• operating system ssd. Optimal SSD drive setup

    Hello! Decide to prepare an article in which to talk about how to properly install Windows 7 on an SSD drive, and how to configure Windows 7 on an SSD drive after installation so that it works for a long time and without problems. I recently bought a laptop, took Asus K56CM and immediately bought an SSD drive for it OCZ Vertex 4 by 128 GB, I really wanted to feel all the speed that an SSD gives.

    In our case, the laptop / computer model and SSD drive does not matter, my instructions can be said to be universal. I will write what needs to be done right after SSD installations drive to your computer and how to set up the operating system after installing it on an SSD.
    If this is your first time with an SSD, then you are probably wondering why there is such attention to tuning. operating system for these drives compared to conventional hard drives. I will now explain everything in simple terms.

    SSD drives have a limited time to failure compared to hard drives. Simply put, they have a certain number of rewrites. Now I will not say what this number is, it is different and what is true and what is not, it is difficult to understand. For example, for my OCZ Vertex 4, it was written in the specifications that the time to failure was 2 million hours. And the operating system writes a lot during operation, deletes and writes again various temporary files, etc. Services such as defragmentation, indexing, etc. serve to speed up the system on normal hard drives. And they only harm SSD drives and reduce the lines of their service.

    In fact, installing windows 7 on ssd almost no different from the installation on HDD. But after installation, you will need to make some settings in Windows work 7, but there is nothing complicated there either, we will do everything using the utility SSD Mini Tweaker 2.1.

    What should I do before installing Windows 7 on an SSD drive?

    Well, first you need to install an SSD drive in a laptop or on a computer, it doesn’t matter. I will not describe this process. There is nothing complicated in this, and this is a topic for another article. Let's say that you have already installed a solid state drive, or it has already been installed.

    If you use a regular hard drive next to an SSD drive in your computer, then I advise you for a while Windows installation 7 disable it, this is so that you do not get confused when choosing a partition for installing the OS, but this is not necessary.

    All that needs to be done before installation is to check if our solid state drive is working in AHCI. To do this, go to BIOS, if you don’t know how, read the article How to enter BIOS. Next, go to the tab “Advanced” and choose the item SATA Configuration.

    Choose an item sata mode selection, a window will open in which we select AHCI(if you had another mode enabled). Click F10 to save the settings.

    You are now ready to install Windows 7. Installing to an SSD is the same as installing to a hard drive. I just want to give you one piece of advice:

    Try to install the original image of the Windows 7 or Windows 8 operating system. I advise you to install only one of these operating systems, because only seven and eight can work with SSD drives. Do not use different assemblies, and if you install build Windows 7, or Windows 8 downloaded from the Internet, then try to choose an image close to the original.

    Installing the operating system. You may find the following articles helpful:

    • How to record Windows image to disk? We create installation disk with Windows 7 (XP, Vista, 8)
    • How to set BIOS to boot from a drive or flash drive
    • How to install Windows 7
    • How to break new hard disk when installing Windows 7
    • Installing Windows 8 as a second system alongside Windows 7 on the same computer

    After the operating system is installed, you can proceed to Windows setup for SSD.

    Setting up Windows 7 to work with an SSD drive

    More precisely, Windows 7 will work anyway, our task is to make sure that our solid state drive lasts as long as possible and without various errors.

    As I wrote at the beginning of the article, for Windows optimizations for a solid state drive, we will use the SSD Mini Tweaker utility. You can disable all unnecessary options manually, but in SSD program Mini Tweaker can do it all in a few clicks. Manually, you will need to disable only the indexing of files on local drives.

    We need to download SSD Mini Tweaker first. Download version 2.1 from the link below:

    SSD Mini Tweaker 2.1 Versions for x32 and x64.

    The program does not need to be installed, just extract from the archive and run.

    Launch the SSD Mini Tweaker utility.

    You can mark all the items with checkmarks, more precisely it is not possible but necessary. I checked all the items, except that you can leave only SuperFetch, disabling this service can increase the startup time of programs. Tick ​​off desired services, and click the Apply Changes button. Almost everything, in the same utility there is an item “Manually”, which means that you need to manually disable services. There are two of them, scheduled disk defragmentation and indexing the contents of files on the disk.

