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Dell Laptop SSD upgrade

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6K views 45 replies 8 participants last post by  Rich-M 
#1 ·
Hi

I have a Dell Inspiron N5050 - service tag: 28GNLT1 - running Windows 7.

If compatible, I would like to fit a 1 TB SSD, any advice re feasibility and brand/model will be appreciated.

Peter
 
#2 ·
That's a pretty old system though it should still run decently.
You should be aware of a few things though.
1. If you didn't already upgrade you memory from the stock 4GB to at least 8 you will tear up your SSD if you install one.
2. If you upgrade to a SSD you will need to use a hard drive copying utility like Paragon Hard Disk Manager or what ever utility is provided with the hard drive or something else to make a complete copy of the hard drive which will include but is not limited to the boot partition and other partitions.
3. Not copying your hard drive with a hard disk management utility will result in a hard drive that is not bootable and you will need to re-install the operating system or you'll need to put the old hard disk back in the system.



If all that is OK with you I like the Samsung Evo series. I've only seen one act stupid so far.
Something like this...
You'll also likely need a tool like this if you don't already have one....


Hopefully that wasn't to much or overwhelming.
 
#3 ·
I have used many old laptops with 4GB RAM and I've installed an SSD in them and the SSD is running fine and does not Tear Up.Of course, 8 GB Of RAM would increase the performance
You do not have to clone your Windows 7 install to your new SSD unless you want that. A clean install of Windows 10 would work best. Then you can attach your Windows 7 drive with a USB Adapter or Dock and you can copy over your personal User Files to the Windows 10 SSD. But if you prefer cloning your 7 drive, it will give you your computer the way it is now was only faster.
It is true that if copying your Windows 7 install to a new drive you would need to use a Cloning software that copies the whole drive and it's hidden partitions, just copying the C: drive is impossible and it would make it unbootable.
 
#4 ·
Thank you both for your comments.

I was wondering if there is a limit on the capacity of the drive so preventing a 1Tb upgrade, but as you don't mention that, I take it that will not be a problem. I had a look on the Dell site, and they only show images of 250/ 500gb drives, but make no mention of maximum capacity.

A memory upgrade at the same time does make a lot of sense, bearing in mind there is a fair amount of dismantling involved to access the drive.

When I did a SSD upgrade on a desktop some years ago the drive came with software to enable installation and transfer of files. But if not, I will take a look at the software you mention.

Good to see that the site is still going strong - I have some happy memories from the times I used to post regularly, which doesn't seem anything like 16 years ago! Sadly, I lost touch with modern tech - as you will have concluded!

Thanks again

ATB

Peter
 
#5 ·
Your Bios is the older type and accepts the older type of HDD Initialization MBR. MBR file system has a maximum limit of 2.2 TB capacity drive or anything smaller.
You do not need to purchase your SSD at Dell site, you can purchase one from Amazon, Ebay or any other online retailer.
Most SSD purchases include a trial version of Acronis True Image or other cloning software, to clone your old drive to the new SSD. You will need a USB Adapter, Dock or Enclosure to put one of the drives in if your laptop has only room for one drive.
 
#6 ·
I have used many old laptops with 4GB RAM and I've installed an SSD in them and the SSD is running fine and does not Tear Up.Of course
Thanks for your advice and granted that may be the case on some operating systems including Windows 7 bare bones but if you do anything that requires any kind of headroom in the memory this is NOT the advice I would give ANYONE to ensure performance and reliability.
 
#10 ·
Hi again, need some more advice please...

For a while now I've been getting the message that my hard drive is nearly full, hence my plan to fit a larger drive as above.

However, looking at the partitions on 'Computer' details, the following is shown:-

OS(c) 3.55GB free of 97.6

Local Drive(E) 97.1GB free of 111

Alchemy(F) 343GB free of 348

Belarc Advisor shows the drive as: WD 500.11GB

I've had the laptop from new, and this is how it was set up by Dell.

Seems odd to me that only 20% of the drive has been allocated for the OS?

I believe the Alchemy partition is set up by Dell for back-up?

Not sure what (E) is supposed to be doing?

An explanation re why Dell would set this drive up this way would be very much appreciated?

Also, any advice re whether cloning this image in its current layout onto the new disc would be a good move?

