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Adding a SSD to Optiplex 790 mini tower



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 11th 18, 05:11 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
t
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 77
Default Adding a SSD to Optiplex 790 mini tower


The Optiplex 790 is running Windows 7 64 bit. I want to put a 1TB SSD,
load Windows 10 64 bit on the SSD and make it the primary hard drive and
the existing 500GB hard drive containing Windows 7 as the
secondary. I watched the video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmFbrBkauBc and estimate the process is
similar.

1. Anything else I need to be aware of while adding another disk to
Optiplex 790 mini tower?

2. Can I use SATA data cables for the SSD borrowed from another Optiplex
790?

3. Can I configure the BIOS so that the computer automatically boots
from the 1TB SSD which has a clean install of Windows 10 64 bit?

Thanks
  #2  
Old March 11th 18, 02:31 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware
Paul[_28_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,467
Default Adding a SSD to Optiplex 790 mini tower

t wrote:

The Optiplex 790 is running Windows 7 64 bit. I want to put a 1TB SSD,
load Windows 10 64 bit on the SSD and make it the primary hard drive and
the existing 500GB hard drive containing Windows 7 as the
secondary. I watched the video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmFbrBkauBc and estimate the process is
similar.

1. Anything else I need to be aware of while adding another disk to
Optiplex 790 mini tower?

2. Can I use SATA data cables for the SSD borrowed from another Optiplex
790?

3. Can I configure the BIOS so that the computer automatically boots
from the 1TB SSD which has a clean install of Windows 10 64 bit?

Thanks


When you install Win10, you'll be *unplugging* the Win7 drive.
After Win10 is fully up, then you plug Win7 in again.

Now, when the user wants to use it, they'll need "BIOS steering"
to multiboot. They can use the popup boot menu, to select one
drive or the other.

The reason you're *unplugging* the Win7 drive, is to make sure
the installed materials go *only* on the SSD.

OK, so you're a value-added IT guy. You don't want the
user to have to use the popup boot. Then...

You boot Win10 (using the BIOS F2 and selecting the
Win10 SSD to boot from). Once you're there (and the
Win7 drive looks like a Data Drive to you in Disk
Management), you go get yourself a copy of EasyBCD.
It allows adding a second disk to the BCD of Windows 10.
I keep a slightly older version here, not wishing
to register for newer versions.

Anything EasyBCD can do, you can also do with BCDEdit.
It takes around four commands to add a new OS.

After that, the machine will come up with a menu with
two OSes listed, the user has 30 seconds to select the
second OS if they want.

But the drives are also independent.

If you unplug the Win7 drive after using EasyBCD, the Win10
drive will still list two OSes. However, selecting Win7
when the Win7 disk is missing, will result in the user
having to control-alt-delete and try to boot a second time.
Until they figure out that Win7 isn't going to work (because
the drive is missing). The Win10 choice in the menu, will
of course work.

if the Win10 SSD is pulled from the computer at this point,
*no changes* have been made to the Win7 hard drive. It
will boot as it always has, without mods being needed. However,
you could profit from pressing F2 in the BIOS and adjusting
the startup drive in such a case. Just like any computer
reconfig, there could be some fiddling with the BIOS
in such a case.

I use the popup boot all the time on my computers, so the
EasyBCD step will not be required here. I use popup
boot even when I don't need to (as it gives a chance to
verify the right disk drives are in the computer, before
the boot takes off).

As for the model number difference, I trust you will
look through your downloadable PDF manuals for the
790 MT or whatever, and make sure a different style
mounting bracket isn't needed. The one in the video
looks like the "plastic ring" style with the two tabs
on it. It looks a bit flimsy without the drive to
strengthen it. And the computer probably won't have
one sitting in the case either.

So right there you've got a problem. You need to visually review
the situation currently inside the 790, and make sure
that somehow, you'll have the bracket that functions
as the drive adapter. Most computer companies would put
an empty tray in each slot, but the Dells and HPs of the
world don't see it that way. And every $0.05 of cost they
can save, counts. That's how Michael Dell can afford a new
10 speed bicycle every year. All those saved $0.05.

The 780 user in the WinXP group, I think he had to go
shopping for one of those adapters, so he could use
the second slot in his 780.

They probably don't make a 2.5" adapter, so you'll need
some sort of adapter to fit in the Dell adapter, and
adapt from 3.5" to one or two 2.5" drives.

Your project is mostly a mechanical nightmare.