    If scheduled defragmentation turns off automatically after the changes we made, then file indexing on the disk must be turned off manually on each local partition.

    Disable indexing of the contents of files on disk

    We go to "My Computer", and right-click on one of the local drives. Select "Properties".

    A window will open in which you need to uncheck the box “Allow the contents of files on this drive to be indexed in addition to file properties”. Click "Apply".

    Another window will appear, click OK.

    We are waiting for the completion of the process.

    When you do this procedure on drive C, then most likely a message will appear stating that you do not have rights to modify system files. I just clicked “Skip All”, I think if I skip a few files, then nothing bad will happen.

    That's all, Windows setup under the solid state drive is finished. You know, many say that these are different myths, you don’t need to turn off anything, etc. Maybe so, but if it was invented, then it means it is necessary and I think that in any case it won’t hurt.

    It seems that he wrote everything he wanted, if you have additions, comments, or something is not clear, then write in the comments, we'll figure it out. Good luck!

    If you have purchased a new hard drive or solid state SSD drive for your computer, it is very likely that a great desire to engage reinstalling Windows, drivers and all programs you do not have. In this case, you can clone or otherwise transfer Windows to another drive, not only the operating system itself, but everything installed components, programs and more. A separate instruction for 10 installed on a GPT disk in UEFI system: .

    Acronis True Image WD Edition

    Probably the most popular brand hard drives in our country - western digital and if at least one of established rigid disks on your computer from that manufacturer, the program Acronis True Image WD Edition is what you need.

    The program supports all current and not so operating systems: Windows 10, 8, Windows 7 and XP, there is a Russian language. You can download True Image WD Edition from official page Western Digital: http://support.wdc.com/downloads.aspx?lang=en

    After a simple installation and launch of the program, in the main window, select the item “Disk cloning. Copy partitions from one disk to another. The action is available both for hard drives and if you need to transfer the OS to an SSD.

    In the next window, you will need to select the cloning mode - automatic or manual, automatic is suitable for most tasks. When it is selected, all partitions and data from the source disk are copied to the target (if there was something on the target disk, it will be deleted), after which the target disk is made bootable, that is, Windows or other operating systems will start from it, as well as earlier.

    After selecting the source and destination disk, the transfer of data from one disk to another will begin, which may take quite a while. long time(it all depends on the speed of the disk and the amount of data).

    Seagate DiscWizard

    In fact, Seagate DiscWizard is full copy previous program, only for it to work it needs at least one hard drive Seagate on a computer.

    All actions that allow you to transfer Windows to another drive and completely clone it are similar to Acronis True Image WD Edition (in fact, this is the same program), the interface is the same.

    Download Seagate program DiscWizard you can from the official website http://www.seagate.com/ru/ru/support/downloads/discwizard/

    Samsung Data Migration

    The Samsung Data Migration program is designed specifically for Windows Migration and data on a Samsung branded SSD from any other drive. So, if you are the owner of such a solid state drive, this is what you need.

    The migration process is done in the form of a wizard with several steps. At the same time, in latest versions programs are possible not only full cloning disk with operating systems and files, but also selective data transfer, which may be relevant, given that SSD dimensions still less than today's hard drives.

    The Samsung Data Migration program in Russian is available on the official website http://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools.html

    How to transfer Windows from HDD to SSD (or other HDD) in Aomei Partition Assistant Standard Edition

    Another one demon paid program, besides in Russian, which allows you to conveniently transfer the operating system from a hard drive to a solid state drive or to new HDD- Aomei Partition Assistant Standard Edition.

    Note: this way only works for Windows 10, 8 and 7 installed on an MBR disk on computers with BIOS (or UEFI and Legacy boot) when trying to transfer the OS from GPT disk, the program reports that it cannot do this (maybe a simple copying of disks to Aomei will work here, but it was not possible to experiment - failures when rebooting to complete the operation, despite the disabled secure boot and verification digital signature drivers).

    The steps for copying the system to another drive are simple and I think even a novice user will understand:


    If everything goes well, then at the end you will receive a copy of the system that you can boot from your new SSD or hard drive.

