Windows 7: How to Clone a Windows 7 Partition to a new Hard Drive?

Hi

I just bought a ssd drive and I have 2 partitions. 1 is for work and one is for personal. I did a fresh install for my personal partition. However for work I want to make a clone(it would be a huge pain to setup everything again) of it on my ssd drive.

Original Drive

1 Tb seagate hard drive and has my 100gb work partition with windows 7 on it.

I want to now take that partition and put it on a partition of the ssd drive.

I tried to use

Acronis Disk Director to make a copy of it and I tried DriveImage XML to do a clone of it and I get the same result both times.

The cloning finishes and I was unable to acess my work windows 7. I used "EasyBCD 2.1.2" to hookup my computer so it can handle dual boot(my fresh windows 7 and my work windows 7).

I loaded into my work windows 7 partition and it comes to the login screen and everything is all good till I try to log in.

I get a screen that goes "personalizing settings". After like 5 minutes it goes to another screen with a dialog box in the top left corner.

"setting up personalized settings for: web platform customizations".

After 45mins it is still on this screen.



I don't know why this is happening.

Edit

I should mention that I can log into my work partition under safe mode. It does not run into that problem but it comes up with a message saying the "profile is broken....."

chobo,

First, amplify your system specs please.

Update your SevenForums System Specs
User CP (located on the top menu bar) |
Your Profile | Edit System Spec (left-hand column)

To gather info, use Speccy (my favorite) orSIW or System Info

Add the word laptop or desktop or netbook to the
“system manufacturer” block, for example,
Toshiba Satellite L305D notebook.

Provide full windows version info, for example:
MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit

Use the “Other Info” block for Optical Reader,
Mouse, touchpad, wifi adapter, speakers, monitor, etc

Scroll down and click on SAVE CHANGES.
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Now, related is: What is the size of the SSD?

2nd, Post following please:
HOW TO POST A SNAPSHOT OF DISK MANAGEMENT DISPLAY
Run disk management:
WIN | type DISKMGMT.MSC | ENTER
WIN=key with Microsoft logo on top.


Maximize the output of Disk Management:
ALT-Spacebar key combo | X key (selects Maximize) |
Drag the field separators (such as between Status and Capacity) to show entire field.


Make a snapshot:
WIN | type SNIPPING | ENTER | New
Drag the cursor around the area you want to snip.
File | Save as | select save location and name | Save


Post the snapshot:
Post a File or Screenshot in Seven Forums

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thanks, karl

Your post is confusing.

Please clarify on at least this point:

Do you want to end up with an SSD containing 2 bootable Windows 7 partitions ("work" and "personal")?

Leaving aside whether that is sensible, I'm not sure it's legal if you have only 1 Windows 7 license.

We also need the Disk Management screen shot as Karl says.

Ok I updated my specs. I will get you the snapshot on the disk management. Do you want both drives or just the ssd drive?

My 1tb drive has many partitions right now(I split it apart into many to get a better sense of what I have and what I want to later on move to the ssd drive).


Sorry. Yes I want my SSD drive to have 2 bootable partitions on is a personal partition(windows 7 ultimate - fresh install) the other is for work(windows 7 pro).

To me it makes sense and for many reasons.

1. For legality as you mentioned. All software on my work is machine is a licensed piece of software from my company.
2. Since the nature of my job I need lots of software in order to my job and I don't want to start mixing personal software into the mix and if I ever leave the company I would have to go and remove all the software and stuff.

So on old 1TB harddisk:

• personal Windows 7
• work Windows 7
• more partitions

On SSD:

• personal Windows 7. But clean install.
• work Windows 7. Should be a clone of Windows 7 work hdd

Is this situation now?
---------------------
If all works fine: Can HDD work Windows 7 and personal Windows 7 be removed?

Post screenshot of disk management

Yes this is correct. The HDD Windows 7 personal probably can be removed but not my work one as until I know the one on SSD works I can't get rid of it otherwise I got no copy to fall back onto(I got some old backups of it but I hear restoring a backup onto a new drive is not a good thing to do).

I would do that a bit differently.

1. Move the bootmgr from your 100MB Work system to the C partition of the Work system on the 1TB drive. Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD. With the 100MB partition out of the way, things will be easier.

2. Image the C partition of your Work system. Acronis is as good as any for that job.

3. Create an active primary partition on the SSD for the C partition of the Work system.

4. Restore your image into that partition. I am not certain if Acronis will adjust the partition size. If not, you will have to shrink the Work C partition on the 1TB drive to the size of the partition you created on the SSD before you image that C partition.

5. Create a second partition on the SSD. That can be a logical or primary but must not be marked active.

6. Install your private Windows 7 into that partition. The installer will pickup the active partition of the Work system and place the BCD there. Disconnect the 1TB drive and all other possible drives during that installation process.

Hopefully you have enough space on the SSD for 2 OS partitions. If you need further details on the above steps, post back.

Post screenshot of disk management

1. Move the bootmgr from your 100MB Work system to the C partition of the Work system on the 1TB drive. Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD. With the 100MB partition out of the way, things will be easier.

Hi

I am confused with step 1. You want me to load into my work partition on my 1TB drive. Copy the bootmgr and where should I copy it too my SSD drive?

When I am able to access the computer. HDD one or SDD?