If I were to clone this image as it stands onto the 1Tb SSD, am I right in thinking that I could then resize the partitions using Acronis?

If there is a better way of going about the image transfer, that would be good to hear?

A slightly different issue is that I have connected a Kingston 120 SSD, thinking I might make a spare back-up copy, but it doesn't show on the 'Computer' details along with the other drives? The drivers have been installed, and it does show up on Belarc Advisor?

Thanks for any time you can give to this.
 
#11 ·
Hi again, need some more advice please...

For a while now I've been getting the message that my hard drive is nearly full, hence my plan to fit a larger drive as above.

However, looking at the partitions on 'Computer' details, the following is shown:-

OS(c) 3.55GB free of 97.6

Local Drive(E) 97.1GB free of 111

Alchemy(F) 343GB free of 348

Belarc Advisor shows the drive as: WD 500.11GB

I've had the laptop from new, and this is how it was set up by Dell.

Seems odd to me that only 20% of the drive has been allocated for the OS?

I believe the Alchemy partition is set up by Dell for back-up?

Not sure what (E) is supposed to be doing?

An explanation re why Dell would set this drive up this way would be very much appreciated?
I highly doubt this is Dell's factory setup. I suspect the store you bought it from did the install.

Also, any advice re whether cloning this image in its current layout onto the new disc would be a good move?

If I were to clone this image as it stands onto the 1Tb SSD, am I right in thinking that I could then resize the partitions using Acronis?
Depending on which cloning software you use, you may or may not get the option to resize the partitions. A full clone will of course include all the partitions on the source drive. A system clone, however, will only include the partitions needed by Windows to boot, so those two extra partitions won't be cloned. Using the cloning software that is bundled with the SSD may not offer selective cloning of the partitions.

If there is a better way of going about the image transfer, that would be good to hear?
In my opinion, a better way would be to use a bootable rescue media to clone so that both drives are NOT in use by any other process. If you want the option to resize the partitions or customise the layout/choose which partitions to clone, I recommend Macrium Reflect Free or trial.

A slightly different issue is that I have connected a Kingston 120 SSD, thinking I might make a spare back-up copy, but it doesn't show on the 'Computer' details along with the other drives? The drivers have been installed, and it does show up on Belarc Advisor?

Thanks for any time you can give to this.
Is it brand new? It may require initializing or formatting if it doesn't have a filesystem yet. Open Disk Management and post its screenshot showing the status of the drive.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I'm not having much luck with this... just tried to back up the c: drive to the Alchemy partition, and although it starts, it quits within a minute or so? Tried 3 times, with the same result each time.

Am I missing something?

I formatted the SSD 120GB Kingston drive on another computer, but it wouldn't back up to that, saying there wasn't enough space on it.
 
#13 ·
Press the Windows key+X and choose Disk Management. Please attach a screenshot of Disk Management window, showing the lower pane and all the drives (partitions).
How are you Backing Up? You cannot copy the C: drive while you are booted into it. It has System Files that are in use. If all you want to do is copy your User Files, that should work.Just select all the files under your User Profiles, and drag and drop it or copy and paste it to the Alchemy Partition.
We do not suggest backing up or Cloning your C: drive to another drive on the same HDD. If the HDD fails, so does your backup. We suggest backing up to an External USB HDD and/or Cloud service.
 
#16 ·
I connected the 120GB SSD which triggered a window to open for backing up, however, when I tried to back up to the external SSD a message stated that the SSD wasn't big enough, so I then selected the Alchemy partition and the back-up started, only to fail after around 60 seconds - did this 3 times.

I have a Crucial MX500 CT1000MX500SSD1 1 TB (3D NAND, SATA, 2.5 Inch, Internal SSD) coming from Amazon on Saturday, and hopefully will be able to clone the old to the new prior to dismantling - I already have an external Sabrent enclosure.

Having googled reviews the 'Mini-Tool Shadow Maker' appears to offer the best range of tools amongst the free software options.

Hopefully, it will allow me to image the "system option" suggested above. If I could have backed up the c: drive onto the 120GB SSD it would have been ideal for picking out what I then wanted to transfer. Do you think that 120GB should be enough to enable a back-up of the c: drive? After all it is over 20GB larger than the contents of the C: drive.