    You can download Aomei Partition Assistant Standard Edition for free from the official website http://www.disk-partition.com/free-partition-manager.html

    Transferring Windows 10, 8 and Windows 7 to another drive in Minitool Partition Wizard Bootable

    Minitool Partition Wizard Free, along with Aomei Partition Assistant Standard, I would classify as one of the best free programs for working with disks and partitions. One of the advantages of the product from Minitool is the availability of a fully functional boot ISO image Partition Wizard on the official website (free Aomei allows you to create a demo image with important features disabled).

    Having written down this image to a disk or flash drive (the developers recommend using Rufus for this) and booting your computer from it, you can transfer Windows or another system to another hard drive or SSD, and in this case we will not be hindered by possible OS restrictions, since it is not running.

    Note: I checked system cloning to another disk in Minitool Partition Wizard Free only without EFI boot and only on MBR disks(Windows 10 was transferred), I can’t vouch for performance in EFI / GPT systems (I couldn’t get the program to work in this mode, despite disabled Secure Boot, but it seems to be a bug specifically on my hardware).

    The process of transferring the system to another disk consists of the following steps:


    When finished, you can close the Minitool Partition Wizard, restart your computer, and set to boot from the new disk that the system was transferred to: in my test (as I mentioned, BIOS + MBR, Windows 10), everything went well and the system booted no matter how than happened with the disconnected source disk.

    Download for free boot image Minitool Partition Wizard Free is available from the official website https://www.partitionwizard.com/partition-wizard-bootable-cd.html

    Macrium Reflect

    The free Macrium Reflect program allows you to clone entire drives (both hard drives and SSDs) or individual partitions, regardless of what brand your drive is. In addition, you can create an image of a separate disk partition (including Windows) and later use it to restore the system. It also supports the creation of bootable recovery discs on Windows base PE.

    After starting the program in the main window, you will see a list of connected hard drives and SSDs. Select the disk where the operating system is located and click "Clone this disk" (Clone this disk).

    On next step in the “Source” item, the source hard drive will already be selected, and in the “Destination” item, you will need to specify the one to which you want to transfer the data. You can also select only individual partitions on the disk to copy. Everything else happens automatically and is not difficult even for a novice user.

    Official download site: http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

    Additional Information

    Once you've migrated Windows and files, don't forget to either set boot from new disk in BIOS or disable old disk from a computer.

    You can install an SSD in a laptop in several ways, depending on the purpose of using solid state storage. The device can be used as a primary and secondary storage space. Many users use a solid state storage device as a system drive, which can significantly speed up Windows.

    Installing an SSD in a laptop

    New models of solid-state storage devices have a large amount of memory for storing multimedia files and resource-intensive programs.

    Choosing an SSD drive for a laptop

    The standard SSD has a 2.5″ form factor, which is compatible with laptop HDD dimensions. When choosing a model, it is worth paying attention to this criterion. The drive must be connected to the SATA interface. Modern technologies provide the ability to use multiple file storage in a laptop, which expands the choice.

    To install the operating system, models with a memory capacity of up to 120 GB are purchased. Such a solution has affordable price and 5-6 times faster system boot and work-related operations system files. Larger solid state storage is designed to store multimedia files high quality and work with resource-intensive programs.

    Replacing HDD with SSD

    For replacement hard disk to a modern analogue, it is necessary to disassemble the laptop. For this you will need a Phillips screwdriver. In most laptop models, the HDD is located immediately under the back cover - unscrew the mounting bolts and carefully detach the cover.

    Slowly remove the HDD by pulling it in the direction indicated by the directional arrow. An SSD, like a standard HDD, connects to a SATA interface. Install the drive into the 2.5″ hard drive slot and secure the laptop cover with screws.

    This solution allows you to install a modern storage device as the main file storage. Install the operating system on the new device, and further setup of the storage device will be described below.

    Installing an SSD instead of a drive

    Modern technology, the presence of the necessary adapters, allows you to install an SSD in the optical drive slot. This solution allows you to expand the space on your laptop and save data from the old HDD drive. You can use several file storages at the same time.

    To install a solid state drive instead of a drive, you will need to purchase an additional adapter - SATA 2nd HDD Caddy for Laptop. When ordering an adapter, check compatibility with your laptop model. Removal is required to install the adapter. back cover laptop.

    Some models restrict access to the drive, which forces a deep disassembly of the laptop. Follow the instructions to maintain the integrity of the hull and successfully disassemble.

