Did your computer come with a recovery DVD? If so, I recommend that you use that to do a fresh install of Windows on to the SSD. Obviously, you need to backup any personal files to a USB drive before doing this. Also, make sure to download the latest WIFI and/or network drivers to a USB drive before doing the fresh install. I can confirm that the DVD does not include the necessary network drivers.
All the drivers and apps from Alienware are available at support.dell.com. If you ordered any third party software with your computer for which you do not have a disk, they can be obtained from the Dell support site, as well.
In short, there is nothing to lose by doing a fresh install. If you are concerned, don't erase the HDD until you are satisfied as you can always go back to it. Just make sure you select the correct drive when installing Windows!
Yes, having the operating system installed on an SSD would improve the performance but are you sure that the 128GB SSD is not an mSata SSD drive? If that is the case, what we normally do is enable caching on the mSata SSD and the regular SATA3 Hard Drive is set as the primary.
Having this type of configuration will also improve the performance since the mSata SSD is being used as a cache device. Click here to view a Dell article that explains how to enable caching on the mSata SSD.
That is not the correct configuration. The 17 R2 (I hope you mean this one and not the 17 R1 as the R1 never sold with a 128 GB SSD) sold with an SSD and HDD has the SSD be the boot drive and the HDD as storage. the 17 R2, I think, doesn't even support caching anyways. The OS would perform better on the SSD.
By any chance, was your new computer a factory refurb? I ask because my new Alienware 15 that I got a couple weeks ago had the same setup (OS on the HDD). Rodrigo is correct in that frequently the ssd is setup as a caching drive. However, you are right that Alienware advertises them now as having the m.2 ssd as the boot device.
I have seen several posts on this and other forums asking the same thing. I get the impression that the company that does refurbs for Alienware, namely GENCO, is unfamiliar with the correct configuration.
Thank you for confirming this. With this configuration, it would be best to have the OS installed on the SSD and the HDD used as additional storage. Having the OS installed on the SSD will give it a faster performance.
you only need to make a recovery media with alienrespawn and later open the back panel and disconnect the HDD cable ... later boot the recovery device ( USB/HDD/CD) that alienrespawn make and just click next ... you will have the OS in the ssd .. just connect the HDD. later you format the HDD with the partition manager of windows
I tried doing the respawn on the ssd with the hdd removed, twice. Once before and once again after you suggested it. Got error that the destination hard drive must be almost 1tb and that was it.
I tried doing the respawn on the ssd with the hdd removed, twice. Once before and once again after you suggested it. Got error that the destination hard drive must be almost 1tb and that was it.
DONE! Thanks for all the help. I downloaded Respawn from the dell site and this one worked on the SSD. Windows is running great, we'll see how my games run, but I expect to be happy. [:D]
spaceengineer
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May 14th, 2015 11:00
Did your computer come with a recovery DVD? If so, I recommend that you use that to do a fresh install of Windows on to the SSD. Obviously, you need to backup any personal files to a USB drive before doing this. Also, make sure to download the latest WIFI and/or network drivers to a USB drive before doing the fresh install. I can confirm that the DVD does not include the necessary network drivers.
All the drivers and apps from Alienware are available at support.dell.com. If you ordered any third party software with your computer for which you do not have a disk, they can be obtained from the Dell support site, as well.
In short, there is nothing to lose by doing a fresh install. If you are concerned, don't erase the HDD until you are satisfied as you can always go back to it. Just make sure you select the correct drive when installing Windows!
Alienware - Rodrigo
7 Technologist
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4.4K Posts
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May 8th, 2015 15:00
Yes, having the operating system installed on an SSD would improve the performance but are you sure that the 128GB SSD is not an mSata SSD drive? If that is the case, what we normally do is enable caching on the mSata SSD and the regular SATA3 Hard Drive is set as the primary.
Having this type of configuration will also improve the performance since the mSata SSD is being used as a cache device. Click here to view a Dell article that explains how to enable caching on the mSata SSD.
Game7a1
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May 8th, 2015 18:00
spaceengineer
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118 Posts
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May 10th, 2015 05:00
By any chance, was your new computer a factory refurb? I ask because my new Alienware 15 that I got a couple weeks ago had the same setup (OS on the HDD). Rodrigo is correct in that frequently the ssd is setup as a caching drive. However, you are right that Alienware advertises them now as having the m.2 ssd as the boot device.
I have seen several posts on this and other forums asking the same thing. I get the impression that the company that does refurbs for Alienware, namely GENCO, is unfamiliar with the correct configuration.
txtimbre
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May 10th, 2015 13:00
this is the system: ALIENWARE 17 R2 Gaming Laptop i7-4710HQ 16GB 128GB SSD 1TB GTX980M 1080p WIN8.1P
SSD is : Samsung SSD PM851 M.2 2280 128g
And it is a refurb.
Alienware - Rodrigo
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4.4K Posts
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May 11th, 2015 12:00
Thank you for confirming this. With this configuration, it would be best to have the OS installed on the SSD and the HDD used as additional storage. Having the OS installed on the SSD will give it a faster performance.
txtimbre
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May 13th, 2015 16:00
ok, I cloned the hdd to the ssd but cannot get the computer to see the ssd as a bootable device
judal7837
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327 Posts
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May 13th, 2015 23:00
you only need to make a recovery media with alienrespawn and later open the back panel and disconnect the HDD cable ... later boot the recovery device ( USB/HDD/CD) that alienrespawn make and just click next ... you will have the OS in the ssd .. just connect the HDD. later you format the HDD with the partition manager of windows
txtimbre
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7 Posts
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May 14th, 2015 11:00
I tried doing the respawn on the ssd with the hdd removed, twice. Once before and once again after you suggested it. Got error that the destination hard drive must be almost 1tb and that was it.
txtimbre
1 Rookie
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7 Posts
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May 14th, 2015 11:00
I tried doing the respawn on the ssd with the hdd removed, twice. Once before and once again after you suggested it. Got error that the destination hard drive must be almost 1tb and that was it.
txtimbre
1 Rookie
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7 Posts
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May 14th, 2015 20:00
DONE! Thanks for all the help. I downloaded Respawn from the dell site and this one worked on the SSD. Windows is running great, we'll see how my games run, but I expect to be happy. [:D]