Windows 7: What software to use with SSD clone and for backup too? Many Choices!!

LeftC · 09 Jan 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaktussoft

102MB partition: It's a special OEM partition. If you have HP computer it's used for driver installations and special software. Not a thing to clone to SSD.

Partition RECOVERY is for "reset to factory" settings. All data will be lost and it looks like you just bought the computer. So start the recovery..... but I don't think you want to. You will lose everything!

Partition RECOVERY is ACTIVE now (see your screenshot). It is actually the BOOT partition with bootmenu. It only has 1 boot entry so it uses that entry automatically. That boot entry instructs bootmanager to start from partition called OS.

When you clean install to SSD....

New Windows 7 will be installed to SSD
Boot partition will get an extra boot option (so you can select boot from ssd)

So it will add an extra boot option in RECOVERY partition's boot menu. That's not what you want!! To solve it mark RECOVERY as inactive (so it doesn't know where to boot from) and install to SSD as described before.

If SSD is totally clean (no partitions at all) the installation will make a 100MB "system reserved" partition with bootmenu automatically. Otherwise it adjusts the bootmenu on active partition. If no active partitions exists but there are partitions it marks the partition you install Windows 7 to as ACTIVE and makes the necessary boot files.

You can always mark a partition as ACTIVE afterwards (only primary partitions) (only 1 partition on physical disk can be ACTIVE) and do a "startup repair". This will recreate the needed boot files and recreate the bootmenu. Of course you will lose all things you customized to boot menu (for example boot to linux, boot to winxp)

System Reserved Partition - Delete

You can also move the bootmenu to another partition
Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD

Hi Kaktussoft

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer that. What to do with a total of 3 partitions had me concerned a bit. The 100MB partition is actually 102MB. Why is it 102, I wondered. The C partition says "boot" but it isn't active, the recovery partition is the active one. I was just confused. This is mostly new to me, but I have done a bunch of readiing about this SSD thing (but retaining it is a problem

).

I've been out of town all day and I just got back. I haven't had a chance to do anything today computer related.

Thank you for helping me so much. I'm at a nursing home right now recovering from some serious surgeries on my right leg. (That's a story in itself.) Because I am in this nursing facility, working spaces are limited. I would love to be able to do this mod near another computer so that I can look up all these references while working, especially your help Kaktussoft, but I can't. I can't even print anything here. Please bear with me a bit.

PS: The laptop is a Dell and not a HP.

Kaktussoft · 10 Jan 2013

C is "boot" in disk management. It means it has the OS (Windows 7) on it.
RECOVERY is marked ACTIVE is "system" in disk management.

Other software just reverse the names boot and system.

Default Windows 7 creates a 100MB "system reserved" partition, marks it ACTIVE and places bootmgr and bootmenu on it.
The 102MB partition has another purpose and has accidentally same size.

Kaktussoft · 10 Jan 2013

Procedure is simple...

Mark partition RECOVERY as INACTIVE
Boot from Windows 7 install DVD and install Windows 7 on SSD

LeftC · 10 Jan 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaktussoft

Quote: Originally Posted by LeftC

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaktussoft

Backup is a good thing to do! Use Macrium Reflect Free, very flexible and easy to use.
Imaging with free Macrium
Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download

Do you really want a fresh so clean Windows 7 with all th HP bloatware? There is a hot-key which activates booting from RECOVERY paritition and start the fresh reinstall proces.

I've read a little bit about Macrium Reflect Free, but I haven't used it. It was my main "free" backup software choice to try. I'm a little confused about the differences between an "image" and a "copy."

Will you tell me more about the hot-key which activates booting from RECOVERY paritition and start the fresh reinstall proces?

Actually it's not a hotkey. It's built in in windows recovery environment, which DELL customized.

Windows 7 PC Restore | Dell

Clear?

I have 2 full system images done with the Dell Datasafe software now. One was done right when I started using this computer (6/26/12) and the other was done today (1/11/13).

I need to find a CD so that I can make a WinPE recovery CD so that I can use the Macrium Reflect software. I have already downloaded whs' ready made .iso from his SkyDrive site as well as the Macrium software. Just need a clean CD. I have a bunch at home, but I'm here at the nursing home many miles away. Maybe someone has one.

I really need to find a place to work on my laptop. I surely can't use my bedside tray holder. It is too small. I hope that I can use the conference room one day when it is not in use. This is my best option. Some of those screws that came with the NewModeUS.com kit are very tiny. I hope that my old and shaky hands can work with them.

LeftC · 10 Jan 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaktussoft

C is "boot" in disk management. It means it has the OS (Windows 7) on it.
RECOVERY is marked ACTIVE is "system" in disk management.

Other software just reverse the names boot and system.

Default Windows 7 creates a 100MB "system reserved" partition, marks it ACTIVE and places bootmgr and bootmenu on it.
The 102MB partition has another purpose and has accidentally same size.

Thank you very much for the explanations.