Something doesn't seem right about this - on previous occasions when I've tried to defrag the drive it wouldn't have it - saying that another program was controlling the defrag option. If the c: drive is genuinely too large to back-up on the 120GB SSD, I'm wondering if I can clean out some programs to reduce it down. I don't actually have that many programs or large image files on the c: drive, and I'm somewhat suspicious of what has used up such capacity. Apart from the fact that it takes ages to boot everything up, it's been running ok. I usually leave it running 24/7, so the slow start-up hasn't bothered me too much. I've been through the start-up tray a few times, and there isn't that much in it to cause such a slow start-up.

A clean system image does sound like the best option - if I can get the majority of current programs and files onto the 120GB SSD, and dip into it as required, that would be a good outcome.
 
#23 ·
I connected the 120GB SSD which triggered a window to open for backing up, however, when I tried to back up to the external SSD a message stated that the SSD wasn't big enough
The 128GB SSD is not showing up in the Disk Management screenshot you attached.

If I could have backed up the c: drive onto the 120GB SSD it would have been ideal for picking out what I then wanted to transfer. Do you think that 120GB should be enough to enable a back-up of the c: drive? After all it is over 20GB larger than the contents of the C: drive.
Yes, the 128GB SSD is big enough to clone drive C, but the SSD is NOT showing up.

A few more thoughts I would appreciate your opinions on....

I'm thinking this might be a good time to upgrade to Windows 10, in the hope it will make things more straightforward, which is the first thing I would like your view on?
Windows 10 is the way to go.

Also, what do you think of this offer on amazon re W10? Is it legit? Is it too good to be true? Will obtaining windows in such a format complicate changing to a new blank hard drive at the same time? Some guidance on the steps to be taken would be a great help?
No, it won't complicate things. Steps in doing what exactly?

I'm thinking that Windows 10 on a disc might be more straightforward?
A usb flash drive is better.
 
#18 ·
Do you have a 3rd party Anti-Virus software installed? Like Norton, or McAfee? Or something like Advanced System Care? These programs have their own Defrag programs that turn Off Windows Defragmenter.
What program Triggers a Backup? Windows? Dell? or one of the mentioned programs?
You can skip the traditional Backup programs and just do a Disk Image of your HDD using Macrium Reflect or other cloning software, then save the compressed Image file to your 120 GB external SSD drive. Or better yet, your 1 TB external.
 
#20 ·
A few more thoughts I would appreciate your opinions on....

I'm thinking this might be a good time to upgrade to Windows 10, in the hope it will make things more straightforward, which is the first thing I would like your view on?

Also, what do you think of this offer on amazon re W10? Is it legit? Is it too good to be true? Will obtaining windows in such a format complicate changing to a new blank hard drive at the same time? Some guidance on the steps to be taken would be a great help?

I'm thinking that Windows 10 on a disc might be more straightforward?

I do have a desktop running on windows 7, but that doesn't have a write/ copy drive.

One old program I really do want to transfer to any new o/s is Macromedia Fireworks, the version I own was produced for XP, but with some advice from TSF, I was able to get it running on Windows 7. Would I be able to run it on W10?

Starting over with a new blank drive and a clean install of W10 will mean I leave the Dell software behind, but is there anything in the bios that might cause problems if such Dell software is missing?

With a 1Tb drive I guess I could add existing o/s on one partition, with W10 on another, wonder what you think of that? Will it complicate transfer and setting up?

I am upgrading RAM to 8GB, so presume that will be adequate for W10.

Have I missed anything?

What do you think about such a change? If it's a go'er ... your thought's on the way to approach it will be appreciated?

Thanks again for any time you can give to this.
 

Attachments

#24 ·
Thank you for the advice - I have ordered Windows 10 on a USB drive.

This copy of windows 7 is shot - none of the disc tools will work, system restore has been switched off somehow (which has happened before) and the darn thing won't back up. I've been trying to run a repair, but couldn't get that to work either - I didn't get an o/s disc with it.

I'm thinking there is something on this drive that has caused issues and is not showing up, I will use the tool you have recommended to see what might be hiding away - thanks again.
 
