Windows 7: restoring from backup

I have created this backup on another internal Hard Drive ok. Now I was wanting to upgrade my main C Drive, which has the Windows 7 installed, to a larger, say 500gb drive. Can I now remove the old drive and install the new one and then use the system recovery option on the Windows 7 disk to copy this backup to the new drive? and not lose any of the original installation? TNX

If you made a complete disk image of everything, you should be able to.

Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup (which you have already done)
System Image Recovery (How to do the recovery)

Welcome Tenorman,

Ok here's the promised write-up. Let me know if you have questions:

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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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I marked the drive selection in red so that you will be sure to include all of the drives that you want on the new disk.

TNX for all that. I am away from home till the end of the month and just using an old laptop I have so will not be able to try that till after then. It was a question I have been meaning to ask for ages and suddenly remembered.
The desktop I have is a few years old and afraid the hard drive may crash so wanted to know how to do this.
Will give it a go very soon...tnx again

Glad to help.

Let us know the results when everything is over.

I always prefer to use the built-in capabilities of Win 7 but I would be remiss if I didn't mention some free software which can also accomplish your objective.

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DISK COPY/CLONE/PARTITION/BACKUP/RESTORE SOFTWARE

PARTITION WIZARD (a favorite of many SevenForum contributors)
Free download. Move/resize/delete/etc partitions.

Go down there web page and download the “bootable CD” version.
Free Download Magic Partition Manager Software – Partition Wizard Online


MACRIUM REFLECT
Macrium Reflect Backup and Hard Disk Imaging for Windows 7, Vista, XP and Server 2003/2008

Macrium Reflect. A complete hard disk image and backup software solution for your PC. Protect your personal documents, photos, music and emails. Upgrade your hard disk or try new operating systems in the safe knowledge that everything is securely saved in an easily recovered backup file

PARAGON BACKUP AND RECOVERY SOFTWARE
Free Backup Software: Paragon Backup & Recovery Free Edition - Overview
Backup & Recovery Free Edition
Total PC Protection for Serious Users! Take complete control of your PC’s safety. Based on solid commercial backup and recovery software from Paragon, the new Backup & Recovery Free Edition will give you a rich set of features that you can trust. Smart people backup; Backup & Recovery is smart backup.

EASEUS
EASEUS Disk Copy is a FREE reliable disaster recovery, hard disk copy, disk clone, partition copy, backup freeware. Support for all Hard Drive and removable drive.
EASEUS Disk Copy: Free Disk Copy, Disk Clone, Partition Copy Software. Sector by Sector for hard drive backup freeware.

Hello tenorman There is one factor you may want to look at first. That would be the type or types of drives involved. If you try restoring an image made from an ide drive onto a sata the results won't be so good from the start if a full disk image.

If you are restoring a backup made with the Windows Easy Transfer tool to a clean install your files and settings should be restored normally once you have all the original programs back on. As far as the restoration of full images usually the original drive will still see the best results I've been testing that out on second exact drive with the backup options as well as with Acronis True Image to see what works the best for this.

Win 7 does not use the old sector-by-sector approach but rather creates a VHD file.

Well the backup I have done is onto an IDE drive I have 'piggybacked' to my DVD ribbon as a slave. The actual backup is coming from a Sata drive. Tried one of those 'thingy's' that converts an IDE to a Sata but couldn't get the M/Bd to see it so gave up.

Since the backup is of a SATA drive, as long as the new drive is SATA you should be fine.

Does the computer have a USB port?

Buy an external usb drive to use for backup purposes.

Backup to the external usb drive and "restore" from the external usb drive.