Windows 7: Does my system image to a new hard drive make it bootable?

Which part didn't you understand here?

Sorry Jim, but this is not quite correct. It should read:

If you have more than 3 primary partitions on your disk and try to create an additional partition, you will end up with dynamics. Regardless whether the additional partition is primary or extended (logical) - it is all the same.

what is on the new drive now? Only the backup image? You can restore backup image to the same physical disk, so to new harddrive! But not in the same partition where the image is.

Post a screenshot of disk management. I want to see partition layout of new disk

How many partions has new disk now?
How many partitions did you backup?

I'm sorry Britton30 -- I included you in my statement about "this forum" but I could have been more specific. You made it quite clear I couldn't boot from my system image so I changed gears. Thank you so much for making that clear

Thank you for asking! Here is is:

The backup image is an BigDrive (F) isn't it? Did you make an macrium image of C, system reserved and recovery? Partition recovery isn't necessary anymore.

• remove old disk.
• connect new disk to same connector as old disk. (no really necessary I think)
• Boot from macriurm recovery CD. Be sure it is the WINPE version!! Only winpe version can resize on restore. And can put it on antorher place. v5: How to restore a backup image (Restore, v5)
• Click "browse for image" to load the image
• As you can read in that tutorial you can drag and drop. Drag "system reserved" first. Put in in the unallocated space. A 100MB partition appears
• Now drag the old C drive image to the unallocated space.
• start the restore process

Be sure "system reserved" is marked" ACTIVE (it will ne the same as in amge so should be fine already)
If Windows 7 doesn't boot... do:

Startup Repair (do it 3 times, with boots in between)

or do

v4 How to fix common boot problems using the Windows PE (Windows PE)

There is one alternate route you can go:

If you move the bootmgr to C before you take an image of C, then you need not worry about the System Partition any more - it is no more required. You only have to image/restore the C partition which will then be the active partition that will boot.

The backup image is an BigDrive (F) isn't it? YES

Did you make an macrium image of C, system reserved and recovery?

I believe I did.

Partition recovery isn't necessary anymore.

Does this mean I don't have to make a partition in the new disc to put the restored image?

• connect new disk to same connector as old disk. (not really necessary I think)

I can do that but why would it not be necessary? You mean just do it when it's connected to the usb enclosure?

• Boot from macriurm recovery CD. Be sure it is the WINPE version!! Only winpe version can resize on restore. And can put it on another place.
  
• reserved" first. Put in in the unallocated space. A 100MB partition appears

I can do all that -- good explanation and thank you.


I'm starting to think though that I want to do a clean install as described elsewhere on this forum. I am just so upset with HP that my 1-year-old computer has a failing hard drive and I don't want any of their software near my computer anymore.



When I called them they said they'd be happy to put in a new hard drive for me if I'd ship my computer to them and pay $350 plus $60 for the hard drive. That's no help at all since with shipping costs I can almost buy a new computer at that price.


As a single working mother I don't have the time or money for yearly computer fixes or a new purchase. This is the first and last HP computer I'll ever purchase.

Would you know what the advantage is of having the bootmgr system on a separate partition?

If you move the bootmgr to C, you lose the capability to boot into the recovery partition. But since you make images, you do not need that anyhow. Then there are some advantages of a seperate system partition when you double boot with another operating system.