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Installing the system on a separate ssd drive. Swap and hibernation file. Disable drive optimization

Based on the size of SSD drives, they can be divided into two unequal groups: 2.5" and 3.5". 3.5-inch ones are practically never found in stores (only hybrid solutions). You can additionally purchase a special container for installation in the case of the computer system unit, or simply place it carefully inside and secure it with 2-sided tape wherever you want: the SSD does not heat up, does not vibrate, and the working position does not matter for it. You will also need a SATA interface cable to connect the device to the motherboard. To power an SSD drive, a standard flat connector on the power supply (SATA Power Connector) is usually used. Description of power supply connectors.

A method for transferring an operating system (OS) from an old HDD to a new one is described. The link to the article also discusses our option: transferring the OS from an IDE or SATA drive to an SSD drive using the special program Paragon Drive Copy 11 Professional and the included Paragon Migrate OS to SSD 2.0 (there is a link to the program), it is necessary, since most backup utilities save the clone in accordance with the old sector logic (the next paragraph discusses preparing an SSD drive for OS transfer in an alternative way if you do not want to use Paragon Drive Copy 11). After transferring the system to the SSD, you will only need to change the boot sequence in the BIOS. We set the SSD as the second device, and the CD/DVD as the first. After this, the operating system should boot. If you plan to install the operating system from scratch, then you will not need to transfer the OS.

Preparing the SSD for OS migration (alternative method)

Acronis Disk Director - this program will help you perform any hard disk operations described below. (Attention! A small feature of this program is that you must click the “perform operation” button after changing the disk settings [marked with a finishing flag]).

First, you need to initialize the SSD to create the MBR (Master Boot Record). You can do this using the above program. Next, you need to partition the SSD disk and create an active partition on it. In Windows 7, the active boot partition can be as small as 100 MB. So we'll use the section you just created. In the next step, you will need to reduce the original partition size to 100 MB (and not a byte less). This will be quite difficult to do using Disk Management, so I again recommend Acronis Disk Director 11.

In the free space of the hard drive, you need to create a partition C on which the operating system will be located. This partition should not be active and should not be the primary partition (because the previously created 100 MB partition already includes the operating system bootloader). After this, create drive C from the remaining disk space. It can be a simple logical partition. Also, your old HDD may have more than one partition, but several, which imposes certain restrictions due to inconsistencies in free disk space. Some information, including the factory reset section, can simply be burned to DVD.

After all the preparatory procedures are completed, you can proceed directly to copying the operating system. Next we will work with the hard disk image (system image). There are many imaging programs available (choose ) or you can use the standard Windows 7 tools (pretty easy, but a little more time consuming). Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Backup and Restore - Create a system image (in the left column).

Now you need to copy the system image to an external hard drive (you will probably have to assign a drive letter to the 100MB partition so that the program can identify it), and then to the SSD drive (using a bootable disk image program). Restore this way, section by section. Thus, you will have to perform recovery for the 100 MB partition and drive C.

Attention! Most free imaging programs do not know how to reduce the size of the source partition in order to rewrite it to the allocated space on an SSD, which has a very limited data capacity, even if the amount of recorded data corresponds to the allocated space. In this case, drive C on the HDD must be reduced to the appropriate size. For this work, I again recommend Acronis Disk Director, since it is more difficult to achieve the same effect using only seven.

The amount of data on your HDD on drive C should not exceed the capacity of the created drive C on the SSD. If the source partition contains a lot of user data, then you can simply try to move it to another partition of the hard drive or even write it to optical drives. When the system is written to the SSD, right-click on the user folders on the disk and include them in the appropriate library. With this approach, you won't be required to copy your folders later.

Now change the boot sequence in the BIOS (Boot section). We set the SSD as the second device, and the CD/DVD as the first, or vice versa. After this, the operating system should boot.

Attention! Before booting the operating system from the SSD, it is recommended to set the BIOS to AHCI mode. It is better to do this before you change the boot sequence of devices, and then set the appropriate settings in Windows 7.

Defragmenting partitions on SSDs makes no sense and, moreover, is very harmful. In the case of a laptop, go to Services, find Disk Defragmentation in the list, right-click on the entry, and the Properties window will open. Just disable this service.

In the case of a desktop computer, you can disable defragmentation only for the SSD drive, so that the HDDs running in the system do not lose performance.

While the defragmentation service is disabled, you will not be able to resize the partition. This process requires the operation of this service.

