Migrate Win 8 to SSD

[simatran]

Hi, first timer here.
Recently purchased a T430 and picked up a Samsung 830 series SSD as well. My first thought was to use either Lenovo or Windows recovery tools to make a restore image and install it on the SSD. Hit a few snags. 1. Cant burn a DVD. 2. Made a recovery drive with a USB drive but it only gave me options to restore the original drive (did not have the Win8 image on it).

Then I tried using EaseUS Partition Master to fully image the HDD to the SSD. Only got a Win8 error. Samsung recommends using Ghost to image the HDD but Ghost doesn't work with Win8.

Have you guys and girls had any success migrating Win8 to an SSD? Any recommendations on software? I don't mind a fresh OS install as long as I can get all the Lenovo support programs too.

Thank you in advance.

[john1in2]

I have the same issue except that I have a T430 with Win8 and I'm trying to install in an mSATA drive.

I have ordered the recovery CDs from Lenovo and I suppose worse case I can install from those to my drive?

Also, what methods of cloning will preserve the proper alignment on the SSD? The Windows 8 T430 does not come with Lenovo rescue and recovery software, but I suppose you could use Windows 7 rescue (included in Windows 8 ) to make an image (not sure it would align to the SSD correctly though).

[simatran]

I'm not too sure about that. First time working with an SSD so a bit of a newbie. I've basically been following this guide:

http://lifehacker.com/5837543/how-to-mi ... ng-windows

Supposedly you can use Gparted to to realign the drives.

So far what I was thinking is to install all the programs onto the drive I have now, clone the OS partition to the SSD, and keep the original drive as back up.

Thoughts?

[jayton4]

I always do a fresh clean install. If you do not have your original recover discs, you can use Lenovo System Update to get all of your Lenovo support programs back. When benchmarking, the performance after cloning is not as high as it is after a fresh install.

It's a personal preference.

[simatran]

Any ideas on how to get a Win 8 install disc from the T430? Didnt come with any media.

[john1in2]

I always do a fresh clean install. If you do not have your original recover discs, you can use Lenovo System Update to get all of your Lenovo support programs back. When benchmarking, the performance after cloning is not as high as it is after a fresh install.

It's a personal preference.

How is it possible to do a fresh clean install of Win 8 without the original recover disks and no Win 8 install media or Win 8 serial number??
I think that is the ultimate question here because if this could be done we all would have done it.

And I don't see Lenovo System Update anywhere on my Win 8 pc.

Steps I took to order restore disks-
#1 call India at 866-582-3566 and request recovery disks, receive new phone number in Georgia (Atlanta) to call.
#2 call IBM service at 800 426-7378 and request recovery disks.
#3 don't let them talk you into making your own (not sure if its even possible though they say it is). Neverless insist you want the disks, they ask for your PC serial # and address and if its work or personal, give you a service order #
#4 check shipment of your disks at 800-426-7416 with previously issued service #

[at both ends]

Supposedly you can use Gparted to to realign the drives

Sadly, the key word in the above sentence is "supposedly". Do not trust gparted for SSD alignment. No matter how one ticks or doesn't tick the option boxes inside the utility, or how much time one wastes shifting partitions back and forth, partition alignment to a 2048 block multiple cannot be guaranteed.

If you don't believe me, try the various magical incantations in that lifehacker link, then kick yourself down into a terminal session from the gparted console. Run "parted", the non-GUI partition editor. Give it the command "unit s" which forces display in sectors, and then "print all". Check every partition start to see if they are even multiples of 2048. Usually you don't even need a calculator to see that gparted has failed to align, as half of the start sectors are usually odd. Parted can fix the problem, but parted is painful to use.

If you have a working Win Vista/7/8 system and an external enclosure for the new SSD, use Windows' disk partitioning or disk management tools to make some nice new aligned partition(s) on the SSD.

[bill bolton]

See Methodology to create Recovery Media and reload a Lenovo system with Microsoft Windows 8 preload, right down the bottom under the heading Below are the instructions if the hard drive is blank.

Cheers,

Bill B.

[simatran]

PERFECT!
Thanks for all the input guys.
So all I had to do was check the box when creating recovery media.