    Remove the drive and connect the adapter. The adapter supports 2.5″ form factor drives.

    Reassemble the laptop case.

    Setting up an SSD drive

    After replacement HDD on SSD or install additional drive you need to make further settings in the operating system. If the solid state drive is used as a disk for the operating system, you need to configure the disk boot.

    Enter bios in BOOT section and move the desired disk to the first position. The operating system will automatically boot Windows from the required drive.

    Configuring and disabling services in Windows

    The Windows family of operating systems is designed to work primarily with HDD drives, which have some fundamental differences. SSD work. To improve the performance and life of your device, you need to make a number of changes to your Windows settings.

    Disable hard drive defragmentation

    Defragmenting your hard drive speeds up HDD work, optimizing its logical structure for fast reading data. For SSD, this function is not needed, on the contrary, it can harm the solid state drive. You can disable defragmentation by executing the command in the "Start menu - run - dfrgui «

    IN early versions Windows 10 and subsequent updates, this section was called "Disk Optimization", where defragmentation was redesigned under modern systems. In Windows 10, you do not need to disable this process.

    Disabling the paging file

    If there is enough random access memory it is recommended to disable the paging file, which has a positive effect on speed work hard disk.

    To perform this operation, you need to open the performance settings. Select "No paging file".

    Enabling the TRIM function

    The Windows family, starting with version 7, began to actively support working with solid state drives. The developers have added a TRIM function that interacts with the SSD drive. The system sends information about unused blocks to be deleted. This speeds up system performance and extends the life of the device.

    You can check the activity of the service in the following way:

    1. Open Command Prompt
    2. Copy the command fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify
    3. The received response must contain the value DisableDeleteNotify = 0 or DisableDeleteNotify = 1. If the received value is 0, the TRIM function is active, if the value is 1, TRIM is not functioning.

    This feature is enabled in Windows 7 and newer versions by default.

    Disabling hibernation - sleep mode

    The system startup speed on an SSD drive is 5-6 times faster than on an HDD. The sleep mode feature is no longer relevant when using a solid state drive. Hibernation mode creates a system writable file. Disabling this feature simplifies system operation and optimizes device performance.

    Disabling file indexing

    File indexing happens all the time and creates a writable file that could theoretically shorten the time SSD services disk.

    Disabling indexing will not affect the speed of searching for files, since the SSD has high speed work with files. You can turn off indexing in the following way:

    • Open the "My Computer" shortcut;
    • Open the properties of the required disk;
    • Uncheck the "Allow the contents of files to be indexed..." tab.

    Installing a modern storage device not only speeds up the system, but also requires care and detailed tuning.

    Many users have personal computers often the question arises how install Windows 10 on an SSD. To answer this question, we have prepared a material in which we describe in detail the process of installing dozens from scratch on an SSD.

    Preparing a bootable USB drive to install Windows 10

    First of all, we need create bootable USB stick , from which we will install the operating system on the SSD.

    Therefore, if you have a boxed Windows version with a disc, then feel free to skip this instruction. For creating boot drive with ten we need proprietary utility from Microsoft called Media Creation Tool. Download this portable version programs can be found on Microsoft's Internet resource - www.microsoft.com. After downloading, we need a USB drive with a capacity of 4 GB or more. In our case, this is a 16 GB USB drive. By running the program, we will get to its start window.

    In this window, the developers ask us to accept license agreement with Microsoft. We will agree and click the Accept button. This action will take us to the next step.

    In this window, we are interested in the second item, which will allow us to create our bootable flash drive. Select this item and move on to the next window.

    Here we must select the options for the Windows 10 to be installed. In our case, this is the 64-bit home edition. By clicking the Next button, we will be taken to the selection window for the boot device to be created.

    You can choose from a USB flash drive and a regular DVD. Let's stop on the flash drive and move on to the next step.

    Now select our flash drive from the list and continue.

    At this stage, the download and installation on a USB flash drive will begin. necessary files to make it bootable. Once the installation is complete and downloaded, our USB drive will be ready.

    Choosing a system for an SSD drive

    To get from solid state SSD drive maximum performance, your PC or laptop must have the following characteristics:

    It should be borne in mind that when installing Windows 10, AHCI mode must be activated.

