Aspire V7-582pg SSD upgrade

ipdx
ipdx Member Posts: 8 New User

I'm going to be owning a V7 soon and I'm contemplating upgrading to an SSD down the line. When I do get this SSD, is there a way I can do a fresh download of Windows 8.1 without all of the acer bloatware and without needing a separate product key? Also, what is the size of the mSATA SSD in the V7-582PG-6854?

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Answers

  • Yourstrulyxx
    Yourstrulyxx Member Posts: 13 New User

    Hi, 

     

    If you purchase a SSD nowadays most notable brands will come with transfer software and some even with usb-sata cables to aid in the transfer.

     

    As for a fresh installation, it will take a bit of work, for one, *IMPORTANT* First u have to access and find out what your current 8.1 windows product key is and copy it down- i'm assuming it's a volume key so you might not have to call in for deactivation/activation.  Unless you're talking about purchasing a new copy of 8.1.  

     

    As for the acer bloatware they're not overly intrusive(thank god), you can uninstall specific modules or get rid of the shortcuts but i know what u mean, i'd honestly feel better with a clean install with the essential drivers only too.

     

    Lastly, your msata port is more likely than not to be empty.  What the current models are equiped with are SSHD drives - a combination of a harddrive with ssd cache in one.  A bit of unclear advertising.  In my opinion it's a good thing since you're free to purchase an actual *msata* ssd drive and install it into the slot.  Making the cloning/drive-transfer a breeze.

     

    So in our cases, i have the V7-482PG, look to upgrade with a msata ssd instead of replacing the 2.5" harddrive.  Meaning you'll end up with a msata ssd and a harddrive(for media storage, torrents, networkdrive, etc).

     

    Cheers,

    Dave

  • Yourstrulyxx
    Yourstrulyxx Member Posts: 13 New User

    Sorry, just realized that maybe u mean the size/dimensions of the msata drive?.. As long as it's msata it'll fit.  Msata to the left below the fan and wifi card.V7-XXX.jpg

  • ipdx
    ipdx Member Posts: 8 New User

    Thanks for the help so far! I ordered a samsung 840 evo 2.5" a few hours ago but I'm going to see if I can cancel it and get the msata version instead. I have a windows 8.1 usb stick that i can use to download windows. How would I get the laptop to start installing Windows on the mSATA drive and boot from this drive, instead of booting up the hdd, and would I need to format the hdd after?

  • Yourstrulyxx
    Yourstrulyxx Member Posts: 13 New User

    I assume you're going for a fresh install?  You just have restart the laptop, and quickly press F2 while you're at the acer boot screen to get into the bios screen.

     

    Once inside you select the boot tab and you'll see something like HDD0 and HDD1; I'm recalling by memory so i'm not 100% but it looks something like this.

     

    Boot priority order

    1. HDD1: WD5000XL12

    2. USB0: <blank>

    3. HDD0: <blank>   <---- this is where the msata drive is.

     

    Move the msata 'HDD0' to spot no.1 and in the future it'll boot from the msata ssd.  

     

    Second, enable the F12 boot menu in the menu so you can press F12 at the acer boot screen to select your USB windows installation drive.  You can disable the F12 boot menu again in the bios menu if u want, overall it has no impact, just gives you the option of pressing F12 at boot to manually choose a bootdrive.

     

    Lastly, you don't have to format the HDD but you might as well; you may want to keep a factory installation copy just in case.  I'd format it myself.  One last thing to note is that the 16GB 'ssd/cache' on the WD drive is hidden until u install the WD SSHD driver.  What i haven't tried and figured out is how that affects the new setup.  Ideally u want windows to use your new msata ssd to cache so i'd skip the WD SSHD driver.  Since with the WD sshd driver it immediately designates the 16gb to cache so it's not like you'll gain another 16gb to use for storage.

  • ricky124
    ricky124 Member Posts: 10 New User

    Hi All,

     

     

    Thank you for this very useful thread.  Some questions I have about my V7-582PG system.  I am concerned that battery life is not that great, would installing an MSATA in addition to the SSHD cause more battery drain?  I think that the SSHD stops working (or halts) when not in use, therefore it does not consume electricity or is there idle time drain?

