"Optiplex 7040 SFF" how to replace hdd with ssd

close (and no cloning app stated and matters)

1: make sure current OS is not corrupted, or infected,  or clone junk.

2: make sure the HDD0 passed all SMART tests, if not you are cloning junk.

3: clone or run migrate.  HDD0 to SSD1 in place.

4: shut off PC and remove HDD0 move SSD1 to SSD0 slot.jack.(sata)

do not run both drives at same time at this point.  (my migrate app, allows this at the end it changes the UUID serial number. I used Minitools v11 free, and works last 20 times i use it this year, but mine is legacy mode.

you did not state the PC is using full blown UEFI modes.  as in SECURE BOOT< if yes the answer is longer.

what size disk, unstated.

1TB to 256GB SSD,

size matters, some cloners, do and auto shrink others get lost.(hard fail)

in the worse case,

I run defrag on the old hDD0, then full AV scans then run crystaldiskino.exe free, no yellow or red errors allowed.

then using diskmanager in windows, shrink the hDD partition down to just tad below SDD size.

then clone it.

minitools will also let you do a shrink by hand, or even automatically (versions all I can not report)

Thanks for the reply.

>what size disk, unstated.

The HDD RAID1 array has 250GB used of the 1TB HDDs. I have a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD and plan to use Macrium Reflect to clone the partitions on the HDDs to the SSD.  I believe Reflect can handle the case of the Source Disk being bigger than the Target Disk.

In summary, I understand your steps as follows to replace the HDDs in RAID1 with SSDs:

1. Remove HDD1 and replace with SSD1

2. Clone HDD0 to SSD1 (not sure how this can be done as the BIOS is configured for RAID1)

3. Shut off PC, remove HDD0, and move SSD1 to SSD0

4. Restart with only SSD0 in place.

5. Add SSD1 and allow the RAID1 to rebuild.

Is my understanding correct?

>you did not state the PC is using full blown UEFI modes. as in SECURE BOOT< if yes the answer is longer.

I don't know right now but the Dell Optiplex 7040 was shipped from Dell so perhaps if Dell has a standard setup then that's what it is. However, what I don't understand is if the Intel RAID1 on an Optiplex 7040 will support SSDs in lieu of HDDs without any BIOS change.

Thanks.

Samsug may be the problem. Only Crucial brand ssd drives and memory works on dell computers.

>Only Crucial brand ssd drives and memory works on dell computers.

Well I have 3 Dells that use Samsung EVO SSDs and a wide variety of different brands of memory.  Again my concern is if the onboard Intel RAID supports RAID1 using 2xSSD and if so how must the BIOS be configured to work.  Thanks.

Hi @donm4599x,

Where are you getting that from that only Crucial SSD's and RAM work in Dell's?  It hasn't come from the Rockstars that I know of.

I use A-Tech RAM which has lifetime warranty and replaced defective Hynix.  Even Kingston works in Dell's as long as it's not Kingston Value RAM (it'll have KVR in the model #).

Best regards, bradthetechnut

Using SSD drives in INTEL Software RAID will write them to death.

how long that is can be as little as a few hours if there is an error thats written to the event log every few seconds.  Hard drives have unlimited number of writes.  SSDs can take 100,000 cycles or less and then they are dead.

SSD drives have a limited number of writes.

What you are asking is prone to multiple failures

Blank hard drives or ssd's cannot be attached to a machine and "rebuilt"

Raided Drives from INTEL Software Raid cannot be cloned.

IRRT is not supporting SSD's so the drives will need to be set AHCI not IRRT.

You would have to clone the Raided container to an external Drive

Then Install the 2 SSD drives invoking the BIOS Raid Utility to initialize the drives as Raid. 

Then Clone the information from the External drive back to the SSD drives.

HOWEVER Since these are not SSD to begin with they will be set to write themselves to death in short order.

SSD Optimization is not trivial.  You have to DISABLE Defrag, limit logging and limit pre fetch and superfetch and cortana indexing and event logging and swap file must be set to zero and and and and and. To increase your SSD’s life, you should try to minimize writing to the drive as much as possible. Mirroring by its nature writes constantly.

Trim must be enabled

fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 0

" many people recommended turning off System Restore" so that windows updates and feature updates do not write your drive to death.  Feature updates can write 30 gigs or more data then update 30gigs or more then delete the original system restore points.

defragmenting an SSD is not only unnecessary but potentially damaging to the SSD

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Current\ControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

two values: “EnablePrefetcher” and “EnableSuperfetch.”

Set both values to zero.

Services for windows search and cortana spying on you may still be writing writing writing indexes even with prefetch and superfetch disabled.

On many SSDs user-level write caching can cause you to lose everything on the drive. You have to turn off windows write cache buffer aka DISABLE write caching.

Disable ClearPageFileAtShutdown and LargeSystemCache

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Current\ControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

SET power to High performance and

DISABLE Sleep

DISABLE Hibernation.

If you refuse to optimize it will die. If SMART Errors are enabled it will say something like this telling you that you have killed one or more of the SSD drives. Enhanced Pre-Boot System Assessment (ePSA) or Dell Pre-Boot System Assessment (PSA) Diagnostics will say.

SMART Failure Predicted on Hard Disk 0: MZ-76E1T0B/AM

WARNING: Immediately back-up your data and replace your hard disk drive. A failure may be imminent.

Press F1 to Continue

@bradthetechnut 

I'm not sure what happened. I keep a list of things known to work with dell. And things that are bad choices.

I looked again, and I do have patriot products listed as a bad choice, but my notes aren't detailed, so I don't know why I put it there.

I have patriot, kingston and hynix for memory to avoid, and crucial and adata as good products.

For video cards, I have only the geforce gt 1030 on my list.

I wish dell computers were not so finicky. I didn't realize it until after I bought one.