    Consider activating this mode on desktop computer With motherboard MSI A68HM-P33 And AMD processor Kaveri A10-7850K. MSI A68HM-P33 motherboard is built on chipset A68H which has support SATA 3.0. For activation of AHCI mode we need to go to motherboard BIOS MSI A68HM-P33 boards. To do this, when starting the computer, press the DEL button.

    Now let's go to the right tab "".

    On this tab, we are interested in the item “”, on which we will go.

    In the tab that opens, we are interested in the last item “”, on which we will go.

    On this tab, we are interested in the block “ SATA configuration” and the first slot SATA to which the SSD is connected. The figure shows that the AHCI mode is already selected. To set this mode, just click on this item with the mouse.

    Similarly, you can enable AHCI mode on other laptop and desktop motherboards.

    It is also worth noting that on most new PCs, AHCI mode is set by default. But if, for example, the old computer had Windows XP, then in this case SATA port will work in IDE mode.

    Installing Windows 10 on a new SSD drive

    After setting the AHCI mode in the computer on the mother MSI board A68HM-P33, let's try to install Windows 10 on it on an SSD drive. To do this, boot from the flash drive we prepared earlier.

    In the first window, select the language settings and move on to the next one, in which we click the Install button.

    At the next stage, we will accept the license agreement.

    In the window that appears, we are prompted to update or install Windows 10 from scratch. We will focus on the second point, which will allow us to install Windows 10 on a blank SSD.

    In the disk selection and editing window, create new section using the Create button as shown below.

    After creating the partition, let's move on to the direct installation of Windows 10.

    The example shows that installing Windows 10 on an SSD drive is no different from installing on an HDD. It is also worth noting that the top ten is a new operating system that is adapted for SSD drives. It follows from this that you do not need to perform system tuning to extend the life of the SSD. For example, in top ten, automatic defragmentation is disabled for an SSD drive. Installing Windows 7 on an SSD is almost the same as the process described above. But after installing Windows 7, it will have to be optimized to extend the life of the SSD, for example, disable automatic defragmentation.

    So that our readers do not have to search the web for information about optimizing Windows for SSDs, there is an article on our website “”. In this article, you will find all the subtleties of setting up to extend the life of an SSD, including how to disable automatic defragmentation in your laptop or desktop PC.

    Should you install Windows XP on an SSD?

    Quite often, PC users have a question: will Windows XP work on an SSD. Before answering this question, I would like to warn our reader.

    Firstly, Windows XP is very old An OS that is no longer supported by Microsoft itself. Also for Windows XP new drivers and programs are not released. For example, the Chrome browser has not been released for XP for a long time. All this is fraught with consequences in which the system susceptible to all sorts of virus attacks.

    Secondly, Windows XP was released at a time when SSD drives did not exist yet. It follows from this that she not designed to work with them. Of course, you can find many installation instructions for Windows XP on the net, but we strongly advise against doing this. Then you will have legitimate question how to use software, which only works in XP. The virtual machine will help to solve this situation. For example, using VirtualBox programs, you can create virtual machine in Windows 10 and run Windows XP on it.

    How not to harm an SSD drive

    Initially, the purpose of the new device is to increase the speed of your PC, however, every user wants his equipment to last as long as possible. An article on our site with will help you understand how to extend the life of your SSD. Next, we will also touch on some important points.

    Many PC users have been accustomed to defragmenting local drives since the days of Windows XP. If the user installs the top ten on the SSD, then there is no need to look for where to turn off automatic defragmentation in the settings, since the OS will not use this feature. But many PC users are accustomed to defragmenting with third-party utilities that are not part of Windows. Therefore, we advise you to abandon this habit of defragmentation when an SSD is installed in the system. Also disable the schedule in such programs that performs defragmentation at the specified time.

    An inquisitive user will certainly wonder: why does Windows 10 disable defragmentation, and how does it affect third party utilities. The answer to this question is simple - each SSD has a limited number of write cycles, so by defragmenting, you reduce the number of write cycles much faster.

    We figured out defragmentation, now let's try to figure out what harm the SSD does formatting and erasing information on the disk. Complete formatting an SSD drive in the same way as in the case of defragmentation, reduces the number of rewrite cycles.