     

    My second question is in regards to Warranty.  Do you know whether installing a new MSATA or possibly replacing the SSHD will void the warranty?

     

    And lastly, I am wondering I can use the Acer Factory Default Backup (the USB backup of factory settings) to then install Windows plus Acer software on my MSATA or SSD? I don't mind the things from acer too much and I just uninstall what I don't like.

     

    Thank you.

     

     

     

     

  • Yourstrulyxx
    Yourstrulyxx Member Posts: 13 New User

    Yes it will impact your battery life but to what extent i cannot say.  Depends on how you use it, even though I can set fairly aggressive settings, as u mentioned, to make the SSHD power down when not in use.  I find that I constantly access it for a number of things; my media/games/torrents are on the SSHD.  But if you aren't like me, and just want to boot it up quickly, run some applications/browsing off the msata ssd, you'd most likely save more power.

     

    I can't speak for the warranty cause i don't know 100%.  Be careful when u install it.  Make sure the first thing u do after u remove the back cover is to disconnect the battery/power and make sure you're not carrying a static charge.  The usual pc installation precautions.

     

    As for how to migrate.  Well, how much disk space have u used on your main SSHD thus far; is it less than the size of your new msata ssd?  If that's the case then definitely install the msata drive and then clone/migrate.  If you've used it quite extensively and exceeded your new msata disk space then you'd have to decide between uninstalling applications/games, backing up your media, or do a fresh install of windows 8.1 and then grab all the essential drivers/apps off the acer support website.

     

    For example my steps are very similar to the article linked below.  I installed my 128gb msata, and i didn't change my boot priority right away since i wanted to clone.  At that point i've already updated all my drivers, installed essential applications, uninstalled some games, and i was looking at roughly 50gb.  I used the same program linked in the article.

     

    http://lifehacker.com/5837543/how-to-migrate-to-a-solid-state-drive-without-reinstalling-windows

  • ricky124
    ricky124 Member Posts: 10 New User

    Thank you for the quick reply.  I have not used even 50 gigs, in fact probably about 30 with the OS included.  It's a fairly new computer and I only used it as a portable laptop because I have a desktop.

     

    Thank you again and I will post more if I have any further questions.

  • Frenz
    Frenz Member Posts: 10 New User

    Hi there,

     

    I recently bought an V7-482pg and very happy with it, with only one item left on my wishlist, a Samsung EVO 840 SSD 250GB. The mSATA SSD is on it's way and I'm plannng to replace the caching SSD.

     

    I've done this trick before with an Lenovo Thhinkpad, also an mSATA one and used roughly the method described above from the Lifehacker. BAck up, cloning and changing the boot priority. Workes like a charm.

     

    In this case I don't want to do the same, because I want a clean W8.1 install on my SSD. I found a comment on another forum:

     

    I just replaced my 20GB msata in my Acer M5-481 with a 128MB msata and loaded win8 on it and used it as the boot drive. Tons faster, no issues noted yet. Just started by making a recovery USB with Acer software. Then opened the case, replaced the msata, unhooked the 500GB HDD, and booted off the recovery USB and did a recovery install (factory) of win8. Once done, I shut down, and reattached the 500GB HDD, and rebooted ensuring I F12′d and chose the msata as the boot drive. Once in win8, I copied over any files I wanted, then formatted my 500GB drive for data. Much easier than I thought it was going to be.
     
    This method is way less complicated than the whole cloning process, plus I don't want to clone caching software and all the Acer "perks".Can anybody comment on the above procedure in italic, any risks? Or any way to obtain my own product key for W8.1?
     
     
  • Yourstrulyxx
    Yourstrulyxx Member Posts: 13 New User

    You got the right idea!  Just be aware that you should elevate the msata HDD in the boot priority order, that's different from using F12 to choose the boot drive.  You're using an usb drive to install windows8 i take it?

     

    Just use your current/existing W8 key, you can find out what it is using various tools that u can google.  I can't recommend any since i haven't tried.  I suppose you can also try acer or microsoft support, i don't know how helpful they will be.

     

    EDIT: sorry i just realized you mentioned using the Acer eRecovery Management tool and i think that will include all the acer applications.

