Questions regarding migrating to SSD (840 evo on x220i tab.)

[Zixinus]

Hello all, I'd like a little help with details before I buy an SSD for my laptop. I have been recently considering upgrading my computer with an SSD. With my budget and based on what I read, the choice veers towards a Samsung 840 evo (250Gb) drive. I may consider buying a Pro version if there is a significant enough difference. I already have a smalelr 120GB Pro drive in my deskup.

My question is whether does anyone here have any experience with this? Will it fit into my X220i Tablet? Can I do it at home (ie, myself)?

I also have questions regarding migrating data. I have lots of files I'd like to move, but I don't want to wholesale migrate several years worth of clutter and dead files. I'd like to start with a fresh, clean install and then do all the updates (yes, I have time to reinstall everything.

In particular, I am also confused how Lenovo's Rescue & Recovery works. There is a partition on the HDD.
I'd like to transfer that to a DVD but it's too big (10 GBs). I have tried backup attempts but even with a portable HDD, it says that there is never enough space.
To note, I'd like to transfer only the factory backup. I am not interested in backuping my current system and all its files (although I don't want to lose them, I just want a clean migration).

Also a small note: is the space by my right, below the palmrest, suitable for another SSD? Or just there pretty much to put in 3G modem?

[RealBlackStuff]

Samsung 840 EVO has the lower-spec TLC chips, PRO has the better MLC chips.
You can buy a set of restore-discs from here: https://www.lenovorecovery.com/Extranet/PriceList.aspx
Get that to install it yourself from scratch, then update Windows, followed by update Lenovo.
Finally copy over what you want from your old HD.

You need a 7mm high HD or SSD.
1.8-inch SSD is not supported.
mSata is available but I don't know specs.

[ZaZ]

Also a small note: is the space by my right, below the palmrest, suitable for another SSD? Or just there pretty much to put in 3G modem?

It can do either, but not both at the same time. My X220i had the 80GB Intel mSATA and 1TB WD hard drive. It's the best of both worlds as long as you're not planning on WWAN. Here's a pic of my mSATA in the X220i:

[Zixinus]

I have an 840 SSD for my deskup and I tried it in. Fits in perfectly and snugly, especially with the frame.

I checked: according to this review, I should get 7 years out of it with heavy use (assuming 50 GiB data traffic per day). So I'm comfortable with the slightly less endurance.

So the only way to use and save factory-backup level stuff is by ordering a DVD? Can't I use the data on the R&R partition of the HDD? I already tried to backup on a portable HDD (which has other data) and it got several new folders (boot, preboot, tvtos, and files "bootmgr", bootmgr.efi" and "fcopy.ini"). Can't I bring the factory backup-image unto a portable HDD and reinstall the laptop from there? Did I do that or are these files unreleated to R&R (or just saved a non-factory backup-image)?

Also, with the data migration cable given with the 840evo, can I turn it around and access an HDD of similar size (it's OK if I can't, I have a HDD frame that should allow me)? I plan to reinstall the laptop's OS on a clean SSD and then migrate files from the old HDD.

[91011]

You should be able to make a set of Factory Recovery discs from the recovery partition.

This should be helpful:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail. ... MIGR-74040

Will give you a clean Factory install and a new recovery partition.

[Zixinus]

You should be able to make a set of Factory Recovery discs from the recovery partition.

This should be helpful:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail. ... MIGR-74040

Will give you a clean Factory install and a new recovery partition.

Thank you, that's exactly what I need. I have already ordered the SSD. Here's hoping everything comes together.

[jcvjcvjcvjcv]

If you want to do a fresh install, you don't need recovery discs or partitions. All you need is a Windows DVD, which you can download at one of the following spots:

