Replacing hard drive in new laptop

[rish83]

Hi
I'm buying a dell laptop (Inspiron 15R – 7520, Windows 8) online and want to change the hard disk, just had a few queries around this:

1) How do I find out if I can put in a SSD or Hybrid in place of the normal HD?

2) To change the hard disk I have been told that I need to create a recovery disk then insert the new drive into my laptop. Run the recovery disk. Is there anything else to this?

3) By doing step 2 above will my new drive become “C Drive”?

4) How do I reformat the old drive to remove windows so I can use it a sa back up device? Can I plug in via usb and wipe in windows?

As its new not bothered in backing up apart from bring able to reinstall fresh windows.

Cheers

 

[USAFRet]

1. It will almost certainly fit. They are designed to be the same size
2. That should work.
3. Yes
4. Connect it via a USB dock, enclosure, or cable, and format. Connect it AFTER the machine boots up normally. This will ensure that it's not trying to boot off the old drive.
Bring up Disk Management, blow away all the old partitions, and format.

 

[rish83]

1. It will almost certainly fit. They are designed to be the same size
2. That should work.
3. Yes
4. Connect it via a USB dock, enclosure, or cable, and format. Connect it AFTER the machine boots up normally. This will ensure that it's not trying to boot off the old drive.
Bring up Disk Management, blow away all the old partitions, and format.

Thanks for that, just had a few more queries:

- For point 1 i read somewhere there's potential motherboard issues and not all ssds work on every motherboard?

- On point 4 when i attach via usb after being in windows will the drive show up as "c", causing any isses, or is the only potential conflict on boot up?

Cheers

 

[USAFRet]

1. It will almost certainly fit. They are designed to be the same size
2. That should work.
3. Yes
4. Connect it via a USB dock, enclosure, or cable, and format. Connect it AFTER the machine boots up normally. This will ensure that it's not trying to boot off the old drive.
Bring up Disk Management, blow away all the old partitions, and format.

Thanks for that, just had a few more queries:

- For point 1 i read somewhere there's potential motherboard issues and not all ssds work on every motherboard?

- On point 4 when i attach via usb after being in windows will the drive show up as "c", causing any isses, or is the only potential conflict on boot up?

Cheers

1. I think mainly that would be a space and mount issue, rather than SSD vs non_SSD.
4. After the PC boots, connect the other drive. It will be something besides C. Probably D or E. After you wipe out the existing partitions, it will never, ever be considered the C, and you can leave it connected all the time.