Windows 7: Windows 7 Backup & Restore

Hi all, I am just new to this excellent forum and looking for so examples of you experiences with Windows 7 Backup and restore.

I have a Dell Inspiron 6400 laptop with a 160Gb HDD. I would like to upgrade this to a 320Gb drive so I have, using the, backed up my current HDD and hope to replace it with the 320Gb and do a Restore to get beack to where I was.

Will this work ok or should I think of another plan?

My OS is Windows 7 Professional with SP1 installed. This was installed using an unpgrade from Windows Vista.

Any hints or tips greatly received.

Thanks



Ossie

Sorry if this is not the answer you're looking for -- but I did almost exactly what your doing, but using Macrium Reflect instead. Imaged off the current partitions to an external drive, stuck in the new, much larger, drive, restored from the latest backup. Rebooted.

Windows 7 came up deactivated (of course -- new hard drive), but selecting Activate Only worked and 5 minutes later, was up and running.

Perhaps others have used the builtin function, but since MR is free, there's no cost involved in trying that out.

Hi, welcome to the forums

Please try to refrain from 'bumping' threads, we will get to your issue as soon as possible.

In the meantime you may want to check out the following tutorial to see if it offers any assistance

Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup


OS

Welcome to the forums:

Microsoft's built in image backup works but, it will not restore to a drive smaller than the one it was written from.

I use Acronis home backup and for $29 it is a dream and a real warm fuzzy.

There are a lot of free image backup programs but some depend on you creating a bootable linux disk.
Microsoft will prompt you to create a recovery disk and it works.

Rich

Another question is did you're installation come with any backup CD/DVDs?

The reason I ask is that if your machine was an OEM installed machine then it would have come with a backup partition for use with the manufacturer restore software. If you swap out the drives you will lose the OEM restore partition and any manufacturer restore software will fail if you ever need to restore your machine to it's out of the box (factory) settings.

Sorry didn't mean to infringe the rules as I was only asking for other people experiences in using the windows back & restore facility.

I have made my backup and hopefully tonight I will do the restore to my new 320Gb HDD. Losing the original backup from Dell with the Factory settings is now big deal as the system didn't run to well anyway.

Once I complete this operation I intend to keep regualr backups to ensure ifI ever do have a system crash I don't lose to much.


thanks

Ossie

Hi,

I looked at Acronis on Amazon and the latest level didn't get a good review and that kinda put me off it. My restore plan is to move from a 160Gb drive to a 320Gb

Thanks for your time


Ossie

You can try with windows own imaging app.

If it doesn't work for you, use a free version alternative, Macrium is popular, and the new Paragon free is the only aftermarket app. to align according to nt6 rules.

Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download

Free Backup Software: Paragon Backup & Recovery (Advanced) Free ...