LeftC · 10 Jan 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaktussoft

Procedure is simple...

Mark partition RECOVERY as INACTIVE
Boot from Windows 7 install DVD and install Windows 7 on SSD

I just made a Word document with all your posts and the various links that you gave me. I also have the other people that helped too. Now I need to find a 64bit Win 7 computer that is connected to a printer. I can put this document on one of my flash drives so that I can move it around.

Now I have to try to memorize as much of this information as I can.

LeftC · 13 Jan 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaktussoft

102MB partition: It's a special OEM partition. If you have HP computer it's used for driver installations and special software. Not a thing to clone to SSD.

Partition RECOVERY is for "reset to factory" settings. All data will be lost and it looks like you just bought the computer. So start the recovery..... but I don't think you want to. You will lose everything!

Partition RECOVERY is ACTIVE now (see your screenshot). It is actually the BOOT partition with bootmenu. It only has 1 boot entry so it uses that entry automatically. That boot entry instructs bootmanager to start from partition called OS.

When you clean install to SSD....

New Windows 7 will be installed to SSD
Boot partition will get an extra boot option (so you can select boot from ssd)

So it will add an extra boot option in RECOVERY partition's boot menu. That's not what you want!! To solve it mark RECOVERY as inactive (so it doesn't know where to boot from) and install to SSD as described before.

If SSD is totally clean (no partitions at all) the installation will make a 100MB "system reserved" partition with bootmenu automatically. Otherwise it adjusts the bootmenu on active partition. If no active partitions exists but there are partitions it marks the partition you install Windows 7 to as ACTIVE and makes the necessary boot files.

You can always mark a partition as ACTIVE afterwards (only primary partitions) (only 1 partition on physical disk can be ACTIVE) and do a "startup repair". This will recreate the needed boot files and recreate the bootmenu. Of course you will lose all things you customized to boot menu (for example boot to linux, boot to winxp)

System Reserved Partition - Delete

You can also move the bootmenu to another partition
Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD

I apologize for being quiet lately. I'd been doing a lot of reading on this forum.

I have moved the bootmenu to the C partition using EasyBCD (see below) and made it the active one.

After all this reading, I want to ask questions about 2 different ways to go:
1 - more about a fresh install of Win 7 and what files to transfer from the hard drive to the SSD
2 - move the OS, partitions, files, folders, etc of the 1 TB hard drive to the 0.5 TB SSD

This laptop is running really sweet now and I don't want to have to start over with the SSD installation.

I am still going to leave the stock 1 TB drive in, remove the CD/DVD player and install the 0.5 TB (512 GB) SSD in its place.

I seems that the Paragon Dive Copy 12 Pro is a good way to go for doing the second option. It is on sale for $25.

Kaktussoft · 14 Jan 2013

Please post screenshot of disk management how situation now.
Move OS SSD is best way to go in your case. I'll give you instructions how to do it easily after seeing the screenshot. It's quite easy. No reason to buy software for it!

In Elevated Command Prompt

Code:

bcdedit/enum all>bcd.txt

Post C:\Windows\System32\bcd.txt. You may delete that file afterwards. I just want to know if there are no references anymore to "system reserved".

LeftC · 14 Jan 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaktussoft

Please post screenshot of disk management how situation now.
Move OS SSD is best way to go in your case. I'll give you instructions how to do it easily after seeing the screenshot. It's quite easy. No reason to buy software for it!

In Elevated Command Prompt

Code:

bcdedit/enum all>bcd.txt

Post C:\Windows\System32\bcd.txt. You may delete that file afterwards. I just want to know if there are no references anymore to "system reserved".

I don't have the SSD installed yet. So, it is OK to do this command prompt now, correct?

How do I delete the txt file afterwards?

Thanks!

LeftC · 14 Jan 2013

I found some info about Dell's partitions. This Dell laptop is probably like what is mentioned except my bootmenu is moved.

from: Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

Quote:

Special notes for Dell owners:

If your Recovery partition is triggered at boot from the F8 System Recovery Options then it will no longer run after clean reinstall, so make your Recovery disks first, delete Recovery partition during reinstall.

●The Dell Diagnostics tools stored on the OEM Tools partition often will run from boot but not from the OS after Reinstall so it is worth saving if it will boot - try it now to test your hardware. If not you can run the tests from online at Dell PC Diagnostics | Dell US

●Useful tips for Dell reinstallation plus access to their forums to resolve questions can be found at Dell Community

from: Dell DataSafe Local Backup 2.0 Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) | Dell

Quote:

What is a Recovery Partition and why do I have a Recovery Partition on my computer?

Dell DataSafe Local provides the latest recovery technology to Dell consumer by shipping a recovery partition containing a copy of all the factory installed software. This protected partition will boot even when Windows does not run and with Dell's factory recovery software will allow you to reinstall all of the software that came with your Dell computer.

Windows 7: What software to use with SSD clone and for backup too? Many Choices!!

What software to use with SSD clone and for backup too? Many Choices!! problems?