Replacing my laptop HDD with SSD

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carlmart

Gawd
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Sep 17, 2006
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I have an Asus N56J laptop, which is reasonably complete. Intel quad-core, 8Gb memory and Nvidia 840M video.

Unfortunately the standard drive is HDD, and asking to be updated to SSD.

The problem is this: how do I do keep the legitimate Windows 8 that came with it, which BTW allows me to a free upgrade to Windows 10?

The Asus also has a safeguard, which I don't know if I can transfer to an SSD, which allows me a clean reinstall in case any catastrophic happens.

That did happen once, when I got infected with dreadful extortion virus that locks your files and you have to pay to get them back. The files I had a separate backup for, but I had to do a clean reinstall to get the infection away.

Can anyone tell if this disk transfer is possible and how to proceed?
 
Just do a complete bit for bit clone using free software.

I use EaseUS todo free edition. It has a clone tool that is very simple and works well. I've done hundreds of migrations with it.

Just be sure not to format the old drive until you verify the new drive was cloned and boots properly.
 
If your Windows install is working just fine, cloning may be the easiest way to be up and running. Macrium Reflect for cloning. Some SSDs may come with cloning software.

Windows 8 product key is probably in the BIOS/UEFI. If you elect to do a clean install, you can probably use the Media Creation Tool for Windows 8.1 to create installation from USB flash drive and product key should be automatically picked up.
 
jmilcher said:
Just do a complete bit for bit clone using free software.

I use EaseUS todo free edition. It has a clone tool that is very simple and works well. I've done hundreds of migrations with it.

Just be sure not to format the old drive until you verify the new drive was cloned and boots properly.
Click to expand...

Of course I won't even touch the original HDD ever. It's my only protection from future problems.

Yes, I plan to do a clean install. That Media Creation Tool for Windows 8 is something that comes in the Windows I already have?
 
If you plan on doing a clean install, just get your windows 8 product key and use that when you install 10.

you don't need the Asus Recovery partition since that is just Windows 8.
 
But how do I get to install Windows 10 on the SSD just with the 8 key? The OS must be installed on the SSD, mustn't it?
 
If you have a DVD or USB thumbdrive of the lastest build of Windows 10 downloaded from Microsoft using the USB Creation Tool, you just boot off it, enter your Windows 8.x key when asked and bam. It will take the Windows 8.x key now.

The USB Creation Tool is free, the download is free. Just have to do that on another machine.
 
Here is the link,
Windows 10

I installed 10 on a dell laptop the other night using the Windows 7 key from the bottom of the laptop,
 
Here's how I do it for my rebuilds / transfers in four easy steps.

First, get one of these USB sata cables. Should be less than 10 bucks and you can re-use it over and over. Worth the investment.

Amazon.com: usb external sata cable

Second, download and install Macrium Reflect Free edition.

Third put the new SSD drive on the external USB Sata cable and plug it in

Fourth, run Macrium Reflect and choose Clone Drive

- Set the C: to the Source and the USB connected drive as Destination

- Let it run for a few hours (yep it's slow but free is free!).

When it's done just swap drives and put the original someplace safe.
 
First, get one of these USB sata cables. Should be less than 10 bucks and you can re-use it over and over. Worth the investment.
Click to expand...

I will buy the cable, even if it should take some time to get here. Can't I use an external USB HDD box?
 
carlmart said:
I will buy the cable, even if it should take some time to get here. Can't I use an external USB HDD box?
Click to expand...
you can use that as well.
I use a cable since you just plug the drive in,
paragon-migrate-00.jpg
 
Sure man, you can use whatever you have on hand. I just wanted to be step by step in case you / other reader started with nothing at all :)
 
dvsman said:
That's the same one I use, but I couldn't remember where I got it from. Good widget to have for the perpetual system builder / parts-changer.
Click to expand...
Mine came with a Crucial 256GB SSD, it was a transfer kit. I've used it a few dozen times so far.
Mine is only USB2 but I see they have USB3 ones for $10-20 at Amazon.
 
Zepher said:
Mine came with a Crucial 256GB SSD, it was a transfer kit. I've used it a few dozen times so far.
Mine is only USB2 but I see they have USB3 ones for $10-20 at Amazon.
Click to expand...

Haha so that's where I must have got it from. I have 4x Crucial M4s 256gb laying around my bench from the past few years (btw: they are like tanks, still chugging along perfectly!). Also the USB2 thing explains why it takes so frigging long, never thought to look into that. I might have to pony up some money for the newer USB3 version and see if that speeds things up a bit.
 
dvsman said:
Haha so that's where I must have got it from. I have 4x Crucial M4s 256gb laying around my bench from the past few years (btw: they are like tanks, still chugging along perfectly!). Also the USB2 thing explains why it takes so frigging long, never thought to look into that. I might have to pony up some money for the newer USB3 version and see if that speeds things up a bit.
Click to expand...

My M4's are still chugging away as well, the 128 is my system drive and it's really low on space,
crucial-128-256-ssd-life-5-2016.jpg
 
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