migrating OS from HHD to SSD...

hi. ive been planing to buy a ssd for my alienware 17 r2 this christmas and i wanted to know what is the best way to transfer OS from HHD to SSD. i have seen some ways on migrating OS to ssd and i just wanted to know which is the best way to use. do you think all of this guide will work as well.. thanks ^_^

1st is from judal on this link: http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19629341

2nd is from reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Alienware/comments/39k27e/how_to_migrate_os_from_stock_hdd_to_m2_ssd/

lastly: http://eu.alienwarearena.com/forums.../alienware-17-r2-windows-not-installed-on-ssd

 

I personally will recommend you the first one for it has more images. the method is simple, connect your SSD with a USB-to-SATA cable externally, and use a free ssd migration software, such as AOMEI Backupper to start clonning. if you do not have USB-to-SATA cable, but have USB drive. you can backup your hard disk to an external USB drive and boot your laptop with a bootable media created by Backupper to restore the backup image of your hdd to SSD.

 

thanks for the reply. the first method is good but my problem is i cannot find a portable bay for hard drive on amazon uk or ebay uk. whats the exact name of the portable bay? or you can give me some links if you have.. maybe @judal57 can help? ^_^

 

If your laptophas eSATA or eSATAp then you better buy SATA to eSATA + USB cable or SATA to eSATAp. It gives natural sata speeds.

 

sorry for being such a noob.. i dont know what your talking about.. hmmm...im guessing thats the connection.. right? how can i check what connection is it for my laptop.. still cant find a portable bay in amazon uk and ebay uk.. T_T

 

is this the right hard drive portable bay? will this do?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/iDsonix-Sup...ns&keywords=2.5+inch+hard+drive+toshiba&psc=1

 

Which SSD are u getting?, if it is a Samsung or a Sandisk both companies provide you with cloning software for free after registering the product.

 

Im planning to get on from samsung.. Thanks for this info.. I look into this..

 

I would just use system image backup tool in windows to create an image to the hdd first then remove the hdd and connect to a sata to usb adapter and install the ssd in the laptop. Use a recovery media such as your windows installation disc or a recovery disc/usb drive that you can create within windows. Aomei sometines doesnt restore boot partition properly and i had the best experience using system image backup tool to restore the os.

 

edited: wrong question. didnt read you post properly. sry

 

Hi sorry for the noob question.. Samsung has a data migration software.. Its like a cloning software right? Does it mean it will clone/copy all my data in my hdd including the recovery partion from alienware?

 

Use it as well, I used the sw three days ago, to clone a PM951 PCIe, on a PCIe 950Pro.

Everything worked smoothly.

Ciao

 

was it able to copy the recovery partition of the original hdd?

 

download the latest release V3.0, so you clone an entire disk to the other

ciao

 

thanks

 

WARNING: eek:

Tonight I put the old man in the PM951 portable and I discovered something disturbing, this:



in practice Samsung Data Migration NOT brought me the hidden partition, to 11GB of old PM951 highlighted in red (HD boot came with the laptop).

The thing is very embarrassing, and at the time I just did with Acronis bck where "should" be everything.

I'm sorry, if today I have said something else, but tonight I wanted to check to make sure 100%

Hello

 

its ok. thanks for the info. i haven't started anything yet because i haven't got the screw for my ssd m.2.. im just getting as much info as i can get.. anyway i think i have realised that using alienware respawn means i have to make sure i wont lose the usb recovery drive or else im screwed and have to install from scratch. installing windows os and all the drivers.. also the best way to migrate os and everything is by cloning.. right now im looking on buying acronis true image 2016.. cloning means coping everything like os, recovery partition and alienwares build in iso reader.. correct me if im wrong that acronis can do this. right? lol.. well can someone confirm if acronis true image can do this stuff or can someone recommend a free cloning program that works... thanks..