#25 ·
Just tried to clone the c: drive onto the new 1Tb with Macrium, and that failed too.

I have run CHKDSK, which didn't show any errors.

What do think of chromebooks? lol

If I attempt to upgrade with W10, do you think it would resolve any errors with the c: drive copy of windows 7, or should I start afresh with a clean install and build everything up from scratch?

I think I know what you're going to say, but thought it worth asking!
 
#27 ·
Ok - thanks for your advice.

Almost everything I've tried so far hasn't worked, so a square one start makes good sense.

I didn't get any discs with this laptop, so hopefully Belarc and google will allow me to track down what is needed.

I'll make a back-up image on the 120 SSD as soon as it's all up together.
 
#28 ·
Discs have not been included with computer purchases for decades.
Download the ISO image for Windows 10 Burn the image with the Media Creation Tool on the same page.
Boot off of the USB Flash drive in your Dell Laptop, Take a picture of the sticker on the bottom of the laptop with the Windows 7 Product key, and if it asks for one, type that in.
 
#30 ·
Hi,

Re your question: I look to having the most robust system I can afford and sometimes an upgrade isn't really worth it if you need to upgrade any components to add because the technology is changing so fast. That being said, when I built my husband's PC to use for his photography, I used the best HDD I could find and built it for gaming for speed. He's had if for over 6 years and it's still going strong.

I don't know what you may need to do the upgrade, but here's a reliable Manufacturer's opportunity if you have the right hardware for SATA III to hook up the new Drive - You should probably call Dell and ask them if you can use this: ($109.99 @BHPhotovideo.com - Check it out) And, No, I do not work for them. This may be your best bet for price point and reliability. In Stock - Call: 800.894.9703 / 212.502.6230

"Designed for a variety of computing applications like gaming, HD media playback, creative software, and more, the 1TB Blue 3D NAND SATA III 2.5" Internal SSD from WD is verified for use with a wide range of desktop and laptop computers with a 2.5" / 7mm drive bay for faster system boots, application responses, and transfer speeds. This SSD operates with a lower average active power draw of 60mW and features a storage capacity of up to 1TB, a SATA III 6 Gb/s interface, sequential write speeds of up to 530 MB/s, sequential read speeds of up to 560 MB/s, random writes of up to 84,000 IOPS, and random reads of up to 95,000 IOPS. Also employed is 1.75 million hours MTTF (mean time to failure) and an endurance rating (lifetime writes) of 400 TBW (terabytes written).

With solid-state drive technology, you benefit from load and access times for your files and programs that are faster than a conventional 7200 rpm hard drive. As SSDs have no moving parts, they are also more durable than traditional hard drives and are better protected against damage from drops and bumps. Having no moving parts also means that SSDs receive less wear and tear, as there are no read or write heads for the drive media to come into contact with. SSDs also help to deliver improved battery life and cooler operating temperatures. Protection is provided by a limited 5-year warranty."

Direct link:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...d2fsaBYScf4MaFzMo_zscpFGQaM4etpBoCCB0QAvD_BwE


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https://www.dell.com/community/Lapt...ou-upgrade-a-Dell-Inspiron-N5050/td-p/4471759
‎11-14-2014 07:43 AM
RE: Can you upgrade a Dell Inspiron N5050?

OK, all done and dusted.

1) New keyboard- c$15, new, ebay. There are videos on youtube showing how.

2) 2x4GB RAM (Total :smiling_face_with_sunglasses: from Crucial (DDR3 PC3-12800 (800MHz))- c$65. Again, videos on youtube for those new to this.

3) An i5-2540M to replace the Celeron, using Liquid Ultra for Cooling Block/CPU c$70, used, ebay. Again, videos, some referenced above.

4) I thought of getting an SSD drive but relatively expensive perceived bang/$ given what I use the machine for (light gaming (WoT), work, email, browsing), so decided against and the standard 300GB HDD will have to do with an external drive as needed.

Total $150 and machine greatly improved. I looked around for a new machine but didn't see any improvements in form factor that would justify a $500+ outlay, and this should last a year or so.

Of the Qs navigating through this process (to help others), and anyone please correct me if I'm wrong:

1) The i5-2540M is the top processor this machine can handle as shipped. The limit is its cooling ability as these CPUs go to 100 degrees C.

