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    making your ssd your primary boot drive.

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by jthesmooth, Mar 14, 2012.

  1. jthesmooth

    jthesmooth Notebook Enthusiast

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    i just got a crucial m4 512gb ssd for m17xr3 when i got my notebook i had it stock with a seagate 750gb hdd and i want to put my new ssd in my second storage bay as my primary boot drive and reinstall my operating system on it. anyone know any step by step details how i can accomplish this? and do i have to delete everything on my previous drive?
     
    jthesmooth, Mar 14, 2012
    #1
  2. TurbodTalon

    TurbodTalon Notebook Virtuoso

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    Back up what you want from the 750GB drive.
    Swap 750GB drive into the secondary drive slot.
    Put your SSD in the primary drive slot and install Windows on it.
    Take the user files, game saves, etc. that you would like to keep from the 750GB over to the SSD.
    MAKE SURE YOU'VE MADE A BACKUP OF THE 750GB!
    At this point, I would format the 750GB drive.
    Transfer your stuff from your backup source to the 750GB.
    Now you should have the SSD as your OS drive, and the 750GB drive as the secondary storage.
    You could skip a bit of the BS by simply trying to delete all the OS files off of the 750GB drive rather than formatting it.

    I don't know if you wanted it to be more specific. My steps assume you already know how to install Windows, etc.
     
    TurbodTalon, Mar 14, 2012
    #2
  3. widezu69

    widezu69 Goodbye Alienware

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    widezu69, Mar 14, 2012
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  4. ht_addict

    ht_addict Notebook Evangelist

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    Actually only have the SSD installed when doing the fresh install. From personal experience I have had plenty of BSOD's when doing a fresh install. My latest went without a hitch but this is the procedure I used.

    1. Installed only one SSD/HD into middle slot
    2. Performed a clean install of Win7
    3. Installed Wireless Network Drivers so I could connect to internet
    4. Installed Microsoft Net4.0 and DX
    5. Downloaded updates from Windows update. I did this in groups(Win7 Updates, Security updates, Microsoft Net, etc. I did the Important ones first then the Optional. I left IE9 and SP1 to the end.) Don
    t install any drivers off Win update
    6. Install Drivers for Chipset, SATA, Intel Management Engine, USB, etc)(Download latest from Dell. Intel Chipset and Engine Management and Nvidia Drivers I got off their sites)
    7. Installed Alienware OSD and Command Center.(download from Dell)
     
    ht_addict, Mar 14, 2012
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  5. jthesmooth

    jthesmooth Notebook Enthusiast

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    dont i have to go into the bios though and set the ssd as the 1st boot device though? and so ur saying i cant use anything off my hdd unless i format it once the operating system is on my ssd
     
    jthesmooth, Mar 14, 2012
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  6. ht_addict

    ht_addict Notebook Evangelist

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    Once you install Win7 on your SSD and all is well, install your old drive and copy over what you want. Then format the drive if you want.
     
    ht_addict, Mar 14, 2012
    #6