 

This guy from youtube recommends paragon software from here: https://www.paragon-software.com/technologies/components/migrate-OS-to-SSD/

Watch him demonstrating in this video here:

Watch from 3:10
I am also trying to find a way to do this for my R3 from Harddisk to 950 pro SSD. Any help will be appreciated.

 

in theory Acronis 2016, allows you to clone an SSD / HD, the problem is that on the AW17 950Pro in bios can not see.

you must create a USB boot, with WinPE and plug-in acronis.

hi

 

I think you have replied to me without seeing the video I posted or maybe you are replying to the guy above.
In the video, he shows that there is an option to make the SSD appear in BIOS.
Did you install the latest bios? I read somewhere that the latest bios has fixed the issue with 950 pro.

I did not understand this.

 

guyz thanks for all your advice. i have decided i will not buy a cloning peogram.. i will just follow option 2 from reddit and use alienware respawn.. i think that since i have a ssd now reinstalling programs would be faster.. i will just make 2 usb recovery drive and make sure not to lose them. hehe

 

guyz just want to let you know ive successfully migrated my os to my new ssd using the guide from reddit... but there is a part on the guide that is not there like you need to turn on legacy and turn off secure boot to boot os from ssd and also i had to use diskpart to delete the hidden partions from hdd/the recovery partition.. all went well turn uefi back on and secure boot back on and everything is working.

 

I just used the freeware http://www.todo-backup.com/
Once backed up everything using the software, remove the hdd completely and leave the m.2 in only, so that the laptop can only boot from it.

 

Bios 1



Bios Boot



I have the latest bios of December, but as you see it does not appear the 2nd PM951 SSD and even the 950Pro SSD Boot.



then follow the instructions, with an inserted USB


Ciao

 

I just got my new 950 pro. I have installed latest bios. Then I screwed my ssd in my laptop. That's it. I did not change anything else.

Looks like the latest bios has fixed the issue.

Here is the bios:

 

is the same that I have.

thx

 

I would not have messed up the bios when I attempted to clone the PM951 the 950Pro, I am sure that before the PM951 was seen in the bios, now I do not see even that.

But everything works, for now ....
thanks anyway

 

I have used Macrium reflect to clone. It was straight forward. But in bios setup, under boot tab, 950 pro is not visible.
Is there any way to make it appear?
Using Acronis method, is 950 pro visible under boot tab of BIOS?

Is formatting the hdd the only option now?
I do not like to format my HDD as I am planning to sell my laptop after a few months.

 

W

Wow now my bios can see both the harddisk and 950 pro:


I just switched to legacy mode on secure boot off. And then came back to uefi mode on secure on. In between I booted a couple times to 950 pro from F12. NOw after coming back to uefi, both show under the boot menu of BIOS. There is only one problem left now. I am unable to install the samsung nvme driver in windows. It shows that 950 pro is not connected.

 

you have to change raid to ahci in bios, then restart to safe mode and install the driver. at least how it worked in my AW15. Prior to that o just cloned the hdd using free macrium reflect. the whole SSD migration process should take maybe 30 min this way. there is certainly no need to reinstall windows.

 

Thanks! That worked Now one last issue left i.e. Wifi disconnecting issue

Edit: I just checked after booting normally. The driver details of 950 pro in device manager still shows Microsoft driver . There's also speed decrease in crystal diskmark after installing this driver.(and also some games)

By the way, did you check if the recovery drive is functioning well in 950 pro after using the macrium reflect?

 

@Vikram Reddy Merugu Np

The disk device is showing as MS (you need to disable cache flush there for max perf), but the Storage Controller driver is indeed Samsung. I haven't checked if the recovery works (obviously don't want to wipe out the apps), but would think it's unlikely that it wouldn't. If you are not convinced, you can image the drive using macrium to an external HDD/SAN I think. Actually, I should probably set that up for myself

Yeah, the disconnections were painful. I haven't been getting them lately, after updating to latest killer divers and setting the ISP throughput to about 80% of what my router reports. Disabling bandwidth control wasn't helping.

