Help installing Win 8 on SSD

[Sarath]

Setting up a SSD

I got myself a 128GB SSD Vertex 4.
I have Win 7 installed in my PC on a 1TB HDD.
I want to wipe the HDD clean and am doing a back up (copying my stuff) as we speak.
I wish to install the OS on the SSD - Win 8.
I want to know how to go about it. I cannot do a upgrade type of install.


I don't think I have to remind you guys how much (or should I say "how little") I know about Computers and OSes etc. So need your help once again for a PC that owes it's existence in entirety to TDF

I know I have to change some settings in BIOS
Do a FW upgrade etc etc but have no idea what I have to do exactly.



Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 PRO

System config:

Spoiler

1 PROCESSOR INTEL CORE i5 2500k 10395
2 MOTHERBOARD ASUS P8P67 PRO 12600
3 RAM G-SKILL RIPJAWS F3-12800CL9S-4GBRL 2625
4 GRAPHIC CARD SAPPHIRE HD6970 2GB 21000
5 HDD SEAGATE 1TB 7200.12 RPM 2625
6 DVD WRITTER SAMSUNG 22X SATA DVD 945
7 PSU COSAIR GS700 6300
8 CASE NZXT TEMPEST EVO 6300

What I intend to do?
Install second drive i.e. the SSD > Upgrade firmware
Format 1TB HDD
Do different kind of settings and optimisation for SSD in BIOS and umm dunno what else
Install Win 8 in SSD
Organise folders and throw program files folder into HDD (which I have no idea how)

I have been readning up on SSDs and this is what I assumed out of all the reading that I have to do. But my confidence about it is 50%. So need some re assurance about the steps I am to follow.

Thanks for looking

 

[rakesh_ic]

dude..
1) To start with, make a windows 8 bootable drive(USB drive or DVD). Follow the steps here - Create Bootable USB or DVD with Windows 8 ISO
2) Connect your SSD to the pc and change it as a primary boot device in the BIOS. (Boot into BIOS, change the primary/priority1/first (as per what is mentioned in your bios settings) boot device to SSD identified with a similar name of the model).
3) insert the bootable drive and start installing it as per the instruction shown on your screen. this will be a fresh installation and once the installation is complete, you can see dual boot (both your win 8 and win 7) while booting up the pc.
4) that's it you are done and u can boot in either to win8 or to win7 from old HDD.

Hope you have a win 8 image in your pc in order to create a bootable disk. If you have a DVD already with win 8 bootable, forget the first step and start off from 2nd step.

 

[Sarath]

Aren't the discs already bootable?

I bought a DVD of the OS not the download version

 

[Flake]

Steps :

* Back Up data from 1 TB disk. ( Most important step... take time to search, think and back up wisely ).
* Find out if SSD requires Firmware upgrade or not. If it does, Plug-in SSD in your machine and upgrade firmware.
* Wipe your 1 TB Hard disk and create new partition structure as per your requirements. You can use any Linux distro ( PartedMagic recommended ) or any other Windows OS based partitioning tool.
* Tweak SSD in BIOS and install Windows 8 in it.
* Create a Program Files folder in one of the partition of 1 TB disk and select it as a install location for each package that you install in Windows 8.

I might be missing a few things and hope other members will correct me. Wait for while. Other members might chime in soon..

 

[Neo]

Aren't the discs already bootable?

I bought a DVD of the OS not the download version

Yea. Just go ahead, insert the DVD into the drive and boot.
also, I don't think there's any need for step 2 mentioned my rakesh_ic . Just select your ssd when windows installer asks you to select the drive to install windows. Also, format your HDD as well when before you click next/install . Otherwise you will end up with both windows 7and 8 . And removing windows 7 might be a trouble for you afterwards, considering your experience


You could have used Google for this .

 

[Skud]

Guess these links will be helpful:-

Sean's Windows 7 Install & Optimization Guide for SSDs & HDDs

Can You Get More Space Or Speed From Your SSD? : Optimizing Precious Solid-State Storage


In essence, all you need to ensure in BIOS is whether the port is operating at full SATA3 speed & AHCI mode. Rest of the optimizations are done through Windows. And installing Windows is just like installing in HDD and Windows will turn on most of the SSD optimizations (TRIM support etc.) automatically.

BTW, I have disabled pagefile in my system and the system has been rock stable. If you have 4gb RAM, you might want to move the pagefile to the HDD instead of turning it off.

 

[d3p]

Setting up a SSD

I got myself a 128GB SSD Vertex 4.

Do a FW upgrade etc etc but have no idea what I have to do exactly.

First of all, Congrats...

Ok, installing the OS is pretty much easy. You can use either go with a fresh windows installation of Win 8 or Take a Image of the existing Windows Partition using Symantec Ghost & burn it directly on the SSD.

In the above case you can also use Acronis True Image Software, whose activation code is usually bundled with OCZ SSD's.

Here the link for the same : Click here

Basically, if you read the following two links, you are good to go ahead.

ABC Guide for OCZ SSD's

Win 7 Image - Secure - Erase - Restore

Firmwares

Regarding updating the Firmware, i feel this is the most idle way to securely do an Update.

[youtube]TCgTIYgE460[/youtube]

 

[rakesh_ic]

also, I don't think there's any need for step 2 mentioned my rakesh_ic .

The mention for the step 2 was considering my suggestion of not formatting the eairlier disk for time being (he can very well do it later).

If SSD is not made the primary, there is a delay in system bootup (for obvious reasons) and the whole point of having an SSD makes no sense.

OP should not be bothered about optimizing the SSD for now as his first step is to make the system up and running.
Also, OP will have to install all the softwares that he intend to use again and merely copyingthe program folders wont work . Make sure that you install only the ones that u need to load faster on your SSD (like OS and the game that u are playing maybe) and not all the softwares as the SSD unlike HDD "has a life" span (based on number of read/writes)

also, I don't think there's any need for step 2 mentioned my rakesh_ic .

The mention for the step 2 was considering my suggestion of not formatting the eairlier disk for time being (he can very well do it later).

If SSD is not made the primary, there is a delay in system bootup (for obvious reasons) and the whole point of having an SSD makes no sense.

OP should not be bothered about optimizing the SSD for now as his first step is to make the system up and running.
Also, OP will have to install all the softwares that he intend to use again and merely copyingthe program folders wont work . Make sure that you install only the ones that u need to load faster on your SSD (like OS and the game that u are playing maybe) and not all the softwares as the SSD unlike HDD "has a life" span (based on number of read/writes)

 

[sjoardar]

First of all, Congrats...

Ok, installing the OS is pretty much easy. You can use either ... ... ... or Take a Image of the existing Windows Partition using Symantec Ghost & burn it directly on the SSD.

... ... ... ... ...

Thanks for that small bit of info which is important for me. I have been worrying if I would be able to use the system image of my previous configuration even after I change a major component in my PC, and the boot drive is surely such a major component. What are the other components (jointly or severally) that I can change and can still use the system image from my earlier configuration?

However, I didn't lose any sleep over installing Windows 8 Pro x64 over my existing Windows 7 Ultimate x64 in the upgrade mode, and that didn't require me to boot from the Windows 8 disc either, although originally I assumed it would! As soon as I inserted the disc, installation options popped up and I simply followed the options according to my preferences and there was no problem. I too used the retail installation disc that I purchased through flipkart last month. As of now I am using a Corsair Force GT 240 with three partitions: Drive C 100 GB, Drive D (Applications Software) 40 GB (I am not a gamer) and Drive E (Data Files) the rest ~83 GB. I backed up my data and removed the 2x500 GB HDDs which I am currently using as external hard discs. So far so good!
I am also interested to know how best to optimise my SSD.

 

[rakesh_ic]

so u mean to say you are not gonna use the HDD's internally at all ?? and all your installations stay on SSD?

Not a wise way to use it if thats the case. IMO

 

[sjoardar]

^^ Yeah, that's what I am doing. I don't need too much space for my day to day work, and I routinely off-load the not-too-frequently used data files to my external HDDs. I thought if I kept the frequently accessed data files, along with the OS and Applications Software on the SSD, albeit in different partitions, I shall have speed benefit. From your statement I suspect this is not the best way to utilise an SSD. Is that because of repeated access has some sort of problem with SSDs? I also heard that defragmenting SSDs reduces their life-span, unlike that for HDDs. Is that true? I shall appreciate some more clarifications on these points. However, I have set my Windows 8 defragmenting ("Optimising") option in the automatic mode ("weekly"). Let me know the best option, please.

 

[d3p]

^^ Yeah, that's what I am doing. I don't need too much space for my day to day work, and I routinely off-load the not-too-frequently used data files to my external HDDs. I thought if I kept the frequently accessed data files, along with the OS and Applications Software on the SSD, albeit in different partitions, I shall have speed benefit. From your statement I suspect this is not the best way to utilise an SSD. Is that because of repeated access has some sort of problem with SSDs? I also heard that defragmenting SSDs reduces their life-span, unlike that for HDDs. Is that true? I shall appreciate some more clarifications on these points. However, I have set my Windows 8 defragmenting ("Optimising") option in the automatic mode ("weekly"). Let me know the best option, please.

If i'm correct, Windows Degragmenting service never degragments the SSD's. Same goes with Defragler [Piriform Tool]. Yes, degragement reduces the SSD's life span, moreover we can't defrag it.

Secondly, Defrag never helps the data accessing rate or any performance benefits. Coz defrag arranges the existing data in a logical order in the mechanical platter based HDD's, hence defragment helps time to time, whereas for SSD's its not.

Defragment also increases the wear & tear of the SSD & sometimes data loss might be also possible theoretically due to the arrangement process. Most importantly this process may degrade the performance of the SSD & at worst reduces the life span.

