How can one get an install of Windows 8 onto an SSD? (hard drive, bios)
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Basically I've got a new computer which came with Windows 8. I bought an SSD at the same time and I've installed it. I've managed to create a "clone" of Windows 8.
However I can't get it to load there. The BIOS detects the SSD, and also it's detected in the regular windows C: drive.
I messed around with some program called "EasyBCD" and was able to get to the point where I had a dual boot screen that let me boot Windows 8 or "Windows 8 (SSD)" (that's what I called the "clone"). The "Windows 8 (SSD)" went to a black screen and hung for two minutes, so I stopped it and went back.
Is there anyway to do this?
If the only way is to buy Windows Pro disc, I can wipe out/format the SSD drive again and do a clean install on the SSD I'll do it grudgingly I suppose--but can that be done when Windows is already in the system on other drives?
By the way the computer is brand new. I figure I might as well mess around before there's valuable data on the machine to worry about.
I had nothing but problems with Windows 8 when I tried to downgrade to Win7. Make sure secureboot is enabled in the BIOS and make sure the boot manager in the bios see's the SSD (unplug the regular hard drive). Also from what I read, a fair number of cloning applications, if not all of them, cannot clone a GPT formatted drive.
You can't do a standard clone from an HDD to an SSD, you won't have proper sector alignment. Unless you use a cloning app that is SSD aware and will do it properly (along with it being GPT aware). There's a procedure you need to follow to do it correctly. There's plenty of tutorials for Windows 7 online, haven't found one for you for Windows 8 yet.
You can't do a standard clone from an HDD to an SSD, you won't have proper sector alignment. Unless you use a cloning app that is SSD aware and will do it properly (along with it being GPT aware). There's a procedure you need to follow to do it correctly. There's plenty of tutorials for Windows 7 online, haven't found one for you for Windows 8 yet.
It's a few weeks old though.
I'm a student, so i might be able to get Windows Pro disc for a discount. Is a clean boot to the SSD from a Microsoft disc a viable (and simple) option on the machine?
Is there anything I have to do to the SSD before I go that route? (remember there's a mirror of my c:/ drive sitting on it right now).
I'm a student, so i might be able to get Windows Pro disc for a discount. Is a clean boot to the SSD from a Microsoft disc a viable (and simple) option on the machine?
Is there anything I have to do to the SSD before I go that route? (remember there's a mirror of my c:/ drive sitting on it right now).
If you go the clean install route with a genuine MS Windows 8 DVD, you will want to delete all of the current partitions on the drive, then create a new one during the initial Windows 8 setup, this will create a properly aligned partition, then just do the install as usual.
Also a note - Windows 8, using GPT, will create more than one partition because of UEFI. Completely normal, but best done on a completely clean disk/SSD. That's where I ran into trouble installing Windows 7, it doesn't boot off the CD/DVD in native UEFI mode. Worked great once I set it up to boot off the right file on the DVD. I'm pretty sure Win8 boots off the disc in UEFI though.
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