Hibernation Mode – Most of us do not use hibernation mode but prefer standby mode. However, the file still takes up precious space on your SSD, and its size depends on the amount of RAM in your computer. To get rid of this misunderstanding, enter the following at the command prompt:

powercfg –h off

If you need to return everything to its original state, then enter:

powercfg - h on

Copying user folders to hard drive

This process is very simple. Create a partition on the HDD. Create appropriate folders on it (Documents, Music, Photos, and so on). The name can be anything, the system will rename them anyway.

Open Explorer and right-click on, for example, the My Documents folder on the left. Go to properties and click on the Location tab. Click Move and select the folder on the HDD in which you would like to store your documents.

Attention! You need to select a folder directly on the partition. You cannot select the root directory, otherwise there will be confusion.

The advent of solid-state hard drives, or SSD for short, can certainly be considered a breakthrough in the development of technologies for creating devices for recording and storing digital information. The first SSDs to hit the market, with the exception of high speed access to arbitrary blocks of information, were in many ways inferior to traditional HDDs. Not only could their volumes, without exaggeration, be called more than modest, they also had low fault tolerance and cost a lot of money.

What's wrong with SSDs?

The high speed, quietness and low power consumption of solid-state drives have served as good drivers for their development. Modern SSD drives are lightweight, very fast and quite reliable from a mechanical point of view, devices used in tablets, ultrabooks and other compact devices. The price of SSDs has also dropped significantly. But still, they cannot be called perfect. All SSDs have a significant drawback - a limited number of rewrite cycles.

The flash memory of most SSDs is of the MLC type and allows data to be written approximately from 3 to 10 thousand times, while conventional USB exhausts its resource in 1000 or less rewrite cycles. There are also SSDs, for example, with SLC memory type, which can withstand several hundred thousand rewrite cycles. There are many nuances, so it is not surprising that it is precisely this feature of SSD drives that raises a lot of questions among ordinary users regarding their operation, and most importantly, extending their service life. Is SSD optimization necessary in Windows 7/10 or is this just another myth created by the manufacturers and developers of commercial software themselves?

Basic training

Yes, you can leave everything as is on a PC with an SSD, and you might be right, but if you really care about your drive and want it to last as long as possible, it's worth considering customizing it. Let's start with whether you bought a computer with an integrated SSD or just the drive itself, which you want to replace the HDD with, transferring Windows from it. In the first case, you can limit yourself to setting up the system. If you install the SSD yourself, be sure to check whether the AHCI connection mode for the SATA controller is enabled in the BIOS.

There are two points here: after enabling AHCI and transferring Windows to the SSD, the system may not boot, since it will not have the appropriate drivers. Therefore, either install drivers ahead of time, or reinstall Windows from scratch. Second. The BIOS of older PCs may not have AHCI mode. In this case, the BIOS will have to be updated. Now regarding the firmware of the SSD controller. Owners of solid-state drives often ask whether the drive will run faster if they install the latest firmware. Yes, it will, but if you decide to update it and in general, if the need arises, it is better to contact the service center for help.

System settings. Disabling defragmentation

Defragmentation is a useful thing for HDDs, but it can harm SSD drives, so Windows usually automatically disables it. However, it's worth checking to see if it's actually disabled. Run with command dfrgui Disk Optimization Utility and click Change Settings.

Make sure the “Run on a schedule” checkbox is unchecked. If it is there, be sure to remove it.

Enabling TRIM

The TRIM mechanism optimizes the SSD drive by clearing memory cells of unnecessary data when removing them from the disk. Using TRIM ensures uniform wear of the disk cells and increases its speed. To check whether TRIM is active on your system, run the command in a command prompt running as administrator: fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify.

If the value of the returned parameter DisableDeleteNotify will be 0, it means everything is in order and the trim function is enabled, if 1 it means it is disabled and should be enabled with the command fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0.

This SSD setup is only applicable to Windows 7/10, while Vista and XP do not support it. There are two options: either install a newer system, or look for an SSD with hardware TRIM. Please also note that some older models of solid-state drives do not support TRIM at all, however, the likelihood that they are still sold in digital stores is very low.

During the process, a significant amount of data, comparable to the amount of RAM, can be written to the hiberfil.sys file on the system disk. To extend the service life of the SSD, we need to reduce the number of write cycles, so it is advisable to disable hibernation. The downside to this SSD setup is that you will no longer be able to keep files and programs open when you turn off your computer. To disable hibernation, run the command running with administrator privileges powercfg -h off.

Restart your computer and make sure that the hidden system file hiberfil.sys is removed from the C drive.

