Windows 7: What will happen?

I'm getting a new cpu(I5 650)/motherboard(Asus P7P55D-E) and ssd(Corsaid Nova 64gb) and plan on doing a clean install on the ssd - without the sata drives connected.

Will anything happen when I connect my old SATA drives with windows 7 on one of them? Will that windows 7 be recognized? Should I format that partition? If so, before or after entering Windows 7?


Afterward... when I do a back-up and system image to my USB drive, will it just write over the version from the sata drive, or do I have to remove/delete it from the USB drive before doing that backup/sys image?

Trying to avoid surprises, I'm a geek, afterall.

Hello michaelst.



After you have Windows 7 installed on the SSD and the new hardware you can use the #7 info in this tutorial to wipe / over-write the data on the HDD after it has been connected to the mobo; just do the install to the SSD with that being the only one connected so you don't have a dual boot to sort out before the "old" Windows 7 can be removed.

Just be sure to make backups of anything you want to save before you do the wipe (secure erase) to the HDD as any data left will be unrecoverable afterward; using this method will not let you over-write the wrong OS and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.


Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command

When you install a new mobo, you may get into trouble with validation depending on the /7 license you have. With a retail license you will be OK, but you have to uninstall the old /7. If it is a OEM license, it will not work. That is tied to the old mobo.

Thanks for the replies.

So, after I load the OS, then shutdown , connect the drives, and reboot, the new drives with the old OS will just recognized as regular drives? despite 'active' and 'boot' and all that other stuff on them?



WHS...

It's an upgrade version, not an OEM, so I think I'm ok there. But I know i will have to re-activate and re-validate.

Was that an upgrade to an OEM or to a retail license?

upgrade retail

Sometimes Windows 7 will start up on new hardware - you'll have to try it to see. If it does, reinsert your Product Key at Computer>Properties activation link to update the hardware signature in MS activation computers.

If it doesn't start, you can try removing the drivers using Paragon Adaptive Restore CD which will prepare it to start on new hardware.

If not, you'll need to clean reinstall from booted DVD.

As long as you leave the SSD as the default first boot device in the BIOS, correct, it will be seen as just another HDD and you can select it for the wipe (secure erase) using the tutorial I listed above.

If you want to try what Greg is suggesting, you may be able to boot the HDD by choosing that using the one-time BIOS boot menu, which for Asus is to start tapping the F8 hot-key as soon as you hit the poser button.


Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

I disconnected all the drives except the ssd.

Windows 7 loaded ok, but when it asked for the product key, it said it was invalid.
MS support page said it couldn't verify a previous copy.

So, I attached the old xp drive, did a repair install, then installed Windows 7 on the ssd.

Worked just fine.

Does not dual boot.

Now I just have to get rid of the windows.old folder, and I'll be fine.

Is the C drive supposed to be marked 'active'?

If I were you I'd use Option Two #2 to mark the "Disk 1, partition 1" as " Inactive " so it doesn't cause you grief later; you can do it from an elevated command window, you don't have to boot to diskpart for this.

Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times