis disk image) and instruction manual.
Crucial sold one for about twenty dollars.
Google "crucial easy laptop install kit" to find it.
It might not be the cheapest solution but definitely the simplest.
By the way, Crucial also has very good value SSD drives.

[ubermax]

An easy way is to buy an SSD upgrade Kit. It contains both the hardware (to temporary connect the SSD to an USB port) the software (Acronis disk image) and instruction manual.
Crucial sold one for about twenty dollars.
Google "crucial easy laptop install kit" to find it.
It might not be the cheapest solution but definitely the simplest.
By the way, Crucial also has very good value SSD drives.

This does sound like a great solution and I would think the demand for it would be pretty good !!

[tuningfork]

I recently bought a Samsung 840EVO SSD. I was prepared to use Clonezilla, but the SSD came with some Samsung-branded cloning software that I went ahead and used. It worked well and I didn't need to reinstall anything.

How is the SSD speed working out for you? Noticeable? Marginal?

Actually I replaced an unreliable OCZ SSD with the Samsung SSD. The Samsung is much more reliable than the OCZ. I was getting blue screens every week or two with the OCZ. Not a single blue screen since installing the Samsung 5 months ago.

As for speed, compared to a hard drive the SSD boots much faster (less than 15 seconds vs. 30+ seconds with a hard drive). Programs load much faster. Once your software is up and running there's not a noticeable speedup unless the software needs to use the disk a lot. But overall the computer feels zippier.