Disable file search and indexing

What else can be done to properly configure an SSD drive for Windows 7/10? The answer is to disable indexing of the disk contents, because the SSD is already fast enough. Open the disk properties and uncheck “Allow file contents to be indexed...”.

But here's the thing. If in addition to an SSD you have a HDD, then you are unlikely to want to disable indexing on it. What will come of this? By default, the index file is located on drive C and data from drive D will still be written to the solid-state drive.

If you do not want to disable indexing on the user volume, you will need to move the indexing file from the system SSD to the user HDD. Open with command control /name Microsoft.IndexingOptions indexing options.

Now click “Advanced” and specify your index location, having first created a folder on the user disk.

If your PC only has an SSD, you can completely disable indexing and search by opening the service management snap-in with the services.msc command and stopping the Windows Search service.

Disabling system protection

Controversial point. By disabling the creation of system shadow copies, on the one hand, you will reduce the number of write cycles, on the other hand, you will increase the risk of getting a non-working system in the event of some unexpected failure. Using rollbacks is one of the most effective and simplest ways to return Windows to a working state; for this reason, we would not recommend disabling this function, especially since points are created infrequently and do not take up much space.

It does not recommend disabling system protection for your Intel SSDs; Microsoft shares the same opinion. However, it's up to you to decide. If you use other backup tools, such as Acronis True Image, system protection can be disabled. To do this, go to system properties, on the “System Protection” tab, select the SSD drive and click “Configure”. Next, in the recovery options, activate the “Disable system protection” radio button, move the slider to zero and click the “Delete” button.

Should I disable the page file or not?

An even more controversial solution is to disable the page file. Some people advise moving it to the HDD, others completely disabling it, but it’s not that simple. The paging file is necessary to optimize the performance of the system and programs that require significant RAM resources. Disabling paging can indeed reduce disk load, but the resulting effect will be very small. In addition, this shutdown can significantly reduce the performance of the computer.

There is also no particular point in transferring the swap file to a hard HDD, since it is many times slower than an SSD, and the system’s constant access to it will slow down its operation. Disabling, or better yet, reducing the paging file is only permissible in one case - if your computer has more than 10 GB of RAM, and you do not use resource-intensive applications. And of course, it’s better to leave everything by default. You can perform all manipulations with the paging file in the performance parameters window, called up in the “Run” window with the command systempropertiesperformance(hereinafter Advanced – Change).

Prefetch and Superfetch

In theory, it’s also better to leave everything here as default. The function does not affect the durability of solid-state drives in any way, since it does not produce any records. Moreover, when installing Windows on an SSD, the system automatically disables it. Want to make sure it's disabled? Go to Registry Editor at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Session Manager/Memory Management/PrefetchParameters and look at the parameter value EnableSuperfetch. It should be set to 0. You can also disable it through the service management snap-in.

As for Prefetch, the disk writes it produces are so insignificant that it can be ignored. However, you can turn it off, nothing bad will happen. To do this, in the same registry key, set the value of the parameter EnablePrefetcher 0.

The same can be said about disabling the additional Prefetch ReadyBoot feature, which logs the process of downloading applications. The volume of records it produces in the folder C:/Windows/Prefetch/ReadyBoot is negligible, but if you want to disable them too, set the Start parameter in the key to 0 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/WMI/Autologger/ReadyBoot.

Programs for optimizing SSD disks

Almost everything that was shown in the examples above can be done using special utilities. How to configure an SSD under Windows 7/10 using third-party programs? Very simple. Most of them have an intuitive interface, presented with a set of options that can be turned on or off. There are many SSD optimizers, but we will focus only on the most popular ones.

SSD Mini Tweaker

The most convenient portable program for optimizing solid-state drives. The utility supports work with the functions of defragmentation, hibernation and system protection, Trim, Superfetch and Prefetcher, management of the paging file and Layout.ini, indexing, file system cache and some other settings.

The SSD Mini Tweaker interface is represented by a window with a list of functions available for management. After applying the new settings, you may need to restart your PC.

A shareware utility for optimizing and tuning the performance of an SSD drive. There is no Russian language in Tweak-SSD, but there is a convenient step-by-step wizard that offers optimal settings. Features of this program include disabling file indexing, Program Compatibility Assistant, hibernation, paging file, defragmentation, recording the last access time of a file, working with TRIM, increasing the file system cache, removing the NTFS memory limit, and moving the kernel into memory instead of unloading parts of modules to disk.

