Can I use HP recovery for a SSD upgrade?

[Alex141]

I wanted to upgrade my new HP laptop to a big SSD in the future, and i dont want to deal with all the cloning stuff so i was wondering if i could put the new SSD in, boot up the laptop and go to the HP recovery thing in the boot menu and have it restore windows and yes, the HP bloatware (i like some of the stuff for drivers, updates etc.) and just re install all my programs which i am willing to do. this seems like the easiest way of going about it while keeping the HP partition and the pre installed apps.

[mdklassen]

>  I don't want to deal with all the cloning stuff

Sigh. That would be my recommendation.

> I was wondering if i could put the new SSD in, boot up the laptop and go to the HP recovery thing in the boot menu

That "boot menu" and the "recovery partition" is stored on the disk-drive that you just disconnected from the computer.

So, your computer cannot access anything on your "non-connected" disk-drive.

> This seems like the easiest way of going about it while keeping the HP partition and the pre installed apps.

Disk-cloning will give you a block-by-block copy of the original disk-drive, and all the partitions on it, and all the contents of each partition, including all the "bloatware".  Use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall some of that "bloatware".

[Alex141]

then if you know of any, what is the best and easiest cloning software you would recommend? (free would be nice but its ok if its not)

[CherylG · Accepted solution]

@Alex141

You could also make your Recovery Media using the software on the original hdd.  Read the section here on Creating recovery media:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04758961#AbT4

 Make it, install new ssd and boot from recovery media to install Windows and all original software/drivers.

[mdklassen]

> [do] you know of any, what is the best and easiest cloning software you would recommend?

> (free would be nice but its ok if its not)

If either the "source" or the "target" disk-drive was manufactured by SEAGATE, download the free "SEATOOLS" software from www.seagate.com

If either the "source" or the "target" disk-drive was manufactured by WESTERN DIGITAL, download free disk-cloning software from www.wd.com

In fact, if a SEAGATE drive is connected to the computer, and it is neither the "source" nor "target" disk-drive, then the SEATOOLS software will still work. Expressed differently, if none of the connected disk-drives were manufactured by SEAGATE, then SEATOOLS will not work.

Note that disk-cloning is quite quick -- 1 or 2 hours -- and it preserves all your installed programs and all your personal files.  Reloading Windows from "scratch" is an "all-day" process - need to run Windows Update, restore personal files from backup, reloading your applications.

[Alex141]

the hard drives are neither of those. i am going to get a Samsung SSD and the drive currently in the computer is by HGST

[iomare]

Hi,

For Samsung you can use the free Samsung Data Migration software.

http://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools/

Hope it helps,

David

[mdklassen]

> the hard drives are neither of those.

To repeat: In fact, if a SEAGATE drive is connected to the computer, and it is neither the "source" nor "target" disk-drive, then the SEATOOLS software will still work. 

So, can use SEATOOLS to copy from HITACHI/HGST to SAMSUNG, if a SEAGATE drive is connected to a "spare" SATA port (and powered-on).