Need help setting up an SSD drive on my new XPS 8700 as the system drive

Hi ivand67,

If you wish to upgrade the hard drive to an SSD drive then you will need an OEM Windows reinstallation disc to install the operating system on it. Please provide me the service tag of the new system in private message, if you need an OEM operating system disc to reinstall on new hard drive. To send a private message, click on my name and select start conversation.

In addition, you can create a recovery discs on the new computer so that you can restore the system to factory state in future with the original hard drive shipped with the system. Please follow the steps mentioned below to create recovery discs.

1. Point to the right of the screen and when the charms bar comes up, click Search then type in Dell Backup and Recovery. Click Dell Backup and Recovery.
2. Click the Reinstall Disks tile.
3. Click Factory Backup.
4. Select either USB Flash Drive or Discs as per your requirement. Ensure to connect the USB Flash Drive or put blank media into the optical drive.
5. Click Continue.
6. Click Start.
7. The factory image is created on the USB flash drive or disc, click OK once done.
8. Also, You can create recovery discs for ‘OS Media’ and ‘Apps & Drivers’
9. Please make sure the media you have created is kept is a safe location for future utilization.

Please let me know if this helps.

You need a 16GB or larger USB flash Drive.  I suggest Sandisk Cruiser FIT drive.

www.amazon.com/.../B005FYNSZA

The Samsung 840 Pro 128 GB SSD should come with cloning software. Just stick the new drive in the box, connect the power and sata cables, then insert the cd, install the software, and follow the smasung prompts. Then take the sata cable out of the old drive and put it into the new one(might not be necessary) and reboot. Afterwards you can connect the old drive to the new sata cable and reformat it if you want to or just delete the old files.

I noticed on your later email on the same subject that you also said "However, to use the SSD on the system please change the SATA operation mode in the BIOS from IRST to AHCI."  Is that still true? Anything else?

I would LOVE to see the answer to this question too.

I know how to physically get the SSD installed and get the system software onto it, my concern is are there any physical or bios changes that need to be made to either drive so that both drives can still be installed in the system.

I was also curious about possibly being able to have a different OS installed on the old HD, for example, to run Win 7 Pro on the SSD but also have Win 8 on the old HD and somehow boot from either drive as desired.

The main thing though, do I need to change any pins or jumpers or bios on either drive.

Read this about installing the OS on an SSD! :emotion-5:

You'd need to set up a dual boot config to run 2 different OS, one from each drive.

I'm betting you'd probably have to install the dual boot config software on the HDD, even though you may want to boot primarily from the SSD, but you should do your homework. 

Can you please explain how you got the OEM OS installed on the SSD. I just purchased the XPS 8700 computer and want to install a MSATA drive for the OS but DELL did not include the media for the OS.

The below thread says you need an operating system reinstallation disc to install it on the SSD or MSATA drive.

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/19522166.aspx

Ummm, is there going to be a problem or conflict with the XPS 8700 if the system came with a 32 gig MSATA cache and having a SATA SSD?   Would it be better to replace the MSATA cache and change a config to turn it into a boot drive?  This is rather confusing.

This actually worked out pretty well. I just got the XPS8700 a few weeks ago and I also bought the Samsung SSD 840 EVO (250gb). I installed the SSD, unplugged the 1 TB HDD, changed the SATA operation mode in the BIOS from IRST to AHCI and installed the Win 8 on the SSD. Reinstalled/formatted the HDD. It screams.

Garito50, I presume you did not have the 32gb msata cache ?

Its  wayyyyy too late for you...but I'm posting this for others:      DITTO:  Same machine same size SSD!    I spent 9 hrs last night for a procedure that will be 60 mins for you :-)  Get Ghost 15!

Use the free Easeus Partition software to partition the old HD to a C of 122 gigs ( as Windows sees a 128 as 119).  IN Ghost   check both 'Make Bootable' and use 'MBR'  and it will come up as drive E!      30 mins or less, it will be finished. Immediately Shut OFF!  Disconnect the Source HD from the drive end, and use that Cable to hookup the SSD (into Sata 1).  Boot into the Bios and check to see if the Bios recognizes the new SSD as the Boot Drive! (it should)  Reboot and your SSD C partition will auto shift from E to C.  If you want to use the OLD source HD for Data, shut off, reconnect and Reboot!   My mistake for the 9 hrs, was leaving the Source Drive connected when I rebooted !!!!!  :-(((     PS Why Dell doesn't offer a variety of SSD's on the top end is beyond me?  a 32 gig SSD   HUH !  :-(((  And for $400 extra :-((((   PPS  What a speed difference  :-)))) PPPS  The Recovery 24 gig partition comes along for the 'ride' :-( ( You could Delete it beforehand and shift the OS forward using Easeus...but I was chicken and exhausted! )  If you want.....you can delete it later....but Dell should have placed it behind the OS   NOT in front   grrrr !!!   THE BETTER BACKUP is to use Ghost to make a Mirror Backup of C to your old DATA drive, once you've loaded up your Software and MS updates etc    Ghost ,or the like, is THE BEST backup anyone can have!  But keep your DATA separate from C.  To do that in Vista, W7, and W8 is tricky.......which is tooooo  lengthly to get into here!  It involves moving all the USER folders to another Partition.  Then your Data can be backed up separately using software that won't encrypt and keeps everything in a identical Windows format!!!!  Anyone wanting/needing tech support.....let me know!  Matt

I tried this on my new XPS8700 and it failed, telling me my SSD 840 Pro isn't big enough.  When I first fired up the XPS (win8), I used the Dell Backup utility to create the recovery dvds.  Unfortunately, the recovery DVDs expect the same size drive as was used to create them.  I see no way around this without using an off the shelf OS installation set.

I just ordered an Intel 530 SSD 240 GB.  One reason I went with Intel was because of their excellent "how to" video library and the fact that they offer a cloning software option.   One of their videos describes how to switch the bios to boot from the SSD.  You might find Intel's support helpful.

Same exact situation as OP (non special ed xps 8700, WIN 8, and Samsung evo pro 128 ssd)

I did what Millermatt747 suggested and used Easeus Partition Manager to partition the old hard drive to a C of 122 GB.  

However, instead of Ghost 15, I used Samsung's Data Migration Tool.  

Everything went unbelievably well!  Zero issues with moving the OS to the SSD.

NOTE:  I did create recovery disks before I attempted the migration, just in case.

Ravi - What is the appropriate course of action if the Dell Backup and Recovery software doesn't work? That's the thread your response appears in. How do we get the Dell software to work? I'd be grateful to be able to use these steps if I can get the software working!
Craig