Want to Add SSD to Speed Up Boot Time

I have switched over to SSDs on all my laptops, and the bootup time is fantastic.

Just about any 2.5" SSD will do for your 7773.  Samsung is the top-tier but I also have Crucial, PNY SSDs in my PCs.

What size is your current hard drive?  The easiest thing to do is to buy a SSD of similar or larger size than your existing hard drive.

You will need to buy an external USB hard drive of larger size than your existing hard drive.

You will use software such as Macrium Reflect Free to make an image of your existing hard drive which is written to the external USB hard drive.  Do not clone.  It is not as reliable.

Install the SSD.

Restore the saved image from the external USB hard drive back onto the SSD.

Instructions for the paid version of Macrium Reflect : https://www.windowscentral.com/how-create-image-your-hard-drive-using-macrium-reflect   ;  should be similar for the free version

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Welcome to the Dell Community @BucksGal 

You could add an M.2 SSD.

Image your HDD to the new M.2.

Then setup the old HDD as "Default" storage.

Then you would boot and run all apps from the new M.2 SSD ?

Inspiron 17 7000 2-in-1 Setup and Specifications:

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/us/en/04/inspiron-17-7773-2-in-1-laptop/inspiron-17-7773-laptop-setupandspecs/storage?guid=guid-31aee62e-f2ea-4348-8cfa-765dadeefb1a&lang=en-us

Inspiron 17 70002-in-1 Service Manual:

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/us/en/04/inspiron-17-7773-2-in-1-laptop/inspiron-17-7773-laptop-sm/procedure?guid=guid-f5300fd3-c722-4408-9326-558c5a35552c&lang=en-us

Best regards,

U2

I plan on putting Windows on the SSD only. Software and personal files will go on the C: drive. Won't that work?

Thanks,

S.

@BucksGal 

If you buy a smaller SSD, then you will need to do a fresh installation of Windows 10 and then install all the Windows updates and then install any apps/programs you may have such as Office, Photoshop, etc

It's fine to leave files on the old hard drive.

However, software you leave on C:\  won't be recognized by the new Windows 10 installation.

Your choice.

The HDD is 2TB. I thought that I understood that the SSD drive only needed to be big enough to install and run Windows. Is that not correct? My intent was to buy a 250GB SSD and put Windows on it and leave files and software on the C: drive.

Thanks,

S.

@BucksGal 

Sure.

If you are willing to put in the time for this.

Make sure you have the product key for the software programs you will be re-installing.

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@BucksGal 

250GB should be large enough.

But if you do a lot of gaming or have many apps then 500GB would be better.

First thing to do is copy all the data that you would want to a USB drive. "Music,documents etc"

If you plan on making a fresh install then add the M.2 SSD and disconnect/remove the old HDD.

After the new OS is installed add the old HDD format and set it up as "Default" storage,

Regards,

U2

Thanks. Yes, I only use a few programs regularly:

Print Shop Pro

Lightroom

Photo Shop

E-Sword

Open Office

I have all setup files/keys on a portable drive now. Clean installation of Windows 10 is the only thing on the HDD at the moment, except that I did install Chrome for convenience.

I don't do gaming on this computer, but I do graphic design.

Intending to install the OS on the SSD and put all software and files on the HDD. I understand that programs will run from the SSD even though stored on the SSD. I hope that is correct. I'm taking it to a local computer guy tomorrow who is supposed to do the work of installing the SSD and installing Windows 10 on it, formatting the HDD and setting it up for storage. Expecting that he knows how to do all this. I could do it, I believe, but would rather not go to the trouble and possibly run into difficulty. 

Thanks for your help,

S.

I don't know how much he is charging you, but doing what I suggested would have been less expensive and also give you the ability to do backups.

Things like this is something everybody can do.

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