HDD on 100% - installation of laptop SSD

[andyoxon]

Anyone done this?  Comments?  Basically to use the DVD port for a caddy with SSD, as a second HDD.  Unfortunately my Dell is a bit of a slug due to the 5200rpm 1TB HDD spending significant time on 100%.  I guess the Win10 OS would still reside on the HDD, so would the SSD be of any real benefit in terms of performance?

[vorsprung]

Anyone done this?  Comments?  Basically to use the DVD port for a caddy with SSD, as a second HDD.  Unfortunately my Dell is a bit of a slug due to the 5200rpm 1TB HDD spending significant time on 100%.  I guess the Win10 OS would still reside on the HDD, so would the SSD be of any real benefit in terms of performance?

The simple answer is no

[andyoxon]

Thanks, I suspected this. 

Is there a way to move the OS software over to a tandem SSD? 

I suppose I could swap the HDD out for a SSD, but I guess, not having win10 disks (Dell didn't come with any), I'd have to buy these and start from scratch.

[fuaran]

You could use cloning software to copy everything from the hard drive to the SSD. Assuming the SSD is big enough capacity.
There's a few free options, eg Clonezilla. Or some brands of SSD are bundled with their own cloning software.

Or you can download the Windows 10 installer for free, and use that to create a USB stick or DVD. Then do a fresh install from that. It should automatically activate, assuming it is a genuine install already.

[andyoxon]

You could use cloning software to copy everything from the hard drive to the SSD. Assuming the SSD is big enough capacity.
There's a few free options, eg Clonezilla. Or some brands of SSD are bundled with their own cloning software.

Or you can download the Windows 10 installer for free, and use that to create a USB stick or DVD. Then do a fresh install from that. It should automatically activate, assuming it is a genuine install already.

Thanks.  yep genuine Win10 with the machine.  I made a recovery drive on a 32Gb USB pen, when I first got the laptop.  Different from free win10 installer?  So far I've only looked at Crucial 500Gb SSD, for ~£95.

[fuaran]

Looks like Crucial have some free cloning software, based on Acronis. https://www.acronis.com/en-gb/promotion/CrucialHD-download/

Maybe worth doing a fresh install of Windows anyway. Think you could do a new install from the recovery USB. But if you downloaded the latest version, it would give you any patches etc to start with.

[Mrs Pingu]

Pingu used that Crucial software to clone our HDD to an SSD and he says it was a piece of piss. Just do it. Our laptop is so much happier now.

[Gattopardo]

You could use cloning software to copy everything from the hard drive to the SSD. Assuming the SSD is big enough capacity.
There's a few free options, eg Clonezilla. Or some brands of SSD are bundled with their own cloning software.

Or you can download the Windows 10 installer for free, and use that to create a USB stick or DVD. Then do a fresh install from that. It should automatically activate, assuming it is a genuine install already.

Thanks.  yep genuine Win10 with the machine.  I made a recovery drive on a 32Gb USB pen, when I first got the laptop.  Different from free win10 installer?  So far I've only looked at Crucial 500Gb SSD, for ~£95.

960gb drives are around that price.  Look on hukd.

[fuaran]

You can get a Crucial 500GB SSD for about £60. Or £90 for 1TB.

Check if the laptop has an M2 PCIe slot. That can be faster than an SATA connection. And a lot smaller - it slots directly into the motherboard, no need for a caddy.

[andyoxon]

Job's a good'un.      HDD cloned to Crucial 1TB SSD, using the Acronis-Crucial software, and installed.  Pretty easy really. 

Laptop seems sooooo fast, compared to before.  Boots <20s (rather than 3min+), and no slowly loading desktop icons.  Programs/browsers open v.quickly.

edit.

boottime-SSD by a oxon, on Flickr