Kingston 2.5” SSD

How to Install an Internal 2.5” SSD

Jul 2021

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Replacing or upgrading your storage drive to an SSD (Solid-State Drive) can improve the overall speed of your desktop PC and laptop. You can give your underperforming PC or laptop a much-needed improvement just by upgrading to an SSD.

Installing an internal SSD is easy and can be done by yourself right at home. With nothing more than a screwdriver and your system owner’s manual, learn how to install a 2.5” SSD in your desktop PC or laptop by following our simple 2.5” SSD installation guide.

Step 1: Preparing Your Workspace

You’ll need to prep your workspace to safely and properly install your new Kingston 2.5” SSD. It’s recommended that you clear your workspace of anything that can build up static electricity since it can damage your new 2.5” SSD.

Gather your supplies. You’ll need your computer, a screwdriver, and your new Kingston 2.5” SSD along with your computer owner’s manual.
Back up your important files. Before beginning to install your 2.5” SSD, save your important files from your old computer storage to an external SSD, USB flash drive, or cloud storage.
Take your time. You have everything you need to install your new 2.5” SSD. Your computer might look slightly different than the ones shown, but the process should be the same. Read each step carefully, and if you have difficulty identifying your computer components; refer to your computer owner’s manual.

Kingston 2.5” SSD ready to be installed in an open laptop

Step 2: Installing Your 2.5” SSD

Shut down your system completely.
After shutting your system completely down, remove the power cable and battery. Only remove the battery if you’re installing a 2.5” SSD into a laptop. Refer to your owner’s manual to see how to safely remove the battery.
Discharge any residual electricity in your PC by holding down the power button for five seconds. If you’re installing a 2.5” SSD in a laptop, discharge your battery. You’ll want to discharge potential static electricity that might be built-up in your laptop battery. Remove the battery and hold the power button on your laptop for five seconds to discharge any residual electricity.
Open your PC case. Each case is designed differently so refer to your owner’s manual to see how to properly open your case.
Ground yourself as a precautionary step. Touch a metal surface that’s clear of any paint or coating to discharge any residual electricity that’s built-up in your desktop PC.
Locate the storage bay. For desktop PCs, some storage bays and existing hard drives are much larger than a standard size SSD. If this is the case for your desktop PC, you’ll need a 2.5” to 3.5” SSD converter to make the SSD fit accordingly. Refer to your owner’s manual for the exact location and size of the storage bay.
Insert your Kingston 2.5” SSD into the storage bay. Don’t force the SSD into the storage bay. It should plug in easily without having to force the connection.

To install the SSD as a secondary drive, use a SATA cable and attach one end of the cable to the SATA connector on your motherboard. Attach the other end of the SATA cable to your Kingston SSD. Next, use an available SATA power cable coming from your system’s power supply and connect the cable to your Kingston SSD. Refer to your owner’s manual to see how to connect all the SATA cables to your Kingston SSD.
Reassemble your computer. After installing your 2.5” SSD, put your computer back together.
Turn on your computer. Your PC or laptop should be booting up from your new 2.5” SSD. Next, clone all the contents from your old storage drive to your new 2.5” SSD.

Acronis drive cloning software

Step 3: Cloning your 2.5” SSD

Download the cloning software. If you haven’t received the Acronis cloning software as part of a Kingston SSD bundle kit, download the Acronis cloning software here. You’ll need to activate the software by creating an account and following the activation instructions.
Start application. Once you’ve completed activating Acronis cloning software, launch the Acronis True Image OEM application and click Clone Disk.
Select clone method. Select the Automatic clone method and click Next.
Select source disk. Select the source disk that you wish to clone from and click Next.
Select destination disk. Select the destination disk that you wish to clone to and click Next.
Summary. Confirm that you selected the correct source and destination disks. You may also review the changes to the destination disk under Before and After. Click Proceed to begin the data transfer operation.
Data transfer. A notification will appear letting you know it’s time to restart your computer. Close any other open applications and click Restart when you are ready.

The system will boot into the Acronis cloning application and the data transfer operation will begin. When the data transfer is complete your computer will shut down.
The cloning process is now complete. While the computer is completely shut down, you can remove your old storage drive. Once you turn on your computer again, it will boot up from your new 2.5” SSD.

Kingston SSD manager screenshot

Step 4: Download the SSD Manager

Kingston® SSD Manager is an application that provides users with the ability to monitor and manage various aspects of their Kingston SSD. You’ll be able to monitor the SSD’s health, status, and capacity. Download the Kingston SSD Manager and follow the installation process here.

After download, launch the SSD Manager. This software allows your SSD to receive performance updates and to improve the performance of your new SSD by using system resources to increase performance.
Run the SSD Manager software and follow the installation process. When launching for the first time, the SSD Manager will scan your PC or laptop for disk drives.
You have now completed installing the Kingston SSD Manager. It may require you to restart your computer after completing the installment.

Congratulations on installing your new Kingston 2.5” SSD! You’ll be able to experience the storage advantages of an SSD and see an improvement in your computer’s performance from boot times to storage recall speeds.

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