X230 install MSata SSD with preload W7 software

I have finally decided ... to get an X230 with an IPS screen here in Europe cause the offer was a good one. Should have it still this week. I5 with IPS and backlit keyboard etc ... all good.

Now I do want to speed up the machine so the plan is to install a Crucial M4 Msata 256GB as the boot & OS drive. I have watched the Youtubes on how to install the MSata SSD, all pretty straightforward. Also FIY I am receiving a W7 Pro preload disc for X230 with my machine. My queries:

1. When I have the MSATA disc installed I assume I start up and go into BIOS settings and set the Crucial SSD as primary drive?
2. At the same time I also set the computer to boot from an external (USB connected) CD Drive which contains my W7 Preload Disc, correct?
3. Then I simply reboot the system and it will boot from CD and install W7 Pro onto the SSD Drive including all drivers I assume.
4. When all that is up and working can I use something like Acronis to wipe the 500GB HDD clean ?

Eventually I will also replace the 2.5 HDD with an SSD Drive, I assume I need a 7mm drive for that slot? Sorry newby to this ....
I also have a T61 from 2007 that I want to upgrade to a speedy SSD but I read the BIOS needs to be upgraded for SATA III speeds, is there a thread on that somewhere ? Looking at putting a Crucial SSD either 256 or 512 GB and install W7 on it instead of the VISTA on it. Are any VISTA to W7 upgrades still floating around?

Thanks for any and all advice

 

No. At this time, your boot order should show the external USB device as the first. So, just physically install the Crucial mSATA SSD in its proper slot.

At this time, the external USB device is at the top of the boot order. Hence, when the system is restarted or powered, the system will get initial instructions from the Windows 7 Installation disc.

Not quite. After successful Windows 7 installation (and you are looking at the desktop for the first time), you should manually install those device-specific drivers supplied by Lenovo (because Redmond cannot know all of the devices out there). To know about the unresolved drivers, open Control Panel > System and Security > Device Manager and walk down the list, noticing the "yellow bang" icons.

You must pre-download the X230 drivers from support.lenovo.com webpage and keep them in a folder on a USB flash drive. Another approach is to save the C:\SWTOOLS folder onto a USB flash drive. When you walk down the list of unresolved drivers, point to that folder and tell Windows to search the subfolders for the right drivers to install, one by one.

EDIT 1: If you purchase the X230 from someone who provides the Factory Recovery discs (I don't quite understand what you meant by "Windows 7 Pro preload disc"), you can ignore my notes above about drivers.

EDIT 2: It is best to physically remove the HDD while you are "applying the Windows 7 bits" onto the mSATA SDD (either by fresh installation or by factory recovery). After the system is up and running fine, you can put the HDD back in the main bay (and take care of point 4 below).​

No need for Acronis or whatever, just use Windows 7 itself. Open "Disk Management" program and delete all partitions (the first partition being System_DRV, the second being C:, the third being Lenovo_Recovery), then extend the second partition to absorb the third, finally extend the first to absorb the now-bigger second partition. Assign a letter and a name to that one partition on the 500GB HDD.

Speaking of Lenovo_Recovery partition, you should, before doing all the things we're talking about here, create a set of Factory Recovery discs, using your external USB DVD reader/writer.

EDIT 3: Forget about the above note about creating Factory Recovery discs if you're going to do a factory recovery.​

Yeah.

SATA 6.0 Gbit/s devices are backward compatible. They can be used with SATA 3.0 Gbit/s ports.

Just do a fresh installation of Windows 7. For get about "Vista upgrade."

 

Thanks very much for the swift reply. Well my order in Europe includes a "copy preload DVD-set W7 Pro 64 bit Multi-Language for Thinkpad x230 x230 Tablet". I assume this indeed a recovery disc.

1. So are you saying to just take out the main HDD first then install the Msata SDD, install the recovery DVD on there, and then reconnect the 2.5 HDD back into its slot? Then wipe it.

2. Should I look at any other MSATA SSD out there or is there Crucial pretty much tops for the price bracket?

Thanks

 

OK. That simplifies things. Just "recover" from those discs. No need to worry about unresolved drivers.

Yes.

No. You get what you pay for. I've been using Crucial M4 2.5" and mSATA SSDs for years. (Crucial should pay me for spreading the confidence!)