SSD Fresh Plus

Another SSD optimizer. Unlike analogues, it supports working with S.M.A.R.T. data. With Abelssoft SSD Fresh Plus, you can disable defragmentation, the use of short names for folders and files, timestamps, Windows log, and prefetch services.

In total, the utility supports nine different settings that optimize the operation of the SSD. Additional features of the program include viewing detailed information about the disk. Distributed in paid and free editions.

Conclusion

That's probably all. There are also other recommendations for optimizing SSDs, but for the most part they are either dubious or harmful. In particular, it is not recommended to disable write caching for the SSD disk and the USN journal of the NTFS file system. You should also not transfer programs and Temp temporary folders, browser caches, etc. from the SSD, because then what is the point in buying an SSD drive? We need programs to run faster, but transferring them to the HDD will only slow down the system.

And finally, here's some good advice for you. Don't bother too much with SSD optimization. It will take you at least a dozen years to reach the lifespan of even a budget 128 GB SSD, unless you write and delete terabytes of data every day. And during this time, not only the disk model, but also the computer itself will become hopelessly outdated.

Replacing a conventional hard drive with an SSD can significantly improve operating comfort and provide reliable data storage. This is why many users try to replace the HDD with a solid-state drive. However, after replacing the drive, you need to somehow transfer your operating system along with installed programs.

On the one hand, you can install everything again and then there will be no problems with moving to a new disk. But what to do if the old one has about a dozen programs, and the OS itself is already configured for comfortable work? It is this question that we will answer in our article.

So, you purchased a brand new SSD and now you need to somehow transfer the OS itself with all the settings and installed programs. Fortunately, we don't have to invent anything. Software developers (as well as the developers of the Windows operating system) have already taken care of everything.

Thus, we have two options: either use a third-party utility or standard Windows tools.

Before moving on to the instructions, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that the disk to which you will transfer your operating system must be no smaller than the one on which it is installed.

Method 1: Transfer OS to SSD using AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition

First, let's take a closer look at the method of transferring an operating system using a third-party utility. Currently, there are many different utilities that allow you to easily transfer an OS. For example, we took the AOMEI Partition Assistant application. This tool is free and has a Russian interface.

  1. Among the large number of functions, the application contains a very convenient and simple wizard for transferring the operating system to another disk, which we will use in our example. The wizard we need is located on the left panel in the “ Masters", to call it, click on the command " Transfer OS SSD or HDD».

  2. A window with a small description appeared in front of us, after reading the information, click on the button “ Further" and move on to the next step.

  3. Here the wizard prompts you to select the disk where the OS will be transferred. Please note that the drive must not be partitioned, that is, it must not contain partitions or a file system, otherwise you will get an empty list at this step.

    So, once you have selected the target disk, click the “ Further" and move on.

  4. The next step will be marking the drive to which the operating system is transferred. Here you can change the partition size if necessary, but do not forget that the partition must be no smaller than the one on which the OS is installed. Also, if necessary, you can specify a letter for the new partition.

    Once all the parameters have been set, proceed to the next step by clicking the " Further».

  5. Here the wizard prompts us to complete the setup of the AOMEI Partition Assistant application to migrate the system to an SSD. But before that, you can read a small warning. It says that after a reboot, in some cases the OS may not boot. And if you encounter a similar problem, then you need to disconnect the old disk or connect a new one in place of the old one, and the old one in place of the new one. To confirm all actions, press the button “ End» and complete the wizard’s work.

  6. Next, in order for the migration process to begin, you must click the “ Apply».

  7. Party Assistant will display a window with a list of pending operations, where we just have to click the “ Go».

  8. This will be followed by another warning, where by clicking on the “ Yes", we confirm all our actions. After this, the computer will restart and the process of transferring the operating system to the solid-state drive will begin. The duration of this process will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of data being transferred, the speed of the HDD and the power of the computer.

After the migration, the computer will reboot again and now all that remains is to format the HDD to remove the OS and the old bootloader.

Method 2: Transfer OS to SSD using standard Windows tools

Another way to migrate to a new disk is to use standard operating system tools. However, you can use it if Windows 7 and higher are installed on your computer. Otherwise, you will have to use third-party utilities.

Let's take a closer look at this method using Windows 7 as an example.

In principle, the process of transferring an OS using standard means is not complicated and takes place in three stages:

  • creating a system image;
  • creating a boot drive;
  • unpacking the image to a new disk.
  1. So let's get started. In order to create an OS image, you need to use the Windows tool " " To do this, go to the menu “ Start" and open the "Control Panel".