One more thing, Never ever format a SSD. Just Wipe it securely with the respective tools as instructed by the Product Maker.

 

[rakesh_ic]

Its nice that u are installing the day to day softwares on ur SSD. But there are occassionally used stuff that u can install on your HDD. Keeping your HDDs internally as 2nd and 3rd secondary devices is no harm at all and all your not-so-frequent + any data files (like songs etc) can be palced in your HDD.

As you rightly understood, the SSDs has a life span which largely depends on the number of writes/reads on it (in layman terms). Its not a problem but thats how an SSD behaves. So we optimize that by the procedure mentioned by some of the folks here. You can checkout the links for all the optimization and follow them.

All I wanted to say is there is no point removing your HDDs from the pc and you can still use them internally as you have an awesome PSU to support any number of disks. And your speeds will not be dented by them either.

EDIT:::

All I have done with my setup is to optimize SSD, install win8 on it (leaving the win7 on HDD), install the daily used stuff on SSD and leave rest of my installion on the HDD intact.

Which gives me the option to boot onto win7 on my HDD and use the ones that are installed on Win7 already. This saved me lot of trouble reconfiguring the pc.

Also its suggested not to recover the OS image from HDD onto the SSDs. I have read this somewhere and I am not an expert to tell you why is that so.

 

[sjoardar]

If i'm correct, Windows Degragmenting service never degragments the SSD's. Same goes with Defragler [Piriform Tool]. Yes, degragement reduces the SSD's life span, moreover we can't defrag it.

One more thing, Never ever format a SSD. Just Wipe it securely with the respective tools as instructed by the Product Maker.

Thanks for the prompt advice. After reading your post, I am feeling really stupid that I never reflected on how different is writing data on and reading it from SSDs compared to HDDs. It should have been so obvious! Thanks pointing it out to me.
However, in Windows 7, I used to regularly (and blindly) defragment my SSD, and although it did take much less time on the SSD compared to my Win 7 installation on HDD, it did take running ~10 sec (Drive E) to ~1 min (Drive C) and I was never refused defragmentation or ever got any error message!
I did not see any option to Format my SSD while installing Win 8, so I didn't, although I am not so sure what I did while installing Win 7 on the new SSD. You have got me worried!

Its nice that u are installing the day to day softwares on ur SSD. But there are occassionally used stuff that u can install on your HDD. Keeping your HDDs internally as 2nd and 3rd secondary devices is no harm at all and all your not-so-frequent + any data files (like songs etc) can be palced in your HDD.

As you rightly understood, the SSDs has a life span which largely depends on the number of writes/reads on it (in layman terms). Its not a problem but thats how an SSD behaves. So we optimize that by the procedure mentioned by some of the folks here. You can checkout the links for all the optimization and follow them.

All I wanted to say is there is no point removing your HDDs from the pc and you can still use them internally as you have an awesome PSU to support any number of disks. And your speeds will not be dented by them either.

EDIT:::

All I have done with my setup is to optimize SSD, install win8 on it (leaving the win7 on HDD), install the daily used stuff on SSD and leave rest of my installion on the HDD intact.

Which gives me the option to boot onto win7 on my HDD and use the ones that are installed on Win7 already. This saved me lot of trouble reconfiguring the pc.

Also its suggested not to recover the OS image from HDD onto the SSDs. I have read this somewhere and I am not an expert to tell you why is that so.

Thanks for the elaborate clarification! Since I am using the HDDs for backup, I thought it would be better to keep them away from the hazards of the internet. I attach them only after thorough scans of the system and after backup, and that includes taking monthly system images (Drives C and D), I again detach the HDD(s) from the system. May be I am paranoid, but hope that does not sound too stupid.

Regarding SSD optimisation, I did some quick reading on the net today.

*www.corsair.com/media/cms/manual/How_to_Optimize_Your_SSD_Boot_Drive.pdf

*forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/36440-Windows-7-8-SSD-Optimization

I find most of the tweaks are already in place in my system, some I already did myself while others, notably TRIM, are default option under Windows 8. That's very reassuring and convenient too! The only thing I have been hesitating to do but am now going to resort to is turning off the page file. I have all of 12 GB RAM, and I hope that would keep me safe. Let's see!

 

[Skud]

I find most of the tweaks are already in place in my system, some I already did myself while others, notably TRIM, are default option under Windows 8. That's very reassuring and convenient too! The only thing I have been hesitating to do but am now going to resort to is turning off the page file. I have all of 12 GB RAM, and I hope that would keep me safe. Let's see!

Go ahead. I am using my system without a pagefile for a year now with just 8GB RAM, no problem at all.

Alternatively move it to your HDD.

 

[sjoardar]

^^ Thanks for the assurance. I am now running my PC without page file since yesterday evening, and no problem so far! I am not using any internal HDD now, but shall consider moving the page file to an HDD later.