Windows 10: Swap DVD for SSD on older Mobos

Hi folks
these days who really needs a DVD burner any more --if you really do need one then cheap external USB devices are available

So on Older Mobos you can use that DVD slot for a bootable SSD.

1) connect the DVD power adapter to a SATA power connector -- adapters are cheap enough !!. Connect that to the power bit of the SSD (the one with most pins).

2) connect the sata connector to either a sata slot on the mobo --or if you don't have any spare slots a 4 port sata pci card (half height also available) will do --these cards cost almost nothing.

Voila -- nice fast bootable SSD on your machine without losing any older HDD space you have -- you don't need to remove the older HDD's to make room for the SSD. Also easy to swap - just have the SSD in the DVD tray.


Cheers
jimbo

:)

 

Swapping to an older version of windows

Is there still an official way to drop back to an older version of windows, I honestly don't mind using a 3rd party way. If possible, can you list step by step instructions or a link to an easy to use website. Thanks.

 

Cloning to SSD then swapping drive letters


@SamHobbs
What you want done is very simple and can be done in short period of time. Here's my suggestion:
There's 2 modes that Windows can be installed: UEFI and the old legacy MBR. Open Disk Management, look at the disk where your C drive is, if there's a

1. EFI System Partition, your Windows was installed using UEFI.
2. System Reserved partition, your Windows was installed using MBR

Next, Connect your SSD to an available Sata port (no need to format or do anything). Download: Macrium Reflect Free . Install and run. Follow the steps below:

1. From Macrium, click on image this disk under your C drive and save it to either an Internal or External Drive. This will create a single backup image of the whole disk containing your C drive.
2. Again, from Macrium, click on Restore tab and select the image created from step 1, Select your SSD as the destination drive, click Next->Finish
3. Exit Macrium. If your Windows was installed using MBR, Open disk management and make sure the SSD is marked "Active" else go to next step.
4. Shutdown your PC. Disconnect the HD containing Windows C drive then connect your SSD to it.
5. Reboot. Your PC should boot and the Windows should have C as the drive letter.

NOTE: The procedure above is to backup your Windows to an image file then copy it back to the SSD. This ensures proper cluster size aligment for the SSD. In addition, Macrium also perform Trimming for the SSD. This is more preferable than cloning.

 

A few minor, but annoying problems after a mobo swap

The motherboard went out in my gaming computer (I call it The_Cray) 2 months ago. I received my tax return a month ago so I decided to not only buy a new gaming board, but also buy the parts to build a similar computer (The_Corsair) to replace my upstairs
computer (DAD-HP-DESKTOP) as well. The new gaming mobo took a few days longer to get here than the mobo for the replacement build, so I built The_Corsair one first. Went off without a hitch. Flawless!

I was pumped when the gaming motherboard got here, having just finished this great i7-4970 based computer. Replacing a mobo is a simple parts swap. I expected it too, to be flawless. It wasn't. Odd things changed. When I click on explorer, the drive list in
the folder view has the drive order running from bottom to top. I've never seen such a thing and haven't been able to correct this on my own.

Anyone have thoughts about how to fix this?

Also, when the swap was completed, my data was lettered E:, instead of D: like it was and my other PC is. I go to click on the D: drive and it tells me to insert a DVD. Then I smack myself in the head and choose the E: drive. My head is starting to get very
sore.

Does anyone know how I can re-letter my DVD and data drives? I'd have sworn that I saw an option somewhere to do that, but I can't find it again. It may have been an app I was looking at, since these days my short term memory has some bad days once in a
while. :/

Thank you all,

Mike.