2) Paste- Maxxxem recommended Liquid Pro as best versus Liquid Ultra (thank you and for all your other advice, greatly appreciated), but research suggested Ultra and that's what I used- as new to this process I found very easy to clean off old/apply new.

3) Overclocking. Maxxxem suggested the "i5-2540M Mobile Processor 2.6GHz@3.3 Turbo" and this seemed to imply some overclocking (3.3 Turbo from stock 2.6). But the BIOS is locked down (you can't change clock/speed settings for the CPU here) and all I could find as a way 'in' to overclocking was using Intel's SpeedStep where the processor speed ramps up or down according to load/temperature to save on power and avoid overheating when not heavily needed (the BIOS allows this to be enabled/disabled). I got Intel's Extreme Tuning Utility to help with specs and this shows the CPU speeding along @ 3.2GHz (off the 2.6GHz stock) which is a handy # (and puts me #1 in my category on www.hwbot.org where you can post/compare results (admittedly out of only 3 but older machine now)).

I hope this helps others as Maxxxem helped me. If anyone has any pointers on how to overclock (more out of curiosity/interest than necessity at this point) or get better performance from this new config I'd be all ears and thank you.

Good Luck
 
#32 ·
Thanks for your thoughts guys.

I'm of the older generation and get a kick out of repairing things and keeping things going - I drive a 1986 Volvo 240 Estate, which I have spent a stack of cash on to keep it going and a lot of my time, but I love it. Starts first time and never lets me down. Very few around now where I live, and it does get a fair bit of attention from the car fraternity, including quite a few youngsters.

But back to the business of upgrading.

I've got the RAM up to 8GB and the 1GB SSD runs like lightening - just switch it on and it's there! Really impressed.

I installed Windows 10, which went OK, other than it doesn't support my graphics: Intel 3000 on i3, or Richo laser printer.

So I've partitioned the drive 50:50 and have got Windows 7 running on e:, however, I now realise that I installed the two o/s the wrong way round, i.e. 7 should have gone on first, and then 10. As a result, I don't have the boot option that I gather 10 sets up when put on last.

I started using F12 to select, but that's stop showing the drive options now.

So I'm wondering, do I need to reinstall Windows 10 to get the built in boot option established? I'd rather do that than install third-party boot software. Or, is there a tweak that can magic it up?

It turned out that the old drive was faulty - I ran the internal diagnostics and it flagged it up as faulty, which no doubt explains all the fun and games I had with it.

Still not sure about windows 10, i.e. is it style over substance? Lots of bells and whistles that I'm unlikely to use. I rang DELL technical support, who told me that my laptop has reached: "end of life" as far as they are concerned, and that they don't keep anything for it, not even a copy Windows 7, which I couldn't download from Microsoft - after entering my serial key, it told me to contact the manufacturer! But think I have got over that one now.

The DELL tech did advise me to switch off W10 updates, as he reckoned they will gradually make things worse. At the moment, other than slightly paler screen colours, it seems to be running ok.

So, pity about the compromises that have come with upgrading, but it's only cost me £130, which wouldn't even buy a cheap Chromebook. One thing for sure, it is very, very quick to respond- the boot is instant :dance:

If anyone knows how to establish the dual boot in W10, that will really be appreciated.

Or how to update the firmware in a Rcho SP 211 printer - I've downloaded a file reckoned to do the job, but what happens after unzipping it? Apparently, there's a chance of finding a driver if the firmware is updated.
 
#33 ·
I did just that a few months ago to the same computer. First I upgraded RAM to 8GB. Then I used the free Macrium Reflect program to image the HD to the SSD using a USB to SATA connector. The speed increase was dazzling. Then I found the link to upgrade W7 to W10 for free. The tired old laptop was actually faster than my newer laptop. The next day i purchased another SSD for the newer laptop and upgraded that one.
 
#34 ·
So I reinstalled W10 and on the first attempt the dual boot option showed up, but since that first start-up the boot has been all over the place, either a blank black screen, or straight into W10.

Also, I have been unable to get any internet connection on the Windows 7 partition. I tried updating drivers in device manager, but says nothing available?

I'm wondering if I should wipe the drive and start over?
 
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