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    How a newbie can upgrade SSD (in the right way) on Dell XPS 13 2015?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by gbllack, Jul 7, 2015.

  1. gbllack

    gbllack Newbie

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    Hey guys!

    So I'm a total newbie about upgrading thingd, etc and I have no idea how to upgrade the SSD from Dell XPS 13.

    I already bought the Samsung EVO SSD 500GB M.2 and actually did not install nothing on the ultrabook because it makes no sense to do it now.

    Where can I find (or someone tha already did this) a step by step guide to starting upgrading the SSD? How to install OS, move it, cloned it, I don't know.
    What do I need to do first, etc?

    A help would be awesome
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2015
  2. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

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    iFixit has a nice teardown guide. You only need to open the bottom panel and remove the battery, then you can upgrade away. Note that the form factor of the SSD isn't your usual 2.5" SATA, but there are aftermarket drives of the right format.
     
  3. gbllack

    gbllack Newbie

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    Thanks @tijo
    Do you have any info in the "software OS" part, like installing a new OS or move it from a SSD to another SSD?
     
  4. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

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    You could clone, but you'd need either a USB enclosure for one of the drives or use a third external storage device and clone to and from that third device. Having an enclosure for the old drive might not be a bad idea in any case, you could repurpose it into a fast USB flash drive of sorts.

    If you want software to perfrom the clone, Macrium Reflect is a nice free one.
     
  5. gbllack

    gbllack Newbie

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    NIce, thanks fo that.

    I read somewhere about a clean OS install.
    As my notebook is brand new with nothing but Windows 8.1 installed, would not be easier to just change the SSD to the new one and make a clean OS installation from flash drive?

    Can I make this without worrying about the previous OS installation in the original SSD?
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2015
  6. HTWingNut

    HTWingNut Potato

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    You can do a clean install, as long as you download drivers first from Dell's website. Then just use the Windows Media Creation Tool to make your USB install disk. Install Windows, and install drivers and away you go. The trick is to find out how to boot from your USB drive.