[MudPuppy2015]

Want to change from a spinning hard drive to a SSD drive. The new SSD drive is bigger than the spinning drive. I should be able to clone everything to the new SSD drive correct?

Once the spinning drive is cloned to the SSD drive all that I would have to do is remove the spinning drive and reboot the computer correct?

 

[Rich-M]

That would be correct. Once you establish the Ssd drive is working properly, you can format the old drive, just change position of cable to a higher port number and use it for storage.

 

[MudPuppy2015]

That would be correct. Once you establish the Ssd drive is working properly, you can format the old drive, just change position of cable to a higher port number and use it for storage.

How will I know the correct posisition of what cable? The new SSD hard drive is connected ddirectly to the mothe board not by cable.

 

[Old Rich]

At the point where the SATA cable plugs into the Motherboard, the SATA ports should be labeled SATA0, SATA1,SATA2 and so on.

You want the Boot drive ( SSD in your case ) should be plugged into SATA0 . .

 

[spunk.funk]

The new SSD hard drive is connected ddirectly to the mothe board not by cable

You would have to attach a picture of it for us to effectively help you, but if it looks like the attached, it just plugs into your PCIe slot on the motherboard.

 

[MudPuppy2015]

You would have to attach a picture of it for us to effectively help you, but if it looks like the attached, it just plugs into your PCIe slot on the motherboard.

Yes that is the desihe. I am thinking certain SSD hard drives will not plug into the PCIe slot on the motherboard because the part on the SSD drive that fits into the motherboard will not fit because the pins on tge SSD drive will not match the slot on the motherboard.

 

[spunk.funk]

We could help you further if you could attach picture of the pin out of the SSD drives pins and/or give us the exact make and model#

 

[jimscreechy]

That pic is an M.2 interface SSD hard drive which fits directly on the a socket on the motherboard. That type of SSD will have to use UEFI to boot, it cannot boot from legacy. It is important to make note of this because if your original "spinning drive'' used legacy boot mode you will need to change it to UEFI for the new drive to be able to boot.

Also the cloning process from Legacy to UEFI will fail if the original boot mode was not UEFI. You will need to backup first, then convert, then clone, then change bootmode on motherboard, then it should work. Then you will not have to change any cables on your 'spinning drive' you can leave it where it is and reformat it for storage.

 

[MudPuppy2015]

We could help you further if you could attach picture of the pin out of the SSD drives pins and/or give us the exact make and model#

Sure

 

[MudPuppy2015]

That pic is an M.2 interface SSD hard drive which fits directly on the a socket on the motherboard. That type of SSD will have to use UEFI to boot, it cannot boot from legacy. It is important to make note of this because if your original "spinning drive'' used legacy boot mode you will need to change it to UEFI for the new drive to be able to boot. Also the cloning process from Legacy to UEFI will fail if the original boot mode was not UEFI. You will need to backup first, then convert, then clone, then change bootmode on motherboard, then it should work. Then you will not have to change any cables on your 'spinning drive' you can leave it where it is and reformat it for storage.

How would I know the original boot mode?

 

[MudPuppy2015]

Here is the detailed specifications.s on the computer.

 

[Old Rich]

T hat is a standard SATA drive . . you need two cables for it . . one power and one data. The Data is the one that connects to the motherboard, the poser will come from an existing power cable or you can use a 'Y' connector to free up another connection

SATA data cable:

SATA Power Cable

 

[spunk.funk]

How would I know the original boot mode?

As Old Rich said, this is a standard SATA connector. You do not plug it directly into the motherboard, you attach it with a SATA power cable from your PSU and a SATA Data cable to the SATA port on your motherboard. Links to pictures in Rich's post.
If you are installing this in a Desktop computer, You may need a bay adapter so it will fit in your HDD Bay. (see attached)
As for the Boot Mode, With the drive attached, Boot into Setup (Bios) Look for SATA or HDD mode. Make sure it is set to AHCI, or RAID. Go to the Boot tab, if you have UEFI Bios change it to Legacy unless you have a USB Boot flash drive install media with GPT UEFI bios set. You can create one in Rufus in my signature. If you don't have UEFI Bios, then just proceed with the Windows Install from your DVD or USB.