  2. Next, you need to click on the link “ Backing up computer data" and you can proceed to creating a Windows backup. In the window " Archiving or restoring files“There are two commands we need, now we will use the creation of a system image, for this we click on the corresponding link.

  3. Here we need to select the drive on which the OS image will be written. This can be either a disk partition or a DVD. However, it is worth remembering that Windows 7, even without installed programs, takes up quite a lot of space. Therefore, if you decide to burn a copy of the system to DVD, you may need more than one disc.

  4. Having selected the location where you want to save the image, click “ Further" and move on to the next step.

    Now the wizard prompts us to select the sections that need to be included in the archiving. Since we are only transferring the OS, we don’t need to select anything; the system has already included all the necessary disks for us. Therefore, click " Further" and move on to the final step.

  5. Now you need to confirm the selected archiving options. To do this, click " Archive

  6. After a copy of the OS has been created, Windows will prompt you to create a bootable drive.

  7. You can also create a drive using the command “ Create a system repair disk" in the window " Archive or restore».

  8. At the first step, the bootable disk creation wizard will prompt you to select a drive in which a blank drive should already be installed for recording.

    9. Attention! If your work machine does not have writeable drives, you will not be able to burn the optical recovery drive.

  9. If there is a data disk in the drive, the system will offer to clear it. If you use DVD-RW for recording, then you can clean it, otherwise you need to insert a clean one.

  10. To do this, go to “ My computer"and right-click on the drive. Now select the item “ Erase this disk».

  11. Now let’s return to creating a recovery drive, select the desired drive, click on the “ Create disk" and wait for the process to complete. Upon completion, we will see the following window:

    12. this indicates that the disk was successfully created.

    So, let's summarize. At this point, we already have an image with the operating system and a bootable recovery drive, which means we can move on to the third and final stage.

  12. Reboot the computer and go to the boot device selection menu.

    13. This can usually be done by pressing the F11 key, but there may be other options. Typically, function keys are listed on the BIOS (or UEFI) start screen, which is displayed when you turn on the computer.

  13. Next, the OS recovery environment will be loaded. At the first stage, for convenience, select the Russian language and press the button “ Next».

    14. After this, a search for installed systems will be performed.

  14. Since we are restoring the OS from a pre-prepared image, we move the switch to the second position and click “ Further».

  15. At this stage, the system itself will offer us a suitable image for recovery, so, without changing anything, click “ Further».

  16. You can now set additional parameters if necessary. To go to the last action, press the button “ Further».

  17. At the last stage, we will be shown brief information about the image. Now you can proceed directly to unpacking to disk, to do this, press the button “ Further" and wait for the process to complete.

At the end of the process, the system will automatically reboot and at this point the process of transferring Windows to the SSD can be considered complete.

Today we looked at two ways to switch from HDD to SSD, each of which is good in its own way. Having familiarized yourself with both, you can now choose the one that is more suitable for you in order to quickly and without data loss transfer the OS to a new disk.

Installing solid-state drives by default on laptops and computers has only recently begun, and a device purchased just 1-2 years ago is most likely equipped with a regular SATA HDD.

This option is also not bad - especially if the SATA III interface is used, but conventional hard drives are not capable of providing maximum performance.

What you will need to install an SSD drive

A user who wants to speed up access to information will need:

    • purchase an SSD with a suitable capacity and price (a 60–128 GB device is sufficient for working with documents and basic programs; for more resource-intensive tasks, you should consider purchasing a 500–1000 GB device);
  • enable AHCI mode to work with high-speed drives (if this has not been done before);
Read more about how to do this in the article “”
  • disassemble the computer and install a solid state drive. For a laptop, you may need to remove the old HDD (for further installation using an adapter and a CD drive). Desktop PCs usually have enough space for an SSD.

As a result, the user receives:

  1. Increasing the speed of working with data;
  2. Reduced energy consumption and weight (important for laptops);
  3. No need to defragment the disk.

Tip: If the computer is old enough (single-core processor, less than 4 GB of memory and the motherboard was released 5-6 years ago), there is no point in installing an SSD. In this case, even updating the hardware will not help speed up the system. And you will have to change the entire device.

Installing an SSD on a computer

The standard size of a solid state drive is 2.5 inches.

3.5-inch versions were also produced, but due to the fact that they were most often installed on laptops, only the smallest drives remained (including 1.8-inch and M2 formats).

