Just got an SSD. Now what?

Did it work?

I highly recommend a fresh install of Windows. Cloning the old drive over will bring any software issues and bloatware right along with it. In addition, when you start over it forces you to go through a decision making process of "do I really need that anymore?" - you might find you're wasting a lot of space with junk. It's kind of like moving - you can either bulldoze everything into the moving van or you can take the opportunity to pack what you actually want to keep and get rid of the rest.

I prefer to do a fresh install of Windows, BUT on a HDD on the same system.
Then you can delete, tweak everything. Then make an image of that, and reimage it to the new SSD.

That's how I did it for my recent new build. Installed everything to my 3 tb HDD, deleted excess junk files (like foreign language fonts I never use, MSOCache directory, 32-bit plugins that get installed along with the 64-bit versions, etc.), tweaked all the program, registry settings, etc. Then imaged it, and re-imaged it to the SSD drive.

This allows you to have a fresh install, but also allows you to delete and tweak without needless writes/deletes to the SSD.

I found it easier and faster to simply create an install disk and boot to it with the empty drive in place. No deleting, mirroring, etc and no futzing with a separate drive.

cdifoto wrote in post #15089629
I highly recommend a fresh install of Windows. Cloning the old drive over will bring any software issues and bloatware right along with it. In addition, when you start over it forces you to go through a decision making process of "do I really need that anymore?" - you might find you're wasting a lot of space with junk. It's kind of like moving - you can either bulldoze everything into the moving van or you can take the opportunity to pack what you actually want to keep and get rid of the rest.

That is just rubbish, you can tweak the registry before changing the settings in the BIOS, and it is a Microsoft approved tweak

RichSoansPhotos wrote in post #15093415
That is just rubbish, you can tweak the registry before changing the settings in the BIOS, and it is a Microsoft approved tweak

What the hell are you talking about and why did you quote me?

cdifoto wrote in post #15094741
What the hell are you talking about and why did you quote me?

Because you suggested to the user to do a clean install, that would just waste an unnecessary Windows activation. SSD are fast enough to not bother about doing a clean install, plus the user will have to go through the whole rigmarole of installing software( s) again, wasting valuable time

RichSoansPhotos wrote in post #15096237
Because you suggested to the user to do a clean install, that would just waste an unnecessary Windows activation. SSD are fast enough to not bother about doing a clean install, plus the user will have to go through the whole rigmarole of installing software( s) again, wasting valuable time

Except you're wrong. Clean installs do not waste activations. Reinstalling fresh may take time, but no less than your suggestion of manually deleting stuff and messing with the registry. It's also less risky.

cdifoto wrote in post #15097262
Except you're wrong. Clean installs do not waste activations. Reinstalling fresh may take time, but no less than your suggestion of manually deleting stuff and messing with the registry. It's also less risky.

Oh boy, you think that with Windows that you have a limitless amount of activation? What would be the purpose of the activation process if that was the case?

http://windows.microso​ft.com …requently-asked-questions

RichSoansPhotos wrote in post #15097647
Oh boy, you think that with Windows that you have a limitless amount of activation? What would be the purpose of the activation process if that was the case?

RDKirk already corrected you. When you reactivate the same computer, it doesn't count against you.

http://windows.microso​ft.com …requently-asked-questions

http://windows.microso​ft.com …requently-asked-questions

http://windows.microso​ft.com …indows-7-on-this-computer

Note that Windows 7's FAQ says Hard Drive AND RAM at the same time. Not just hard drive. Not just RAM. And it's not even definite...it's a maybe. If you can successfully enter your product key, you're good to go. Two weeks ago I installed an SSD in my laptop exactly as I recommended. I entered my product key. I was good to go. I don't have a multi-user license.

cdifoto wrote in post #15097662
http://windows.microso​ft.com …requently-asked-questions

RDKirk already corrected you. When you reactivate the same computer, it doesn't count against you.

http://windows.microso​ft.com …requently-asked-questions

http://windows.microso​ft.com …requently-asked-questions

http://windows.microso​ft.com …indows-7-on-this-computer

Note that Windows 7's FAQ says Hard Drive AND RAM at the same time. Not just hard drive. Not just RAM. And it's not even definite...it's a maybe. If you can successfully enter your product key, you're good to go. Two weeks ago I installed an SSD in my laptop exactly as I recommended. I entered my product key. I was good to go. I don't have a multi-user license.

That is the SSD drive that has been cloned and not a new build or a fresh installation. gosh

Whatever, dude.

RichSoansPhotos wrote in post #15097647
Oh boy, you think that with Windows that you have a limitless amount of activation? What would be the purpose of the activation process if that was the case?

Links have been posted showing MS policy on re-installing Windows.
It really isn't a problem.

Windows 7 installs so quickly there is little point in going through the trouble of cloning a drive.

For a short period one of the Windows XP versions did have a limited number of registrations, and it was sometimes hard to get in contact with local customer service to go beyond it. But that has not been a problem for years.

Moppie wrote in post #15097784
Links have been posted showing MS policy on re-installing Windows.
It really isn't a problem.

Windows 7 installs so quickly there is little point in going through the trouble of cloning a drive.

For a short period one of the Windows XP versions did have a limited number of registrations, and it was sometimes hard to get in contact with local customer service to go beyond it. But that has not been a problem for years.

Well, you have to reinstall the software, I rather clone, because I simply don't have the time to reinstall every software, plus settings etc....etc...

But saying that, if you want to reinstall Windows, by all means do so.

RichSoansPhotos wrote in post #15097966
Well, you have to reinstall the software, I rather clone, because I simply don't have the time to reinstall every software, plus settings etc....etc...

But saying that, if you want to reinstall Windows, by all means do so.

Now why is it that you stopped arguing after Moppie posted, but not after RDKirk or I posted?