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    it's impossible to install a clean version of Windows 8 using eRecovery from Acer, even more if you are using just an USB recovery media

     

    1) recovery media it's not a windows installation media, just a....recovery, so it's impossible that he did it, also disconnecting the original HDD
    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-usb-recovery-drive

     

    2) even he it was capable to install from a recovery USB media, doing a recovery media using eRecovery from Acer, he did a copy of Acer/windows installation files, so...with all the Acer software.

     

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • Frenz
    Frenz Member Posts: 10 New User

    Sounds logical

     

    I'm a little in doubt, the SSD has arrived...

     

    The recovery method doesn't enable a clean install and (I yhink) that's what I want.

     

    First let me try to obtain the Product Key and make sure I have a USB stick with a clean windows 8.1

     

    Also I need to make a back up first, to be sure I can get my machine working again.

     

    tbc.....(and thx Yourstrulyxx & IronFly for the sound advice sofar)

  • Frenz
    Frenz Member Posts: 10 New User

    So,

     

    USB stick bootable ready

    Back up, check

    List of all previous downloaded software, check

    Windows Product Key obtained, check

    Windows 8.1 ISO downloading....

     

    Bit nervous about installing the ISO, read a lot of stories about failing installs, no clue whether I have a volume license or not and if the ISO version I downoaded is the proper one. But hey, I gotta back up, right?

     

    Just a few gigs away from the screwdriver.....

     

    hopefully the next message will be soon

  • Frenz
    Frenz Member Posts: 10 New User

    Hmmm,

     

    didn't get the USB stick to boot

     

    The choices in the boot menu were:

     

    HDD0 (which was removed

    HDD1 (showed the Samsung SSD, empty of course)

    USB HDD

    USB FDD
    USB CDROM

     

    Tried to boot from all three USB option, but none managed to start the installation

     

    Maybe the ISO isn't good or the USB is faulty, I don't know

     

    Probably going to try another ISO or I'm going back to the cloning method as described here

  • Yourstrulyxx
    Yourstrulyxx Member Posts: 13 New User

    Does your USB media show up under USB HDD when u have it plugged in?  ie. my kingston 8gb drive will show something like "USB HDD: KINGSTON 8GB". 

  • Frenz
    Frenz Member Posts: 10 New User

    No, it doesn't show up in the boot menu, the LED on the stick lights up, but no more

     

    I've decided to go ahead with the cloning nethod, I've looked thru the list of drivers & stuff, don't feel like re installing the bunch, besides from my own previous downloaded software including more than 30GB of music. I'll go rigidly thru the Acer stuff when I'm all done   

  • Frenz
    Frenz Member Posts: 10 New User

    Still not succesfull

     

    I will try the lifehacker way (everything is restored to couple of days back, only the SSD needs to be formatted)

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    Hve you switched BIOS from UEFI to Legacy and set Security BOOT to Disable?

    you must set a Supervisor password to make those changes.

     

    double check that your USB pen is FAT32 formated (better compatibility), try other USB pen, i found the BIOS to be very picky about USB pens.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • Frenz
    Frenz Member Posts: 10 New User

    No I did not, cuz I went for the cloning option

     

    In which I (finally) succeeded, SSD works fine, only problems is that wndows can't see my HDD anymore.

     

    I hope is didn't put it back properly, it screwing time again.

     

    (Ahh, the bleeding fast SSD speed, how nice)

     

    After that it's only formatting the hard drive and putting stuff in it's proper place

  • Frenz
    Frenz Member Posts: 10 New User

    Done!

     

    Works like a charm and blazing fast

     

    Only minor detail is that when I start up,  for some reason it shows three windows 8.1 start options, of which only the first one works

     

    I'll figure ot a way to get rid of the other two, vagely remember something about it.

     

     

  • Whizzo
    Whizzo Member Posts: 1 New User

    Hi Frenz, nice job Smiley Happy

     

    I'm considering to upgrade my V7-482pg with 128gb msata SSD drive... So could you tell us, after some time, what is the overall experience of this change? Is it noticably faster? Smiley Happy

     

     

    As for removing the unwanted boot options - you can go to Run > type 'msconfig' and delete the unwanted rows from Boot tab.