re-formatting a HDD

Stinger53

Stinger53

Stinger53

Associate
Joined
15 Nov 2011
Posts
1,533
Location
Oxford
Hi, i am current useing a 1tb WD green HDD, i will soon be getting a SSD and will be doing a fresh install of windows.
How do i re-formant the HDD to take windows of that one?
also would it be worth selling it and gettin a faster HDD?
edit would it be possible to had to HDD and a SSD and have one as a Backup drive? sorry dont know much about hard drives

Thanks
 
Last edited:
1) Back up Steam files, turn off system, plug in SSD, unplug the HDD (So all boot files will go to the SSD)
2) Turn SATA mode in BIOS to AHCI, change the boot order to boot from the optical drive (or USB if you're installing Windows from that). Save changes and reboot
3) Follow the installation instructions to install Windows.
4) Once installed, go back into BIOS, change boot order to SSD. Replug HDD.
5) Boot into Windows, install drivers, and do any SSD tweaks you want to do.
6) Install Steam and restore the backupped files (Saves you from redownloading all those Steam games).

Now I recommend you to keep your current HDD as storage (Documents, Msuic, etc...). You can simply change the file directory. A guide here on how to do it under Option 2: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html

Once you have the SSD your current HDD will be fine, no need for a faster one.

Alternately if you're using a Z68 board you can just do the registry tweak on your current install to change it to RAID mode, then switch the SATA mode to RAID and set up Intel RST, where the SSD will be used to accelerate your HDD by acting as cache. So HDD space with near SSD speeds :).
 
Orcvader said:
1) Back up Steam files, turn off system, plug in SSD, unplug the HDD (So all boot files will go to the SSD)
2) Turn SATA mode in BIOS to AHCI, change the boot order to boot from the optical drive (or USB if you're installing Windows from that). Save changes and reboot
3) Follow the installation instructions to install Windows.
4) Once installed, go back into BIOS, change boot order to SSD. Replug HDD.
5) Boot into Windows, install drivers, and do any SSD tweaks you want to do.
6) Install Steam and restore the backupped files (Saves you from redownloading all those Steam games).

Now I recommend you to keep your current HDD as storage (Documents, Msuic, etc...). You can simply change the file directory. A guide here on how to do it under Option 2: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html

Once you have the SSD your current HDD will be fine, no need for a faster one.

Alternately if you're using a Z68 board you can just do the registry tweak on your current install to change it to RAID mode, then switch the SATA mode to RAID and set up Intel RST, where the SSD will be used to accelerate your HDD by acting as cache. So HDD space with near SSD speeds :).
Click to expand...

cheers
but wont windows still be on the HDD? dont i need to clear it
 
You can format it under drive management if you've already backed everything up. If you want to keep your personal files you can just delete the Windows files and the 100mb partition on the HDD.
 
so when i put the SSD it and put windows on that, i can go on to the drive management. and the SSD will show as the C:dive and the hardrive as the next drive no longer the c:drive and i can just delete it? how do u delete the windows files?

thanks
 
Last edited:
Yup. The HDD will appear as D: or E:. To delete just go to "Computer" and delete every filder except for the "Users" folder. That way all your personal files are preserved.
 
cheers :) thanks for the help. now just to buy a SSD

edit:
Untitled-6.png


so i'd delete all the files but users folder and i guess the AMD and autodesk folders ?
 
Last edited:
Stinger53 said:
so i'd delete all the files but users folder and i guess the AMD and autodesk folders ?
Click to expand...

Delete everything but the User folder. Everything else will become useless as all the new Windows files, drivers, programs, etc are on the SSD. You will need to reinstall everything as the programs on the old install will not work with the new install.

On the other hand they use the same controller so perform very similiar, only difference is Intel using their own NANDs. Still expensive so M4 is still considered the best drive overall.
 
Seems like there are a few MSI Z68 G45 board types available but if they have the same bios try these steps:-

Settings

Advanced

Integrated Peripherals

Sata Configuration

Sata Mode
 
Menty said:
Seems like there are a few MSI Z68 G45 board types available but if they have the same bios try these steps:-

Settings

Advanced

Integrated Peripherals

Sata Configuration

Sata Mode
Click to expand...

cheers ye i found it.

but if i put it in to the achi mode the pc wont boot. with my HDD. havnt got the ssd yet. on its way tho
does anyone know why?
 
I had the same problem when I brought my first ssd.

I had installed the os (XP) in ide mode as I only had normal hdd's at the time and could not install the achi drivers afterwards according to MSI support (although I had read about a reg hack).
I had already decided I wanted to install W7 though which quickly solved that issue.

If you are already using W7 you should be able to use the reg hack (or tweak :p) to switch to ahci then restart the pc and W7 will load the default drivers for AHCI.

Then go into your bios and switch from ide to ahci mode and jobs a good un.
 
i have installed my new ssd. and when i delete the files off the e drive. it says i need permission to to delete, i click on continue and after a little while a message comes up saying needs perisson and options are if i want to try again skip or cancel. who do i do?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom