Crucial Mx series User manual

How to install a Crucial®SSD

in your computer

If you’re a ﬁrst-time installer, there’s no need to fear – the process is easy

and straightforward. It’ll take some time, but your computer will

be radically faster when you’re done!

3. Back up important ﬁles

Before starting the install process, save any important ﬁles

on your computer to a USB ﬂash drive or external drive.

4. Go slowly and deliberately

The information you need is all here. Your system

will likely look dierent than the ones shown, but the

process is the same. Read each step thoroughly and

consult our Helpful Tips for more info.

Helpful Tip

For Mac installations, follow our Mac-speciﬁc steps at uk.crucial.com/mac-ssd-install since the process

is signiﬁcantly dierent and not all Mac systems are upgradeable.

Amount of data on old hard drive Time it may take to copy to new SSD

Less than 256GB 20-30 minutes

256-512GB 30-60 minutes

512GB-1TB 60-90 minutes

More than 1TB 90+ minutes

Did You Know...?

The longest part of the SSD install

process is copying everything from your

old drive to your new SSD. Before you

start, get a sense of how long this’ll take

by referring to our chart on the left.

Part 1: Prepare

1. Gather supplies

You’ll need your Crucial SSD, a screwdriver, your computer’s

owner’s manual (which will specify the type of screwdriver

you need), and a SATA-to-USB cable (sold separately).

If you have a Mac®system, see our Helpful Tip below

for additional instructions.

2. Set the spacer aside

In the box with your SSD is a spacer (it looks like a black bracket).

Set it aside for now – it won’t come into play until later in the

process, and based on your system, you may not even need it.

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Part 2: Copy

3. Install the software you downloaded

Open the ﬁle you downloaded and accept all of the prompts.

A screen will then pop up. Click Install. Once installation is

complete, start the application.

4. Enter the software’s serial number

This is the 16-digit key noted on the software card inside

the box of your SSD.

1. Connect the SSD to your system

Using a SATA-to- USB cable, attach one side to the SSD and the

other end to your computer. When handling your SSD, try not to

touch its gold connector pins with your ﬁngers.

2. Download the software that copies your

old drive to your new SSD

This comes free with Crucial SSDs. On the computer the SSD is

connected to, go to uk.crucial.com/clone to download

the software.

5. Prepare to copy (clone) your data

You’ll now see several options in the software. Select the

Clone Disk option. You’ll then be asked to select a clone

mode. If you’ve never done this before, we recommend the

Automatic method, then click the Next button.

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6. Select source and destination drives (disks)

Your “source” disk is your existing drive. Select it by clicking on it,

then click Next. Now select your “destination” disk (your new SSD)

and click Next. On the following screen, click Proceed to start

copying your data.

7. Reward yourself with a beverage of choice

It’ll take a while for everything to copy. Depending on your system,

the software might make it shut down or restart, which is OK.

Leave your computer for a bit and go do something fun!

Helpful Tip

If your old storage drive is 128GB (for example) and you copy its contents to a 275GB SSD, the SSD may show

up in your system as a 128GB drive, even though it’s actually the size that you bought. No need to fear – you

can still store more on it, but you’ll need to make some adjustments to the drive’s settings. This doesn’t usually

happen, but if it does, we want to let you know that it’s OK and that it’s based on your system, not you.

Did You Know...?

Millions of people have used this software to copy data, from everyday home users with passwords and precious

home photos to corporate users who have lots of proprietary information. The security and privacy of your data is

important to us, and we don’t compromise that. Copying is a safe, secure process.

Part 3: Install

1. Shut down your system

Once it’s o, unplug the SATA-to-USB cable from your system

and remove the cable from your SSD.

2. Remove the power cable and battery

Now that the SSD is unattached from your system, remove

the power cable and battery (laptops only). To see how to

remove the battery, refer to your owner’s manual.

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3. Hold the power button for 5 seconds

This removes any electricity still in the system.

4. Open the case

How you do this will vary from system to system, so consult your

owner’s manual for exact instructions.

5. Ground yourself

Simply touch an unpainted metal surface. This protects your

system’s components from the static electricity that’s naturally

present in your body – grounding is just an extra safeguard.

