Please help!!! SSD Questions.....

Hi guys, i know there are alot of guides floating around but i have a few questions i cant seem to find the answer for.

Im buying a Crucial m4 64gb to run as my OS drive and using my current 750gb drive as a Data drive. Will 64gb be enough for just OS?

If I install the crucial 64gb in the spare bay, how do i initiate a fresh install when i still have the HDD installed?

Will i have to format the 750gb HDD first?

Do i need to do anything in the BIOS to make the SDD the OS drive?

Im abit scared of attempting this as my M17xR3 was my first venture into the PC gaming world and ive never attempted a fresh install.
Can i use my Alienware Respawn back up to re-install everything onto the SSD?

Is it possible someone could just post a mini idiots giude of how to install a new SSD starting from booting up the laptop after installing the SSD into the laptop? Ive read the guide on what order to install, just want to know if theres anything to do before hand.

Reason i wanna do this is, i turned the laptop onto day and Windows couldnt start because of an error and i had to roll back to a restore point. Scared me. LOL!

Please help

 

Use this awsome guide by jywang. It helped me out a lot when I got my m17x R3 and I installed my SSD.

I used my 700g drive that came with the laptop as my 2nd data drive. I just popped my ssd in, loaded my windows install dvd, and formatted the 700g via drive options in the Windows 7 install menu.

Here

 

Thanks man. This guide says swap out the hdd for the ssd, ive also read this isnt neccessary?

Also, what mode did you use? Raid or achi?

 

ATM, Im using Raid with no issues.

Swapping the drives really doesnt matter. You could put your new ssd into Slot 1 instead of slot 0.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I read, alot of people prefer that as slot 0 had some issues with some of the vertex ssds drives. But reported no issues with crucial and intel ssd drives.

Just format the drive with the windows install dvd and you should be good to go.

64 gigs is more then enough for just a OS.

 

I use ACHI but RAID is fine also. Some people get BSODs using ACHI. If you do a fresh install it shouldn't matter. Just stick to which ever one you choose and don't change it once you've installed windows.

Also you don't have to swap the HDD for the SSD. You can just install the SSD into the free bay, then change the bios setting to set the SSD as the primary boot device. Change the DVD to the secondary device so that the Win7 DVD will boot, and then go for it.

Let us know how it goes or if you run into trouble.

 

HERO!!! thanks man. I feel confident to go. I may go for the 128gb just incase
=1 rep

one last question.

Is there a way of transfering my steam downloads or actually keep them on the HDD before i format my HDD? would be a pain to have to reinstall them all........

 

Read this: http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/591845-ssd-reccomendations-m17x-r3.html

Dont get the 64GB, go for the 128GB or the 256GB M4.

 

Can you just be abit more descriptive on how to make the DVD drive secoundary and how to change the bios settings? thanks!

 

When the Alien head appears on bootup, Hit F2 to enter the Bios. Bootup options are on the right, use the arrow keys to move over to Boot order, arrow down to what you want to change, and then use the +/- keys to move up or down what you need.

 

This is great info guys, I've been looking at SSD's as well