Questions about Upgrading to my new Force 3 SSD

Hello, I am going to be upgrading from my current Hard Drive to an SSD and I had a quick question that I hope you guys can help me with. I am going to be doing a clean install of Windows 7 and I was wondering if these are the steps I should be taking when I am installing my new SSD.

1. Plug in the SSD and upgrade the firmware with the corsair firmware updater.

2. Configure the registry so it will allow me to use AHCI, turn off computer and go into BIOS and change to AHCI Mode.

3. Change my boot priority to CDROM and put Windows 7 disk into Disk-Drive.

4. Turn off my computer and unplug my old Hard Drive.

5. Turn on computer and install windows.

Am I doing that right? After I install Windows 7 how do I format my old Hard Drive? on step 2 should I not change it to AHCI on my old Hard drive and just wait until I unplug my old Hard Drive then change my setting to AHCI with only my new SSD plugged in? Will my product key work before I format my old Hard Drive?

I really need some help with this. :laughing:

If you want, Plug in the SSD to your computer, Update the firmware.

Enable AHCI in the BIOS

Change the boot priority to the DVD-ROM, Then the Force 3.

Install Windows on the SSD

When you reach the Desktop install the chipset drivers.

You are going to format the HD, So you do not need to change the registry entries to AHCI since the HD is being formatted. Format=Delete data.

Your Product Key should work, Depending on the version. If it doesn't call Microsoft and do the Phone Activation.

1. No you dont need to check your FW it should work with the one thats in it.

- If your new setup makes your computer freeze, bsod, ... that it didnt make before and you are sure you member install all needed drivers then you may try to update that FW on last option.

2. As you install your OS from DVD you dont need anything from HDD to be changed.

My order would be;

1. Look for MB BIOS updates and update if one is available.

2. Take all needed files from HDD to external HDD.

3. Change my boot priority to CDROM and put Windows 7 disk into Disk-Drive.

3. Turn off computer, take out HDD and plug in SSD.

4. Turn on computer and install Windows, without formating SSD(it lets you skip that part).

5. If you didnt have external HDD(at step 2) then plug old HDD in a secend port, start up system and copy the needed files from HDD to SSD.

For clearing your old HDD. I would do like in this tutorial on step "C.1" they do for SSD.

After that format it back again in windows for storage as it wount show up before you do that.

There migth be better way for formating but this way you dont have boot files in your HDD to mess up your system starup.

Product key, well it depends on how much your system has change after last validation and your country law/lisens.

But for me, example;

- If you only change your HDD to SSD you should be fine.

- If you have new, video card, keyboard, added memory and so on, from last validation. It might get more difficult and you may end up caling to Microsoft and explane that you needed to change your pc hardware.

Becarful as they may think its new PC and so need new lisens for it. So as you call be strong on your point. There has bean heart horror storys with these calls.

So i would try to put it back as much i can as it was before on the date you validated it last time, but with SSD this time. Allso migth help if you add your old HDD in secendery driver.

Hope this helped and have Cood day :sunglasse