    If you need to change file system on an SSD drive, we recommend using a quick defragmentation.

    Concerning overwriting information methods such as DOD, NSA and Gutmann, that is only useful for HDDs. The fact is that all SSD drives have TRIM function, which allows the OS to completely erase deleted files without the possibility of recovery.

    Summing up

    In this article, we tried to describe in detail the process of installing Windows 10 on a PC. From the material it becomes clear that installing dozens on an SSD is practically no different from installing Windows 7 and 8. The only thing to consider when using a bunch of SSD + Windows 10 is a computer that must match the parameters of solid state drives.

    For example, if you use an SSD with a SATA 2 port instead of a SATA 3 port, then you will limit the speed of your SSD to 300M/s. We hope that thanks to our material, you can easily install Windows 10 on an SSD drive.

    Related videos

    SSD drives are becoming more and more popular. This is due to an increase in their reliability, a decrease in cost and an improvement in the characteristics that they possess. Therefore, it is great for installing the operating system. But in order not to reinstall it again, you can transfer Windows 10 from HDD to SSD, keeping all the data.

    Why transfer?

    If you decide to use the SSD as a storage drive for data (photos, video or audio files), this controversial issue because these devices have a limited overwrite limit. Heavy use will wear it out very quickly, unlike the HDD that has served me well for over 10 years and is still in excellent condition. But it has an interface SATA connections II, small buffer size and low response time. Therefore, it was decided to purchase an SSD to transfer Windows 10 to it.

    SSD drives are great for OS installation because they have the following advantages:

    • high read/write speed;
    • silent operation;
    • low heat dissipation.

    In addition, Windows is "static files" that do not require constant overwriting, but only reading. Therefore, if you install the OS on a solid state drive, it will speed up its work at times and at the same time the resource of the device itself will be used very slowly.

    Another reason why I decided to install an SSD in my PC was participation in the insider program.

    Microsoft releases a new build for Fast Ring about once a week. It took about 1-1.5 hours to install it on an old HDD. If you add time to this Windows startup- about 1.5-2 minutes, it becomes clear that the decision has long been suggested by itself.

    Choosing an SSD

    Details on how to choose an SSD drive for a computer are described in the article "". In my case, three parameters were priority:

    • the number of rewrite cycles to failure;
    • memory type;
    • manufacturer.

    In terms of capacity, if you're only going to use the SSD for installing Windows 10, look for models 120GB or larger.

    Why you should not buy 64 GB drives?

    There are several reasons.

    1. For stable and normal operation The SSD drive should have up to 20% left on it free space from the total volume. If you use a 64 GB model (in fact, its volume will be slightly less - 58-60 GB), available for active use will be only 40-45 GB. Microsoft's recommendation for free disk space for Windows 10 is 16 GB for 32-bit and 20 GB for 64-bit. And this is already half of the indicated space.
    2. After installing a new build or windows updates 10 per system drive there is a copy of the old OS that is used during recovery. This is an additional 15-20 GB.
    3. An ordinary user, in addition to a browser and audio and video players, uses various programs, utilities. To install them, you also need a lot of space (for me it is about 8 GB). For a gamer or person involved in video processing, you will need even more free space on the system drive.

    Therefore, in modern conditions The minimum amount of SSD used in the device to install the OS is 120 GB.

    Connection and setup

    The migration process will be shown using the example of a solid state drive.

    1. Turn off the computer → unplug it from the mains by unplugging it from the socket → press and hold the power button on the PC for 4 seconds (this will completely turn off the power to the device).
    2. Open the case and install the SSD. In the new cases, there are bays for installing SSDs in the 2.5-inch form factor. Older models do not have them, so you can use a special adapter frame.
    3. Connect power and SATA cable to the SSD → close the case.
    4. Turn on the computer → enter the BIOS → set the SSD drive mode to AHCI → save the changes and start Windows 10.
    5. RMB on the Start menu → Disk Management.

      Important! The table at the bottom of the window displays the connected SSD. It will be marked in black and labeled "Unallocated".


    6. RMB on SSD → Create Simple Volume → Next.
    7. Install maximum size simple volume→ Next.
    8. Select a volume letter → Next.
    9. Set the radio button to "Format this volume as follows" → leave all default values ​​→ Next → Finish.

