Samsung Series 5 -- iSSD and cloning HDD into SSD instead of new installation

Hi, I've read the thread about exchanging the HDD for a SSD, and subsequent problems installing win from USB (hence needing an external DVD) due to the iSSD. Do you think that I can avoid troubles with the iSSD by doing one of the following (cloning instead of installing):

Image the current HDD win 8 installation+files to an external USB drive;
attach the USB drive and the new, empty SSD to my desktop computer;
copy the image from the USB drive into the empty SSD;
attach the SSD to the ultrabook;
win 7 should now boot as before?

OR

remove the HDD from the ultrabook and attach it to my desktop;
attach the SSD to my desktop;
clone the HDD to the SSD;
attach the SSD to the ultrabook;
win 7 should now boot as before?

thanks!

 

Hi TypingBear, welcome to NBR.

I am sorry, I got confused about what you have and what you want to accomplish.

1) If your computer came with Win8.x it will have the newer Samsung Recovery Solution 6, which has a cloning feature as well as a feature to create a Bootable Factory Image Backup onto a USB stick. Both of those are good ways to get software onto the new SSD. See the following link for details:

Cloning or re-imaging a new SSD/HDD

2) If your computer came with Win7, you have the older SRS5, which unfortunately doesn't have those cloning and backup features. You can clone (or image/restore) using a 3rd party tool such as Acronis or Macrium, as long as you are aware that your SRS probably will not work on the new SSD -- which may not be a big issue for you. Clonezilla (on a Linux LiveCD) should preserve SRS as long as you use a full disk image (not individual partition images). But make sure the image fits on the new SSD.

3) None of those procedures (cloning or imaging/restoring) should cause problems with ExpressCache. BUT, make sure you uninstall the ExpressCache software from the new SSD installation (Windows Programs and Features control panel). You don't want to use ExpressCache when your main drive is a "real" SSD.

4) The issue with ExpressCache only happens when making a clean (new) Windows installation from a USB flash drive. The solution is to install from a DVD instead. That issue is discussed at great length in the thread linked below:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/697841-guide-how-install-windows-7-8-via-usb-np700z.html

 

Thanks! Sorry for the confusion, the laptop has win 8. I got an enclosure and I'll clone it with the samsung recovery. I'll make sure to disable Express Cache afterwards.

 

Good, that should work. Just make sure you actually uninstall the ExpressCache software afterwards, don't just disable it in Settings. Unfortunately there is no way to disable the physical iSSD - it would solve many problems if there were.