http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24208.iso 2147483647 X17-24208.iso Windows 7 Home Premium x86 English
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24209.iso 2147483647 X17-24209.iso Windows 7 Home Premium x64 English
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24268.iso 2147483647 X17-24268.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 Chinese
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24269.iso 2147483647 X17-24269.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 Chinese
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24276.iso 2147483647 X17-24276.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 Danish
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24277.iso 2147483647 X17-24277.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 Danish
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24278.iso 2147483647 X17-24278.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 Dutch
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24279.iso 2147483647 X17-24279.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 Dutch
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24280.iso 2147483647 X17-24280.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 English
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24281.iso 2147483647 X17-24281.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 English
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24284.iso 2147483647 X17-24284.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 Finnish
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24285.iso 2147483647 X17-24285.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 Finnish
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24286.iso 2147483647 X17-24286.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 French
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24287.iso 2147483647 X17-24287.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 French
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24288.iso 2147483647 X17-24288.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 German
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24289.iso 2147483647 X17-24289.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 German
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24296.iso 2147483647 X17-24296.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 Italian
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24297.iso 2147483647 X17-24297.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 Italian
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24302.iso 2147483647 X17-24302.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 Norwegian
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24303.iso 2147483647 X17-24303.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 Norwegian
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24306.iso 2147483647 X17-24306.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 Portuguese
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24307.iso 2147483647 X17-24307.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 Portuguese
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24318.iso 2147483647 X17-24318.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 Spanish
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24319.iso 2147483647 X17-24319.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 Spanish
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24320.iso 2147483647 X17-24320.iso Windows 7 Professional x86 Swedish
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24321.iso 2147483647 X17-24321.iso Windows 7 Professional x64 Swedish
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24328.iso 2147483647 X17-24328.iso Windows 7 Professional K x86 Korean
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24329.iso 2147483647 X17-24329.iso Windows 7 Professional K x64 Korean
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24394.iso 2147483647 X17-24394.iso Windows 7 Ultimate x86 English
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24395.iso 2147483647 X17-24395.iso Windows 7 Ultimate x64 English

source; http://www.w7forums.com/threads/officia ... ads.12325/

[Zixinus]

I'm having trouble using the recovery DVDs.

I put the SSD in the place of the hard-drive and booted up with the appropriate boot DVD. Then it asks for data DVDs (the last one, number 3 and when I put it in, it just repeats itself). I made three such data DVDs following the steps written out in the link. The software does not recognize any of the DVDs I put in as having images. It can see the DVDs and I can see files on them.

I'm quite confused as to what I should do. The old HDD remains untouched, so if I have to do something with it, I just just swap the HDD back in.

If you want to do a fresh install, you don't need recovery discs or partitions. All you need is a Windows DVD, which you can download at one of the following spots:

I'm an MSDN student, so I have access to windows 7 ISOs. The reason I want to use the recovery partition as DVDs is to avoid the slog of finding, downloading, installing and configuring drivers. With a recovery portion, I skip all that and just let the two autoupdating stuff do its thing while I handle other stuff.

[jcvjcvjcvjcv]

Ha, what 'slog'? You've probably already spend more time in figuring out how to get that crappy "recovery" working than it would cost to download, unzip and install all the needed drivers. As a bonus you would end up with a *clean* install as opposed to one that's full of all the crap Lenovo puts on there from the start.

[RealBlackStuff]

And after the install you still need to do the painfully long W7 update.
I freshly installed W7-Pro/64 with SP1 integrated on a T400 the other day.
After the 16 Lenovo system-updates W7 added another 145 Windows-updates!

[Zixinus]

Fine, I used my Win7 disk. I have found one thread that describes the problem and there wasn't a solution (apparently, the disk recovery software doesn't work the way it works for everyone else).

Now there is a reserved partition that the Win7 install did (labeled "System Reserved" with 100MBs). SSDs shouldn't have partitions. Is there a way to remove this partition and join it into the main one? Or this normally doesn't happen?
EDIT: I have used the same disk to install a deskup system, also on an SSD. There is no hidden "system reserved" partition there.

EDIT number 2: *bits about using the data migration cable and unable to use it to access the old HDD*
I tested it out with a portable HDD and I just remembered that I protected the HDD with a password.

[jcvjcvjcvjcv]

And after the install you still need to do the painfully long W7 update.
I freshly installed W7-Pro/64 with SP1 integrated on a T400 the other day.
After the 16 Lenovo system-updates W7 added another 145 Windows-updates!

I usually pick the drivers one by one and don't install System update (or what is it called?) from Lenovo.

The Windows updates; that doesn't surprise me. There have been a lot lately. The irritating thing is that you probably need to reboot a few times to install them all.

[Zixinus]

Thankfully, most of these are automated. Especially the drives: I discovered that System Update utility will detect all hardware and install all appropriate drivers. Which is really much better than picking drivers off the support page and hoping that they are the one you need (which happens where there are three different driver packages for the same hardare for whatever reasons).