Want to install a new SSD drive in my new ACER Desktop (Acer Aspire GX-281-UR11 Desktop PC)

I just purchased the following ACER Budget Gaming System:

Acer Aspire GX-281-UR11 Desktop PC

It comes with a 1 TB 7200 drive with WIN 10 Home. I would like to install a 250GB SSD drive and move the WIN 10 operating system to this new drive. I would like to perform a clean install of WIN 10 instead of migrating. Should I even run the system when I get it as I know it will be booting up from the 1 TB hard drive to set up WIN 10. If there are any steps in how to do this I would appreciate it. I would think it would be an easier process with a new computer. Here is a computer shopper review of the system. It appears to have a separate power supply plug that I could use but will probably need a SATA cord. Also how would I mount this 2.5 inch drive in the desktop (Any good recommendations on a good 250GB SSD unter $100).

http://www.computershopper.com/desktops/reviews/acer-aspire-gx-281

Any advice or detailed steps in doing this would be appreciated. I have seen some youtube videos but they are not Acer Specific (Using recovery disks, etc.) Also does microsoft WIN 10 licensing become problematic when trying to put the operating system on a new drive?

Thanks In Advance

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IronFly

installing windows 10 on 2 drives on the same system can cause some issues on windows boot manager so to avoid this, you need to delete the EFI partition on the old HDD before booting from the new one.

no problems about license, this will be activated automatically.

Detailed steps are not so easy but a quick summary can be:

enter BIOS pressing Del key, check if F12 boot menu key is enabled, enable it and then press F10 to save and exit
with both drives and installation media connected, press F12 at boot, choose to boot from the installation media
once at language selection press shift+f10 keys, this will bring up a command prompt
type diskpart
list disk
sel disk x (x is the number of your old HDD)
list partition
select partition x (x is the number assigned to EFI partition)
delete partition
exit
close the command prompt
continue windows 10 installation, selecting custom installation and then choose the SSD as your installation target
once done, unplug the installation media and let the system boot

kdeinv

Hello, thanks for the reply. I have been reseaching this and was thinking about performing these steps?

1. Physically Mount the new SSD drive and disconnect the sata cable and power from preloaded new 1 TB HDD(Never been booted from) and plug the SATA connections into the new SSD. (The 1 tb HD is now out of the picture for now).

2. I have created a bootable WIN 10 USB thumb drive from microsoft's media creation tool (To be used for a clean install of WIN 10 on the new SSD). Change the boot sequence to the USB drive so that WIN 10 can be installed on the new SSD (I guess the software will identify only the SSD drive without any partitions (100% unallocated since the HDD is now out of the picture). The WIN 10 installation software may or may not ask for the WIN 10 license key but this step can be skipped in the process as I understand the product key is part of the BIOS which should allow for the clean install of WIN 10. (Please let me know if I am correct in my thinking).

3. Once WIN 10 is operating on the new SSD make sure you are connected to the internet to get all the WIN 10 updates and hopefully all drivers will be installed to operate everything on the new computer. I was going to also going to download driver booster or driver talent to ensure I have all the most recent drivers installed for the hardware included in this desktop model.

4. Once the SSD is now running the operating system and all drivers are loaded and operating correctly, then reconnect the new HD with new SATA cables and enter the bios and make the SSD top bootable priority since that drive now has the WIN 10 operating system. The new HDD that is loaded with the WIN 10 install and all other bloatware should be visible and would need to be reformatted to make it a clean drive for storage and for certain programs. (Not sure how this is done and I would like to name the drives as follows: SSD to be named Drive C and the new HDD to named Drive D (reformatted clean). (Any steps here would be great)

The following programs I understand are pre-installed on the new HDD: (Do I need any of these programs and can I reinstall to the SSD from an online source later if needed?) What about the ACER programs?

- Norton Security (Trial)

- Microsoft Office (Trial)

- Candy Crush Soda Saga (I think gets loaded with WIN 10 install)

- Cyberlonk Power DVD 12

- Dashline

- March of Empires War of Lords

- Modzilla Firefox

- Acer AB files

- Acer Ab files

- Acer Ab photos

- Acer Care Center

- Acer portal

- Acer quick access

- Acer Recovery Managment

- Acer user experience improvement

Thanks for any input on my methodology and any addition steps I would need to follow.

The goal is to have WIN 10 operating on the SSD showing up as Drive C and Drive D would be reformatted as a clean drive for storage and other programs to be loaded later.

Thanks Again

Iafrate

Hey kdeinv,

I want to do the same thing as you. Did it work? And was the product key tied into the bios (so you didn't need to locate it, or get a new key)? Also, did you have to get a new Sata cable, or was there a spare in the case, or one that came with the SSD?

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