    After that, Explorer will display new disk under the letter that you set in the settings.

    Transfer Windows 10

    To transfer Windows 10 to a solid state drive, a program was used that has a large set of functions. The choice fell on her due to the fact that a key for free activation was supplied with the SSD. The program is paid, so it's not for everyone.

    There are other programs (paid and free) that can be used to transfer (clone/copy) a Windows partition to another drive:

    • Seagate DiscWizard (works if a drive from Seagate is installed in the device);
    • Samsung Data Migration (designed to work with solid state drives Samsung);
    • Macrium Reflect is a free program for cloning an entire disk or its individual parts, which has an English interface;
    • Paragon Drive Copy is a paid program that has wide functionality.

    The interface of all programs is different, but the algorithm of operation is the same: they transfer data from one disk to another while maintaining all the settings. You do not need to study the instructions for their work - everything is done so that the user intuitively understands what he is doing.

    1. Launch Acronis True Image → Tools → Clone Disk.
    2. Select cloning mode: automatic or manual.

      Good to know! In order not to worry that you will do something wrong, select the "automatic" mode and the program itself will transfer all data from one disk to another. In this case, the SSD drive must be no less than the amount of data stored on the HDD. To configure the migration settings, select the manual setting.

      I chose the "manual" clone mode to transfer only the OS.

    3. Specify the source disk from which the data will be cloned.
    4. Specify the disk to transfer information.
    5. Exclude files that do not need to be cloned to the SSD. To transfer only the disk with the OS, check the boxes on the files on the remaining disks to exclude.

      Important! The process of counting information may take long time(about 15-20 minutes).

    6. Change the disk structure if necessary. In my case, it was left unchanged.
    7. View all inputs → Proceed.

    After completing the preliminary operations, the program will ask you to restart your computer. Then, instead of starting the OS, a window will open Acronis software True Image which will display the cloning process. Wait for the operation to complete and then the computer will turn off.

    Choosing a Primary Disk in the BIOS


    OS setup after migration

    For more information on how to set up an SSD drive after installation on a computer, see the article "". In general, you need to check the following parameters:

    • whether the TRIM function is enabled;
    • whether disk defragmentation is disabled (it is not needed due to the nature of solid state drives);
    • whether file indexing is disabled.

    As for the hibernation file, many advise disabling it in order to reduce the amount of information written to the SSD drive in order to extend its “life”. I did not turn it off, because I often use this mode at work. But you can do as you see fit.

    Please note that due to the settings that I specified during cloning, disks will be created on the SSD, as it was on the HDD. You can merge them in the Disk Management utility.


    Delete Windows files 10 placed on the HDD by formatting this disk. This will eliminate confusion in the future and free up space for storing files.

    Results

    Parameter Before After
    Time Windows boot 10 1.5-2 minutes 17-20 seconds
    Windows 10 update time 1-1.5 hours 20-30 minutes
    Response time of programs/applications low (3-15 seconds) high (1-5 seconds)
    Data copying speed (within a single drive) 50 Mb/s 300 Mbps

    In addition, in the program Winaero WEI tool, which calculates the performance of the OS (similar to how the system score is determined in Windows 7), the Primary hard drive» increased from 5.6 to 7.95. (how else can you determine the performance of the OS in the article “is 3 years with an indicator of the total number of bytes written is 113 TB. The volume is quite large. BUT!

    Much more information is written to disk every day than you might think. This is service information, wear leveling algorithms. Thanks to them, the same blocks of SSD memory are not constantly overwritten. Periodically, unused (or infrequently used) files are migrated to areas of the drive that are actively used. Free place, which appeared after the reallocation, is used after that to record new information. This is a cyclical process that happens all the time.

    As a result, in the worst case, 1 GB of useful data accounts for 1.5 GB of recorded information. Plus the data cache in browsers and other information. As a result, on average, about 15 GB of information is recorded daily on the SSD. But even with such indicators, the resource of a solid-state drive will last for about 15-18 years.

    For people who actively write/erase data, this figure will be much less. But even in this case, the relevance of the purchased SSD model will disappear faster than it fails. So stop believing in the myth that solid state drives unreliable! In modern conditions, they optimal choice to install Windows 10.