6. Locate the storage bay

This is easy to ﬁnd in desktops, but in laptops the location will vary

– it’s typically under the bottom panel, under the keyboard, or on

the side. Refer to your owner’s manual for the exact location, as

every system looks slightly dierent.

7. Remove your old drive

Remove the existing drive and disconnect any cables and brackets

attached to it. Look closely at the drive for screws that might be

holding something to it, as most brackets are often small and look

like supporting frames.

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9. Reassemble your system

For laptop installations, reconnect the battery.

10. Turn on your computer

Watch how much faster it boots up!

8. Reattach cables and brackets to SSD

Once reattached, plug the SSD into your system. Don’t worry if the

label faces up or down, as this varies by system. When plugging in

the SSD, don’t force the connection – it should go in easily and ﬁt

snug. If it’s wobbly, refer to our Helpful Tip below.

11. Have some fun

See how fast your favorite apps open when you click on them!

Your SSD is now installed, but you can make it even faster by

enabling a special feature.

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1. Enable Storage Executive

This free software helps your SSD become even faster and allows

the drive to get periodic performance updates. On the computer

you installed the SSD in, go to http://uk.crucial.com/se.

Part 4: Download

For laptops

Look closely at the old storage drive you removed for any brackets, adapters, support frames, braces, pull tabs,

or screws that might be attached to it. If anything is attached to the old drive, remove it and put it on the SSD

in the same manner. Now reinsert the SSD into the storage bay. If it still doesn’t ﬁt snug, use the spacer you set

aside earlier and attach it to the SSD by peeling o the adhesive and sticking it onto the drive as shown. Attaching

the spacer allows the SSD to achieve the same level of thickness as the existing drive you removed. Note: many

installations don’t require the spacer, so you may not need to use it.

For desktops

Some storage bays and existing hard drives are

signiﬁcantly larger than a standard size SSD. If this is the

case in your system, you’ll need a 2.5-inch to 3.5-inch

converter to make the SSD ﬁt snug. You can get one of

these on www.crucial.com.

Helpful Tip

When you ﬁrst slot your SSD into the storage drive bay, it might not ﬁt securely. If this occurs,

here’s what to do based on the type of system you’re installing into.

Brackets, adapters, support frames, braces, pull tabs, or screws Spacer

Did You Know...?

Millions of people around the world have made their computers faster by installing a Crucial SSD.

No computer skills are required!

2. Click on one of the “download” buttons

Check out our Helpful Tip below to see which version of the

software you need. Download times will vary based on your

internet connection, but average 1-3 minutes.

3. Open and run Storage Executive

Click on the ﬁle you just downloaded. If it doesn’t open right away,

double click on it, then save it to your desktop and open it from

there. Follow the onscreen prompts and instructions to install and

start using the software.

4. Enable Momentum Cache and make your

SSD even faster

In the left menu, click on Momentum Cache. Enabling this feature

forces your computer to restart, which is normal. The feature

doesn’t work with RAID arrays, but if you don’t know what that

means, no need to worry ;)

Helpful Tip

Download the 64-bit version of the software if you have a 64-bit operating system (most users).

Download the 32-bit version if you have a 32-bit operating system. Not sure which one you have?

Follow the steps in our chart below.

Operating system How to know if you have the 32 or 64-bit version

Windows®10

In the Start menu, type This PC into the Windows search bar, but don’t hit enter. Right click on the This PC

option that displays, then select Properties and your type of operating system will be displayed onscreen.

Windows®8

Move your mouse to the upper right side of the screen and click on the search tool that appears.

Type Computer into the search ﬁeld, then right click on it and select Properties. Your type of operating

system will be displayed onscreen.

Windows®7 In the Start menu, right click on Computer, then select Properties and your type of operating system

will be displayed onscreen.

If you see anything other than 64-bit, download the 32-bit version of the software.

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Did You Know...?

You can use Storage Executive to see how much storage you’ve used, monitor your drive’s temperature,

and enable the Momentum Cache feature, which makes many SSD operations up to 10x faster.

REVISION: April 25, 2017 1:01 PM

responsible for omissions or errors in typography or photography. Micron, the Micron logo, Crucial, and the Crucial logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Micron Technology,

Inc. Mac is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States