 

[MudPuppy2015]

As Old Rich said, this is a standard SATA connector. You do not plug it directly into the motherboard, you attach it with a SATA power cable from your PSU and a SATA Data cable to the SATA port on your motherboard. Links to pictures in Rich's post. If you are installing this in a Desktop computer, You may need a bay adapter so it will fit in your HDD Bay. (see attached) As for the Boot Mode, With the drive attached, Boot into Setup (Bios) Look for SATA or HDD mode. Make sure it is set to AHCI, or RAID. Go to the Boot tab, if you have UEFI Bios change it to Legacy unless you have a USB Boot flash drive install media with GPT UEFI bios set. You can create one in Rufus in my signature. If you don't have UEFI Bios, then just proceed with the Windows Install from your DVD or USB.

Did not realize this would be so complicated.

 

[Old Rich]

It's not complicated at all . . just take it one step at a time

 

[spunk.funk]

If you don't have UEFI bios, it is very simple. First, take a SATA power plug from the PSU, plug it into the back of the SSD. Plug in a SATA data cable. Plug other end of Data cable to motherboard SATA 0 port (sometimes there is no 0, so choose port 1) Secure drive to case. You may need mounting bracket, as pictured in post #13, but you may not.
Boot into Setup (Bios) find HDD Mode or SATA, most computers in the last 10 years are already setup for AHCI, just confirm it. Check under the Boot tab, if UEFI is not listed, you are good to go. Now just move whatever boot device you are going to install Windows with (eg) USB or DVD to First Boot Device, Save and Exit. With the Windows install media in, when you restart it should say Press Any Key To Boot From (USB or DVD whichever you used) you do not need to create any partitions or format the SSD, Windows will create them and format the drive as it installs Windows.

 

[MudPuppy2015]

If you don't have UEFI bios, it is very simple. First, take a SATA power plug from the PSU, plug it into the back of the SSD. Plug in a SATA data cable. Plug other end of Data cable to motherboard SATA 0 port (sometimes there is no 0, so choose port 1) Secure drive to case. You may need mounting bracket, as pictured in post #13, but you may not. Boot into Setup (Bios) find HDD Mode or SATA, most computers in the last 10 years are already setup for AHCI, just confirm it. Check under the Boot tab, if UEFI is not listed, you are good to go. Now just move whatever boot device you are going to install Windows with (eg) USB or DVD to First Boot Device, Save and Exit. With the Windows install media in, when you restart it should say Press Any Key To Boot From (USB or DVD whichever you used) you do not need to create any partitions or format the SSD, Windows will create them and format the drive as it installs Windows.

I thought cloning the old hard drive to the SSD drive also clones Windows.

 

[MudPuppy2015]

If you don't have UEFI bios, it is very simple. First, take a SATA power plug from the PSU, plug it into the back of the SSD. Plug in a SATA data cable. Plug other end of Data cable to motherboard SATA 0 port (sometimes there is no 0, so choose port 1) Secure drive to case. You may need mounting bracket, as pictured in post #13, but you may not. Boot into Setup (Bios) find HDD Mode or SATA, most computers in the last 10 years are already setup for AHCI, just confirm it. Check under the Boot tab, if UEFI is not listed, you are good to go. Now just move whatever boot device you are going to install Windows with (eg) USB or DVD to First Boot Device, Save and Exit. With the Windows install media in, when you restart it should say Press Any Key To Boot From (USB or DVD whichever you used) you do not need to create any partitions or format the SSD, Windows will create them and format the drive as it installs Windows.

I would probably be better off having this done by someone that knows more about this. Just purchase the SSD hard drive. I have no idea what the above means.

 

[jimscreechy]

Yep, Sometimes it's just easier and safer if you feel out of your depth. Your local computer store/engineer could do it without hassle.

 

[MudPuppy2015]

Yep, Sometimes it's just easier and safer if you feel out of your depth. Your local computer store/engineer could do it without hassle.

True. But the cost would probably be like 500 dollars. Computer repair peeps like to scam others.