Restoring an image from HDD to new SSD

Grinch,

A piece of cake then.

First, make yourself a System Repair Disk.

2nd, Use Windows 7 Backup & Restore to make a system image. Be sure to include all of the drives. I'll check but I think the tutorial we have on this covers this point.
Remember you are backing up to an external USB drive.

Insert the System Repair Disc.

Shutdown your computer.

IF a) your computer is not set to boot first from CD/DVD OR you can not one-time boot first from CD/DVD by using F12 to change the boot order,
THEN
During PowerUp, hit F2 to get into the bios to change boot order to boot first from CD/DVD.
.
Shutdown your computer.

Remove the old drive.

Install the new drive.

Powerup and bootup to the CD/DVD.

Choose to restore from a system image and select the system image you made.

After the restore and Win 7 running again, you may be asked to activate again. No problem. I've never had to call MS. Just had to go thru the activation procedure again.

Here are some notes I have on the procedure.

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CREATE A SYSTEM REPAIR DISC
START | type System Repair | Enter key | Create Disc button
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CREATE AND RESTORE A SYSTEM IMAGE
CREATE A SYSTEM IMAGE BACKUP
• START | type Backup your computer | Enter key
• In left-hand pane, select Create a System Image
• select where you want to save the backup | Next
• Select the drives you want to backup | Next
• Start Backup button
• Finish button after completion


RESTORE A SYSTEM IMAGE BACKUP
• Boot from the System Repair CD you created.
• Connect the external drive with the backup image
• NEXT button (change language if desired)
• Restore your computer using a system image
that you created earlier radio button
• NEXT button
• Use the latest available system image radio button
• NEXT button
• Format and repartition discs checkbox
• NEXT button
• FINISH button
• YES button
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CLONE A DISK
Yes, you can use the Create & Restore steps listed above when you want to replace your hard disk with one of same or larger size.
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Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

Thanks for the guide Karlsnooks, great stuff.

I've been researching SSD alignment...Do you know if the image restore process will default to the alignment on the source HDD image, or if it will automatically create a new partition with the proper alignment to suit the SSD? I know the Win 7 install (fresh) automatically sets the proper alignment, I'm just not clear if the image restore process does.

FYI, I'm comfortable with using Diskpart to manually partition/format the new SSD, then initiate the restore process, but I've got a feeling it just won't matter and the current alignment on the source HDD image will override anything I do.

Can you verify?

Grinch,
In the words of that ancient philosopher--Thou shallt sweat it not.

All will happen correctly.