Now to replace the USB drive I had to backup and format..lol

[john1in2]

See Methodology to create Recovery Media and reload a Lenovo system with Microsoft Windows 8 preload, right down the bottom under the heading Below are the instructions if the hard drive is blank.

Cheers,

Bill B.

Those instructions read well but when you try it they do not work.
________________
Link- <your link>
___________
Solution

Below are the instructions for creating the Lenovo Microsoft Windows 8 preload Recovery Media for Lenovo Think branded systems. A minimum 16GB USB flash drive is required to make a complete backup.

Open Recovery applet by pressing the Microsoft Windows key and X. Select "Control Panel" from the menu and then select "Recovery" from the Control Panel pane as shown below.
__________________

On my T430, windows-X brings up a list and then 'control panel' brings up the standard Windows 8 or Windows 7 Control Panel options and there is no "Recovery" applet anywhere to be seen.
- So the advice not so good so far.

[simatran]

Those instructions read well but when you try it they do not work.
________________
Link- <your link>
___________
Solution

Below are the instructions for creating the Lenovo Microsoft Windows 8 preload Recovery Media for Lenovo Think branded systems. A minimum 16GB USB flash drive is required to make a complete backup.

Open Recovery applet by pressing the Microsoft Windows key and X. Select "Control Panel" from the menu and then select "Recovery" from the Control Panel pane as shown below.
__________________

On my T430, windows-X brings up a list and then 'control panel' brings up the standard Windows 8 or Windows 7 Control Panel options and there is no "Recovery" applet anywhere to be seen.
- So the advice not so good so far.

I followed those instructions and they worked fine for me. Got a fresh install of Win8 on the SSD with all the Lenovo support programs.

What part doesn't work for you?

[jayton4]

On my T430, windows-X brings up a list and then 'control panel' brings up the standard Windows 8 or Windows 7 Control Panel options and there is no "Recovery" applet anywhere to be seen.
- So the advice not so good so far.

You have to select view by "small icons" intead of "Category" in the top right hand corner of the Control Panel.

Also, if you are missing System Update, then you can get it from http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloa ... D=DS012808

[john1in2]

Alrighty! Now we are getting somewhere!

So if you
#1- format SSD using standard Windows tools
#2- copy backup partition to usb/cd/dvd
#3- restore backup to SSD

Everything is perfect and alignment is great?

[jayton4]

Alrighty! Now we are getting somewhere!

So if you
#1- format SSD using standard Windows tools
#2- copy backup partition to usb/cd/dvd
#3- restore backup to SSD

Everything is perfect and alignment is great?

Alignment is great, but Windows 8 is far from perfect!

[simatran]

Had to google how to check alignment since I'm new to the whole SSD thing. Seems good to me.

Jayton is right though. Win8 is a bit shaky, but I'm enjoying the new interface and I always have my old Win7 HDD and an Ultrabay adapter.

[john1in2]

OK, so this was not as easy as it should be.

- made a restore USB drive as mentioned in the helpful post below

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloa ... D=HT076024

- insterted mSATA drive and booted, formatted it Master Boot Record NTFS.
- removed hard disk drive.

Try #1- followed instructions for a restore from USB stick. Took a while but the end result was a blank (empty) mSATA drive.
Try #2- give up on USB method, use Lenovo Restore Media (3 DVDs). Result was it booted into Windows 8 but I was locked out because the logon account was set up with an Administrator who had access and I could not log in. "account locked".
Try #3- try the DVDs again. This time it worked. Was able to boot Win 8.
So eventual success after about 4 hours.

Now I have a 128 GB mSATA drive to boot, a 500 GB HDD (original disk in HDD bay) and a 700 GB HDD in the adaptor in the DVD bay. Lots of storage. Checked aligment of the mSATA and it looks good. Checked TRIM (its enabled). Also FYI, the recovery from disk method appears to have placed a rescue partition on my boot mSATA drive.

Question- now I should be able to use the "Windows 7 Rescue and Recovery" (which is also provided with Windows 8 ) to make an image of my mSATA that can be restored (in case of emergency) to mSATA without problems....right?