This means that for installation on a PC, an SSD requires the use of so-called sleds, or racks - devices for securing the disk inside bays designed for standard HDDs and disk drives.

And, although, thanks to the light weight of the solid-state drive, it weighs little and can only be mounted on one side of the system unit case, you should not do this - it is safer to purchase a small adapter from 3.5 to 2.5 inches.

Installing the disk is carried out in several stages:

  1. The computer turns off;
  2. The power supply is turned off using a button on the back of the system unit;
  3. The power button is pressed and held for several seconds. In this case, a de-energized computer will naturally not start, but static electricity will be removed from the motherboard and other parts;
  4. The PC case is disassembled (usually only one panel is removed for this, most often the left one, but sometimes you have to disassemble the system unit almost completely;
  5. The SSD is installed in place (for a PC, it is not necessary to remove the HHD already there) using a sled adapter and secured with screws. Fasteners are included with the device;
  6. The installed disk is connected to the motherboard via a SATA cable and the corresponding slot on the motherboard;

  1. The disk and computer power supply are connected;
  2. Assemble the system unit and configure the SSD.

As a rule, maximum performance of the drive will be ensured only when it is connected to a SATA 3.0 connector or higher at speeds of up to 6 GB/s.

On the board it is usually distinguished from others by its black color and markings. If there are no designations for SATA 3.0, you should read the documentation for the motherboard.

It is worth noting that SSD drives do not tolerate heating to high temperatures.

Therefore, when adding a new drive, it is worth taking care of improving the cooling system.

To do this, you can provide, for example, an additional cooler measuring 80x80 or 120x120 in the side of the system unit.

Such a fan will perfectly cool not only a solid-state drive, but also a regular drive.

Setting up work

After installing the disk, you first need to configure the media for optimal performance and increased service life:

  1. Go to BIOS (or UEFI) using one of the methods available in your operating system. The easiest way to do this is for Windows 7 by pressing the function key when rebooting (different motherboard or laptop manufacturers use different letters);
Read more about setting up a boot disk in our material:.
  1. Install the SSD drive first in the list of devices (if it is not the only drive);

  1. Save changes and restart your computer.

Now you can either transfer the system to a solid-state drive so as not to install it again.

Or leave the old OS if the SSD will not be used as a system drive.

When choosing the first option, you should use either the built-in Windows tools (they are available in systems starting from version 7 and higher) or applications such as Acronis True Image.

In the second case, when the system remains on the HDD, the same hard drive should be left first in the boot list in the BIOS.

Installation on a laptop

Installing SSDs on a laptop is slightly different.

First of all, due to the fact that there is less space inside the laptop computer case and, most likely, to connect a second drive the user will have to remove the first one.

But after installation, the laptop will work faster, and the battery life will practically not decrease, even if you reconnect the old HDD.

To install, the user will need a standard SSD and a drive adapter. The main installation steps include:

  1. Turning off the power to the laptop (by removing the battery);
  2. Open the back cover and carefully remove the HDD. In this case, the cable and power cord are disconnected;

  1. Installing an SSD drive in place of the hard drive with connecting a cable;
  2. Installing HDD using an adapter;
  3. Returning the laptop lid to its place;
  4. Turning on the laptop and setting up the system.

HDD installation

It is advisable to install the hard drive back in cases where the system remains on it.

Or, if the size of the SSD is not sufficient to accommodate all the necessary information, and the solid-state drive itself is used to store only system files and the operating system.

At the same time, the data transfer speed of the optical drive is quite sufficient to support the operation of the HDD.

But it will no longer be possible to ensure the effective use of SSDs in this way.

Therefore, a standard laptop hard drive is inserted into the adapter, and the drive is removed - especially since today it is practically not used.

The adapter for connecting the HDD is selected according to the thickness of the drive, which can be equal to 12.7 or 9.5 mm. Next, the following actions are performed in turn:

  1. The drive is installed inside the adapter;
  2. The optical drive is removed from the laptop (in most models it is held on by one screw). To do this, you need to open the drive (usually it is enough to press a button with a thin needle inside a special hole on the panel in front of the button;

  1. The panel is removed from the drive tray and installed on the adapter so that replacement does not affect the appearance of the device;
  2. The hard drive in the adapter is placed in place of the drive;
  3. The screw that now secures the HDD is tightened.

System Setup

After replacing the hard drive and installing the solid state, the system should automatically detect the type of new device and install all the software necessary for it.

Another utility like Migrate OS to SSD may be needed if you need to move the operating system from an old disk to a new one.

