New SSD..

[fink]

I have bought and am awaiting delivery of a new, larger SSD.. a SAMSUNG 850 EVO 256 Gig to replace my able but smaller current ADATA SSD. I will clone it with the software that is supplied by Samsung here...

http://www.samsung.com/semiconductor...al_v30_ENG.pdf

What it doesn't say is if I need to format the new drive first or do anything else like enable trim or update the firmware. With my current SSD I had to update the firmware before I installed the OS. Not sure if this is the case with the Samsung because they also supply a utility to run within Windows to do that and other optimization things called Samsung Magician...

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/deta..._magician.html

http://www.storagereview.com/samsung...ation_overview

Can't find anything too definitive on the google.

My OS is Windows 7 so I believe that trim would not be automatically enabled.

[Midknyte]

I would update the firmware first, but the drive will probably arrive with the latest one. I don't think the 850 EVOs have had an update recently.

I doubt you'd need to format first, but I use Acronis TI.

Install/Run the Samsung Magician software after you finish copying the OS over. If you already had an SSD, TRIM should already be enabled.

[fink]

I doubt you'd need to format first, but I use Acronis TI.

Yeah, I have TI as well and would prefer to use it but my past experience with similar installs etc tells me to do the clone the way they suggest, at least at first, in case things go pear shaped and/or anything gets damaged/bricked so I can tell the vendor that I followed the instructions to the letter and they can't say whatever happened was my fault because I did not.

[Midknyte]

Well, I never do cloning anyway. I always do a backup and restore. In case something does go wrong, I can just run the restore again.

Plus it's a good way to test your backups.

[fink]

I'd thought of that too. I wasn't sure that was the best way to duplicate the drive. If I did run the TI 2014 boot CD does it have the capability to format and then just copy over my latest image incl MBR to the new drive seamlessly?

[Midknyte]

I'd thought of that too. I wasn't sure that was the best way to duplicate the drive. If I did run the TI 2014 boot CD does it have the capability to format and then just copy over my latest image incl MBR to the new drive seamlessly?

Yup. Make sure to select both the System and Boot partitions.

I just checked my notes. In case TI doesn't recognize the new SSD at first, try this:

Boot from the Acronis TI boot disc
Once Acronis TI opens, click Tools & Utilities - Add New Disk
Choose "Initialize disk in MBR layout" and click Next
Select the unallocated space and click "Create new partition"
Choose the size of the first partition (Use the sliders or enter the size manually)
Set file system = NTFS, type of partition = Primary, Check Mark the partition as active
Click Accept
Click Proceed
You can now select the new drive as a destination when restoring from backup

[fink]

Thanks, now I just wait for Mr Purolator

[fink]

Ok. So it arrived and after a few hiccups it's all up and running.

I did have to use the TI method because once I had a closer look at the Samsung migration software it only allows transfer via USB and for that I'd have needed an adapter and my MB is a bit older so I don't have USB 3.0 on this computer anyway.. would have taken way too long with 2.0.

I also had to rearrange the boot sequence in BIOS because I have a dual boot/drive machine, no big deal, and squeezing in a new drive into small spaces is always a pain.

I also now have a perfectly good SSD frozen in time as a failsafe backup if for some reason my new drive and/or TI backups fail some day and it gave me the opportunity to do a thorough dusting of the inside of my box.

[Midknyte]

Ah interesting. Glad you got it sorted out.

You should still install Magician to check the optimizations. I don't use RAPID Mode, though.

[fink]

install Magician

Yeah, I've been dealing with that for the last hour. Over Provisioning took a lot of googling to see if/how it was necessary. I've set it for the recommended 10% but it's still unclear to me and to many dozens of far more experienced users than me on places like Tom's Hardware if the 850 is preset with factory OP. Some say yes, it's preset at 7% and some say no. The Magician software says no too. I have not been able to find any info directly from Samsung that says yes or no.

In any case I set it for 10% and will leave it for now.

One interesting thing is Magician says my drive is on SATA II but Speccy says SATA III. It's plugged into a SATA III slot.

[Midknyte]

Hmm. Strange. Not sure about that either. 10% is fine.