SSD advice for laptop

[vorticalbox]

I wouldn't recommend any sort of cloning, just back stuff up to your desktop/external HDD, reinstall everything and move the files back.

I am not sure how windows currently deals with it, but for example with Windows 7 the installation won't be optimised for SSD use and fixing it requires fiddling with registry.

if the OS was installed in IDE mode when you change to ACHI for SSD windows won't boot (or didn't for me).

i totally agrree with the back up and refresh install.

 

[SuB]

I wouldn't recommend any sort of cloning, just back stuff up to your desktop/external HDD, reinstall everything and move the files back.

I am not sure how windows currently deals with it, but for example with Windows 7 the installation won't be optimised for SSD use and fixing it requires fiddling with registry.

It's fine really, you just have to change some settings, but a fresh install won't hurt.

if the OS was installed in IDE mode when you change to ACHI for SSD windows won't boot (or didn't for me).

i totally agrree with the back up and refresh install.

There's a registry key you need to change before you change to ACHI mode if you installed in IDE mode, do that before switching the bios and it should be fine.

 

[vorticalbox]

There's a registry key you need to change before you change to ACHI mode if you installed in IDE mode, do that before switching the bios and it should be fine.

wish I knew that about a year a go lol

 

[SuB]

wish I knew that about a year a go lol

google is your friend

 

[QuietOne]

In the bios it's set to ahci mode so I'm guessing the os is installed in ahci mode. I ordered two items from scan. The USB stick was ordered later than the ssd but the USB has been dispatched. The ssd is still stuck on awaiting for order to be picked.

I'm pretty sure when I ordered the ssd it said buy or whatever but after completing the order it comes up with pre-order.

 

[vorticalbox]

google is your friend

not while my computer isn't booting ^_^

 

[NeverBackDown]

In the bios it's set to ahci mode so I'm guessing the os is installed in ahci mode. I ordered two items from scan. The USB stick was ordered later than the ssd but the USB has been dispatched. The ssd is still stuck on awaiting for order to be picked.

I'm pretty sure when I ordered the ssd it said buy or whatever but after completing the order it comes up with pre-order.

If you want to check you can always do so in device manager. If the drive has AHCI in the same line as itself then it is in AHCI mode.

 

[QuietOne]

If you want to check you can always do so in device manager. If the drive has AHCI in the same line as itself then it is in AHCI mode.

I guess it isn't as my Device Manager shows.

 

[NeverBackDown]

If you would like to check inside the registry to make sure it is running in AHCI mode you can do that too. Here are the steps(applies to win7 since i'm unsure of how w8 will work with it, may be why it doesn't display AHCI in device manager for you?)

1.Exit all Windows-based programs.
2.Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
3.If you receive the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue.
4.Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Msahci
5.In the right pane, right-click Start in the Name column, and then click Modify.
6.In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK(if it is already 0 then read my very last line).
7.On the File menu, click Exit to close Registry Editor.

After that you would need to reboot and go into bios and enable AHCI. When you log back into windows it should automatically start downloading the AHCI drivers.

If the value is already set to 0 then it is currently running in AHCI mode so no need to continue

 

[QuietOne]

If you would like to check inside the registry to make sure it is running in AHCI mode you can do that too. Here are the steps(applies to win7 since i'm unsure of how w8 will work with it, may be why it doesn't display AHCI in device manager for you?)

1.Exit all Windows-based programs.
2.Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
3.If you receive the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue.
4.Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Msahci
5.In the right pane, right-click Start in the Name column, and then click Modify.
6.In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK(if it is already 0 then read my very last line).
7.On the File menu, click Exit to close Registry Editor.

After that you would need to reboot and go into bios and enable AHCI. When you log back into windows it should automatically start downloading the AHCI drivers.

If the value is already set to 0 then it is currently running in AHCI mode so no need to continue

In Win8 there is no entry in the registry for Msahci. The only one they have is MsSCSI. Thanks for posting the guide though.

 

[RamboOC]

It's fine really, you just have to change some settings, but a fresh install won't hurt.



There's a registry key you need to change before you change to ACHI mode if you installed in IDE mode, do that before switching the bios and it should be fine.

You still wont get all the features of AHCI by doing that

 

[SuB]

You still wont get all the features of AHCI by doing that

no not all of them, but the point is it will boot.

The rest of the features can be enabled via cmd line

 

[Wraith]

If you would like to check inside the registry to make sure it is running in AHCI mode you can do that too. Here are the steps(applies to win7 since i'm unsure of how w8 will work with it, may be why it doesn't display AHCI in device manager for you?)

1.Exit all Windows-based programs.
2.Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
3.If you receive the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue.
4.Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Msahci
5.In the right pane, right-click Start in the Name column, and then click Modify.
6.In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK(if it is already 0 then read my very last line).
7.On the File menu, click Exit to close Registry Editor.

After that you would need to reboot and go into bios and enable AHCI. When you log back into windows it should automatically start downloading the AHCI drivers.

If the value is already set to 0 then it is currently running in AHCI mode so no need to continue

You sir have just solved my long suffering problem.

 

[kbalaz]

Samsung drives (my 840 EVO arrives today for my laptop) usually come with a disc that has Samsung Migration software, it isn't Norton. Also Samsung Magician which will optimize the drive. If it doesn't you can also download both programs from Samsungs website. Also check if there are any updates for the drive before you install anything on it as well.

 

[NeverBackDown]

In Win8 there is no entry in the registry for Msahci. The only one they have is MsSCSI. Thanks for posting the guide though.

I am sorry then. I don't have Win8 so I can't really help further... google is your friend though

You sir have just solved my long suffering problem.

Well glad to see my advice helped somebody