G74SX Built from Scratch

Hi
I bought the G74SX recently with 16GB RAM, 2x750GB HDD, 3D, Ulimate Windows 7. It was sluggish to use. I then decided to put a 240 Vertex II SDD drive and kept the second 750GB for storage purposes. I checked the ASUS site for the drivers etc found them. It was great finding them.

Issue 1
I got windows 7 to boot with the SSD, it then started to create a backup partition 80GB and used the remaining drive as primary. Is this a absolute requirement.
Issue 2
Installed the drive was trickly, the system had to lock the second HDD and then it sees it as primary drive. Installed the software and use Windows to format second drive after unlocking it. Windows does not see the the SSD as primiary, could not figure how to get it to see SSD as primary. But it works fine.

Issue 3
Drivers and support apps. Downloaded them individually and loaded them. the issue here is most of them dont exactly work or let's say they leave you with the feeling of doulbt. well Cineplayer did not play a BlueRay film kind of proves it. For example the SonciDVD_Win7_64_Z58582321.zip
after you download the zip file, it is hard to spot the file that you need to run inorder to get the rest of the files to be loaded in the right sequence.
Is there a detail guide on how to do the installation from scratch, normally I expect this to be in the manual but it is not there or i propbably missed that page.

Was wondering if we can put together a guide on rebuilding the G74SX from scratch.

 

Are you using an actual copy of windows 7 or a recovery disk?
I recently did an SSD upgrade myself and I didn't have any of these troubles.
I downloaded a Win7 iso and burned it to disk.
Before using the install disk that I burned I used diskpart( a command line tool in Win7) to create an aligned partition (64KB offset)and set it as bootable.
I then used the disk management tool to format the new ssd partition(4096 allocation unit size.)
Reboot into Bios setup and set the optical drive as boot device and SSD as second device.
Reboot and let install disk run.
Edit: Select the SSD partition when setup asks where to install.
Reboot and reconfigure Bios to boot from SSD.
Reboot and install drivers.

It's alot of work and involved some research but I wanted my new ssd to run perfectly the first time and not have issues with SSD wear.
Windows7 does a good job of minimizing SSD wear by itsely but I wanted to have it setup just right.

I ran into some problems of my own like how to reset SATA interface to AHCI mode. I also had a problem with install disk and had to burn a new one.

 

Exactly what WarWyrm said. I would additionally recommend that you leave the OS/boot partion intact on your 750 GB drive so that in the eventual case that your SSD fails, you can RMA that back while still having a HDD to boot off of. Dunno what Vertex's warranty is, but Intel has a whopping 5 year warranty. Those SSDs are sure to fail, too, over time. The worst part is that failure is quite abrupt and unpredictable, so be sure to store all personal data, pictures, and anything else that's irreplaceable on your 750 GB drive.

 

I have a brand new copy of windows 7 and i use the key provide by ASUS to activate the Windows 7.

I managed to install the actual copy of Windows 7 but I just want disk to ssd and hdd disk 1 but even thought it the other way round it works fine.

the life spend of the ssd is the number of writes are limited. hence saving the data on the hdd. I still yet to move my documents to HDD.
I do have a backup copy on DVD i made twhen i first bought the LAPTOP. Besides i still have the original HD which is intact. at worst i reinstall. I doublt it by the time the SSD dies i probably write off this laptop or MS and applications will be more demanding then this laptop's processor I got

The question is what about all the other software apps that is part of the download, how to install them properly.