Now you can move on to the main steps to optimize the system. These include:

  • enabling the TRIM function;
  • disable automatic disk defragmentation;
  • prohibiting indexing of files and allowing their caching.

The TRIM function, necessary in order to promptly detect the space remaining after deleting files, has been included in Windows since version 7.

If it is disabled, disk performance will degrade over time.

To check the functionality of the function, open a command prompt as an administrator and enter the fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify command.

If the result is 1, then TRIM is not working. You can enable it by calling the line again and entering fsutil behavior query|set DisableDeleteNotify = 0.

Disabling defragmentation

Defragmentation is a completely unnecessary feature for SSD drives. Moreover, in some cases, frequent execution of the process can even reduce the life of the drive.

To prevent this from happening, defragmentation is disabled using the Run menu (Win + R) and the dfrgui command. In the window that opens, schedule optimization is disabled.

Disabling indexing

To disable indexing:

  1. Open the “My Computer” window;
  2. Right-click on the disk name and select “Properties”;
  3. Remove the checkbox that allows indexing of file contents.

Caching

You can enable caching, which allows the disk to process files faster, by entering the devmgmt.msc command in the Run menu.

This will open Device Manager, where you can open the properties of the desired drive and enable file caching in the policies tab.

Fig. 11. Enable caching

Quite often, many users have a question related to how to transfer Windows 10 from HDD to SSD, since solid-state drives are much faster. Now we will look at why this is necessary, as well as some basic methods that allow this operation to be carried out without much effort and time.

Why is transfer to SSD necessary, and what benefits does the user get?

First, let's decide why we should try to do such operations at all. The whole point is that, as mentioned above, SSD-type hard drives have faster data reading speeds compared to regular HDD drives.

This suggests the simplest conclusion: after Windows 10 is transferred to an SSD drive, the system will work much faster, as they say, “fly”. It is supposed to copy only the operating system to the new hard drive, without any third-party garbage. With all this, if you give preference to some specific software products for or intended for transferring a system from HDD to SSD, in some cases you can copy only the system itself, clone Windows with all programs and user files installed in it, even create images with all user settings . Here, as is already clear, the main condition is the choice of the appropriate program depending on what you need to get in the end. But first things first.

General principles of transferring a system to an SSD drive

Let’s make a reservation right away: all those users who believe that a quick transfer of Windows 10 to an SSD can be done by simply copying all files and folders, even hidden ones, are deeply mistaken. Nothing good will come of this, and the system itself simply will not boot. Here you need to use a different technique. In this case, it is possible to use both Windows 10 and third-party software products specifically designed for this. Transferring Windows 10 to an SSD in both the first and second cases is quite simple and does not require much effort or special knowledge.

Let's consider several possible options, especially since none of them should cause difficulties even for the most unprepared or novice user, since in most cases all processes are as automated as possible.

Windows 10 Native Tools

First, let's look at the native capabilities of Windows 10. Transferring the system to an SSD drive is quite possible if you use the backup and recovery section, which can be accessed from the standard Control Panel. This is only due to the fact that in this case, Windows 10 will be transferred to an SSD without third-party programs, which greatly simplifies the task.

Here you will first need to create a system image to transfer it to a prepared drive, and then select the option to create a recovery disk from which to boot when replacing the HDD with an SSD. When the process begins, you will need to provide a link to the system image saved on the new drive. But the old hard drive needs to be disconnected to avoid troubles. If in the future you need to use the old hard drive, you should completely remove the boot partitions from it, since otherwise there is a risk of abnormal conflicts and failures. Actually, this is how Windows 10 can be transferred to an SSD on a laptop or on a stationary terminal, provided that the HDD is replaced with an SSD. Another thing is that you will have to open the laptop yourself, as they say at your own peril and risk. You can, of course, use the services of service centers, but after replacement they will transfer the system to a new hard drive themselves, and this is an extra material cost. In addition, if the laptop is under warranty, opening the seals will only lead to the fact that in the future, if there is any breakdown, no one will accept it for free warranty service. So first think carefully about whether such things are worth doing.

But reviews from users and experts about this method are mixed: some consider it the simplest, others, on the contrary, see it as unnecessary actions and are more inclined to use narrowly targeted utilities.

Most suitable utilities

It is much easier to use specialized programs that are designed specifically for such purposes. With all their diversity, some utilities of this kind are intended exclusively for hard drives of strictly certain manufacturers. So, for example, something like Acronis True Image is perfect for Western Digital drives, for Seagate hard drives the Seagate Disk Wizard utility is used, for Samsung drives the “native” Samsung Data Migration utility is suitable, etc. But the most universal, in terms of automation and security of all operations performed that will be required to carry out the migration, is Paragon Migrate OS.