Paul
  #3  
Old March 11th 18, 06:45 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware
John McGaw
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 732
Default Adding a SSD to Optiplex 790 mini tower

On 3/11/2018 9:31 AM, Paul wrote:
t wrote:

The Optiplex 790 is running Windows 7 64 bit. I want to put a 1TB SSD,
load Windows 10 64 bit on the SSD and make it the primary hard drive and
the existing 500GB hard drive containing Windows 7 as the
secondary. I watched the video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmFbrBkauBc and estimate the process is
similar.

1. Anything else I need to be aware of while adding another disk to
Optiplex 790 mini tower?

2. Can I use SATA data cables for the SSD borrowed from another Optiplex
790?

3. Can I configure the BIOS so that the computer automatically boots from
the 1TB SSD which has a clean install of Windows 10 64 bit?

Thanks


When you install Win10, you'll be *unplugging* the Win7 drive.
After Win10 is fully up, then you plug Win7 in again.

Now, when the user wants to use it, they'll need "BIOS steering"
to multiboot. They can use the popup boot menu, to select one
drive or the other.

The reason you're *unplugging* the Win7 drive, is to make sure
the installed materials go *only* on the SSD.

OK, so you're a value-added IT guy. You don't want the
user to have to use the popup boot. Then...

snip...
They probably don't make a 2.5" adapter, so you'll need
some sort of adapter to fit in the Dell adapter, and
adapt from 3.5" to one or two 2.5" drives.

Your project is mostly a mechanical nightmare.

Â*Â* Paul


The OP doesn't actually write that he wants any sort of dual boot setup and
arranging for it just complicates the process unnecessarily (unless he
actually wants/needs dual boot and didn't think to mention it). The process
of simply removing the HD, installing the SSD and doing a clean install of
W10 and then setting the SSD as the boot device in BIOS would be less
stressful by far. Personally, I've normally just installed the SSD and
cloned the existing HD installation and all data files over and upgraded
from there but if he really wants a clean install, so be it. As for
mounting, I've done several SSD installs where no mounting beyond a bit of
double-stick foam tape were needed and one where just tucking the drive
into a corner where the stiffness of the cables kept it in place worked for
years.

  #4  
Old March 11th 18, 07:19 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware
Paul[_28_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,467
Default Adding a SSD to Optiplex 790 mini tower

John McGaw wrote:
On 3/11/2018 9:31 AM, Paul wrote:
t wrote:

The Optiplex 790 is running Windows 7 64 bit. I want to put a 1TB
SSD, load Windows 10 64 bit on the SSD and make it the primary hard
drive and the existing 500GB hard drive containing Windows 7 as the
secondary. I watched the video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmFbrBkauBc and estimate the process
is similar.

1. Anything else I need to be aware of while adding another disk to
Optiplex 790 mini tower?

2. Can I use SATA data cables for the SSD borrowed from another
Optiplex 790?

3. Can I configure the BIOS so that the computer automatically boots
from the 1TB SSD which has a clean install of Windows 10 64 bit?

Thanks


When you install Win10, you'll be *unplugging* the Win7 drive.
After Win10 is fully up, then you plug Win7 in again.

Now, when the user wants to use it, they'll need "BIOS steering"
to multiboot. They can use the popup boot menu, to select one
drive or the other.

The reason you're *unplugging* the Win7 drive, is to make sure
the installed materials go *only* on the SSD.

OK, so you're a value-added IT guy. You don't want the
user to have to use the popup boot. Then...

snip...
They probably don't make a 2.5" adapter, so you'll need
some sort of adapter to fit in the Dell adapter, and
adapt from 3.5" to one or two 2.5" drives.

Your project is mostly a mechanical nightmare.

Paul


The OP doesn't actually write that he wants any sort of dual boot setup
and arranging for it just complicates the process unnecessarily (unless
he actually wants/needs dual boot and didn't think to mention it). The
process of simply removing the HD, installing the SSD and doing a clean
install of W10 and then setting the SSD as the boot device in BIOS would
be less stressful by far. Personally, I've normally just installed the
SSD and cloned the existing HD installation and all data files over and
upgraded from there but if he really wants a clean install, so be it.
As for mounting, I've done several SSD installs where no mounting beyond
a bit of double-stick foam tape were needed and one where just tucking
the drive into a corner where the stiffness of the cables kept it in
place worked for years.


This is for a customer machine though. While duct tape or
a nylon wrap might work for us, the customer expects
a bit more than that. And a little adapter shouldn't
cost too much. It'll cost more in time to find one online
than anything else.

Right now, my SSDs are resting on the bottom
of the PC on the test machine. Nothing at all
holds them in place. I couldn't put the machine
in a shipping crate like that. With all sorts of
loose stuff bouncing around. Customer machines
should be at least a bit "cretin-proofed" :-)

Paul
 




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