 

guyz just wondering why you go for the cloning option and not use alienware respawn and do a clean install? alienware respawn also creates a recovery partition on your ssd plus installing driver/games will be fast enough because of the ssd speed.. hmmmm i wonder why?

 

Precisely in order to save time and avoid having to do a clean install (including all the apps). I had been using the HDD for a bit before I got the SDD.

 

ok i see.. hehe..

 

Thanks. Now my ssd performs well after disabling cache flush. In the RAID mode, device manager doesn't show nvme controller and samsung nvme driver. It shows only in the AHCI mode. Wifi doesn't give me any problems after uninstalling and installing its components.. For Now..
I have already used Macrium reflect and made all the necessary image backups. Just wondering if they would work at all when the need arises. Only failure will tell.

I have forgot and left my laptop plugged in overnight. Morning when I have turned it on, there is no display. Laptop was booting as I can see from the keyboard lighting turning on. But no output on the display.
I have removed the hdd. Then the display turned on. And replaced the hdd again. Now everything works fine.
Does anyone know why this might have happened? Is the power not sufficient for this extra ssd that I have put in? Or is it something else?

 

I do not see it, but I might have done something wrong when I tried to clone the pm951 about 950 pro

I do not know if it is useful format.

Perhaps using Alienware Respawn (you format and restores HD) everything back in the bios as when it arrived, but I new install all programs .....

Ciao

 

One thing is almost certain, the problem you mentioned has nothing to do with the cloning process per se. Sounds like an electrical issue, given that an intervention into the chasis resolved it

 

I have also noticed my hdd keeps spinning non stop even though I am running my OS on SSD. Not sure what's going on.

 

Before re-installing IRST, downloaded from the page of Dell drivers::

Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver
Serial-ATA_Driver_H7N90_WN32_14.6.1.1030_A01

Restart and put on RAID in BIOS instead of AHCI


Now I see everything



I still have this weird thing, but it all works without problems


Hello

 

Try this to see if it shows:
Keep the Unknown device and remove the other "Windows Boot Manager" device from computer.
Boot into some sort of Windows recovery media.
Open command prompt and type:
bootrec /RebuildBcd

Then put back the other device and check.

 

"Windows recovery media" for this you just need a usb key boot

and

How do I know what is the Unknown, the bios see 950Pro and PM951
I have to first remove the PM951, reboot with a boot USB key and then check and then the other way, right?

ciao

Edit:

It can be useful?

DISKPART> list vol

Volume # Let. Etichetta Fs Tipo Dim. Stato Info
--------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------
Volume 0 E HD_EVO NTFS Partizione 419 Gb Integro
Volume 1 D HD PM951 NTFS Partizione 476 Gb Integro
Volume 2 C OS 950Pro NTFS Partizione 416 Gb Integro Avvio
Volume 3 WINRETOOLS NTFS Partizione 891 Mb Integro Nascosto
Volume 4 ESP FAT32 Partizione 500 Mb Integro Sistema
Volume 5 Image NTFS Partizione 11 Gb Integro Nascosto

 

Priority1 is Windows boot Manager which means this is your main disk which boots up when you turn on the laptop. If your main disk is 950 pro, then other one is your "Unknown"

 

Then take off PM951 and EVO 850, turn aw17 with a usb key recovery, and from command prompt type "bootrec / RebuildBcd"
ok?

ciao

 

No. Now when you turn on the laptop normally, which device is booting? Check C: drive windows explorer. If this C:drive is 950 pro, then the other windows installation(850 evo or PM951?) is "Unknown".

I am assuming you have two windows installations, correct?

If yes, keep the Unknown in laptop and take off the remaining.
Then try the command.

 

I have only one installation of win10.

The boot disk, C drive is the PCIe 950Pro.

in windows explorer I see the other two HD:
PM951 D: (ex-boot, formatted)
EVO 850 E:

the AW17 it is the house, I am now in office.

ciao

 

1st is from me XD

 

i am the same

 

yep i know.. your also in the eu alienware forums.. read some of your msg while searching for solutions.. ^^