Windows 7: Can Partition image restore to single HDD?

Hi
I am not an expert and hope some one can help/advice.
AIM: to restore an image of a working Windows 7 to a new HDD

BACKGROUND:
Original PC has 3 partitions .--1st Win XP , 2nd Win 7 64bit HPremium--no 100mb boot partition .3rd data partition.

PLOP boot manager installed on MBR of HDD( I have no backup of original prePLOP MBR). Plop keeps both active primary partition invisible to each other.
All is working fine.But I want to make backup image of the 2nd partition alone(with Windows 7.) no D: data partition copied in image--I have separate backup of data.
If this PC breaks I will get new HDD and install the image on that without Win XP just C:Win 7 + D: data
I have made the image of C:.I try testing in Virtual box with Virtual HDD--all efforts fail. Have tried clonezilla/macrium R/True image.(Installing to VB viaWin7 Install disk works fine.)
QUESTION: Is such restore possible?(ie single partition to HDD) Or does the original 3 partitions layout must be on the new HDD to be able to restore?

FAILURE: Scanos-finds no installation.All bootrec repairs tried multiple times.Installation is seen in the initial Recovery CD scan but it cannot fix the problem and scanos cant see it.
al si

Al Si, welcome to the windows 7 forum.

One problem with your configuration is the boot manager. Most of the image programs don't support other boot managers and therefore, that's why your restore does not work.

You might be out of luck due to the incompatibility of the boot manager.

Just backup your data really good.
Does the plop boot manager support people have any options for you?

Rich

Doesn't macrium boot corrector fix that? You may have to add it in the macrium window after restore.

I haven't examined what it does for quite a while - but it's worth ago.

Hi
many thanks for your reply.
I had assumed that PLOP being installed on the MBR would be outside the 1st partition(XP). I want to restore the image of partition 2 and tried to do it without restoring MBR from image and using Bootrec instead. It boots to BSOD with STOP : 0x00000007B etc error. Some mesage about missing harware also.
I have reached the impression that such a restore is not possible even for Acronis TI. Many thanks for your advice.
NB: restoring with MBR installs the PLOP boot manager which runs but on selecting the right option I get the SAME BSOD. scandisk finds no errors.

Is it just the Windows 7 partition you are imaging and restoring?

.

That is probably the reason for the bsod.

You don't seem to have the right drivers for something. Could be a drive controller - could even be Acronis snapman.sys causing the problem.

Hi

yes I have been trying to restore only the win 7 partition to a new virtual HDD in virtual box.

I think the error may be because I have not restored the D: data partition.
I am testing this out now by restoring both C: and D: to a virtual HDD.

I will report if it works out.

HI
Finally I have some progress.
SIW2, your suspicion was right. I had to change the IDE type on virtual box to ICH9 for the restored partition to boot!!
I dont know why or what it means.
This time I have imaged restored C and D partitions.( with clonezilla) and used bootrec.
Not sure if C: alone will work.
I got a windows not genuine warning--I believe this occurs because of machine id problem.

MAny thanks for your help I now know my backups are good and will work if I ever need them.I wasnt sure if PLOP boot manager would scupper the backups but it has not.
al si

No. plop shouldn't cause any problem with that as far as I can see.

Glad to hear your backups are sound

HI all

ADDITIONAL RESULT:

I have checked to see if my original plan of restoring only the windows 7 partition to a new HDD(Virtual) would work.

It does!
all that was required was ICH6 on the IDE controller
Just a small change that put an end to 2 weeks of painful testing!!