Migrate Windows 10 to SSD: Paragon Migrate OS to SSD

There are quite a lot of utilities in this area among Paragon products. A special place is occupied by the software packages Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, Paragon Drive Copy 15 Professional, Paragon Disk Manager 15 Professional and “Home Expert 15”. Alas, unfortunately, these are paid utilities. However, you cannot ignore them.

Actually, the Paragon Migrate OS to SSD program itself is a real step-by-step Wizard, which is aimed at maximizing the automation of the system transfer process. Without going into the technical details of the process, we note that you can save space and time if you do not move your own documents or files to the new drive, having first unchecked them in the appropriate window. Well, the Master will almost independently perform all the necessary actions. After copying is complete, you must remember to change the BIOS settings, where the new SSD drive should be specified as the main (first) device.

Migration using Acronis True Image

Migrating Windows 10 to an Acronis True Image SSD is just as easy. But here for Western Digital hard drives it is better to use a special release of the WD Edition modification program. If your computer has a hard drive from this particular manufacturer, the application will become an indispensable assistant.

The whole process boils down to, after installing and launching the application, selecting the recommended (automatic) system transfer mode in the disk cloning section. Of course, this can take quite a lot of time. Everything here will depend on the amount of data being transferred and the speed of the old hard drive. However, the process itself is simple for a user who is not even familiar with such specifics.

Using the Seagate DiscWizard utility for Seagate drives

Here is another program for transferring Windows 10 to SSD drives. As is already clear, it should be used exclusively in cases where the computer or laptop has at least one hard drive from this manufacturer.

If we talk about how Windows 10 is transferred to an SSD, we can say that this application almost completely repeats the previous program and eliminates the user’s participation in the migration process almost one hundred percent. It goes without saying that there is an in-house Master who will carry out the entire process from start to finish.

Samsung Data Migration Program

Samsung hard drives have their own utility that works no worse than those described above.

Here, a special step-by-step Transfer Wizard is used in the same way, but the main advantage of this utility is the use of the selective data transfer mode. This is very relevant, because, you see, the size of an SSD is still much smaller than that of conventional hard drives. Well, as for the practical side, here, again, the user’s participation in the process comes down only to confirming automated actions. In most cases, you don’t even need to select any specific parameters - the program will do everything on its own.

Free Macrium Reflect app

Finally, you can migrate Windows 10 to an SSD using the free Macrium Reflect package. What is most captivating is that the program does not care at all what manufacturers’ hard drives are used as the initial and target disks.

In addition, the versatility of this software product (as evidenced by reviews of people who have used it) also lies in the fact that the program can not only clone hard drives or their partitions, but also quite simply creates boot disks and images, and also supports transferring data to based on Windows PE. Actually, this particular application can be classified as “all-in-one”.

What else should you pay attention to?

Finally, it remains to add that programs such as AOMEI Backupper Standard were not specifically considered here. Although this utility is distributed free of charge, however, when performing a transfer operation, it requires you to first create a flash drive, and only then, when loading from such media with the priority set in the BIOS, the Clone Wizard starts. However, without talking about the technical side, it can be used equally for Windows and Linux systems.

As for the choice of the means by which a solid-state hard drive will be produced, here, as they say, it is a personal matter. By the way, we did not delve particularly deeply into some aspects related to calling certain functions from the command line, because the average user, in general, does not need this. Extra headache. It’s much easier to launch a specialized utility and wait for the cloning process to complete.

What to prefer?

If you don’t have a suitable utility at hand, you can use your own Windows. Moreover, this applies not only to the “ten”, which in our case was taken as a basis. All these procedures are carried out in the same simple way in both the “seven” and the “eight”. The question here is rather different. The fact is that third-party utilities and applications work much more efficiently, at least the simplicity of the performed and, in most cases, automated actions is beyond doubt. But as for the cloning speed, you shouldn’t delude yourself - you simply cannot jump higher than the read or write speed of the desired and target hard drives. So, even if you want to finish the processes quickly, you will have to be patient.

Otherwise, even when using the system’s own tools, no one should have any difficulties. But the presence of a Wizard in almost any specialized utility allows you not only to track each step with the action being performed, but also simply not to participate in the already highly automated process. Well, unless you have to press several buttons or select the desired sections or custom folders and programs for cloning.