Windows 7: Imaging-over to SSD?? Tools & tricks?

Guys, I will be buying another notebook soon, this one to replace my desktop. I have a shortlist and am just waiting to see how soon the next-gen models may hit [like Ivy Bridge and Bulldozer based stuff]

In the past, for Windows 7 HDD-to-HDD image transfers, I have successfully used Paragon Backup & Restore to get a "bit for bit" switchover to new drive, which then would boot and run beautifully, activated and all. However, recently I did a Windows XP attempt, where the new target drive was a Crucial SSD, and the Paragon package failed me. I tried getting answers from their support group and their forum to no avail.



So, when I buy my Windows 7 laptop soon, one of the first things I will do, just after nuking all the junkware and updating drivers, is to switch out the spinning HDD for a SSD. Since most if not all the laptop makers now ship Windows 7 machines SANS Media, I will need to image-and-restore to get the move made.
HOW are you guys doing this? Which package??

Sounds look you do not add Sata Controller drivers.

I'm asking the collective of Windows 7 users: what works? i.e. .. proven on windows 7.

Paragon
Norton Ghost v15
System Image Recovery

Hello.


Have a look through the information in this tutorial at the link below for some additional ideas and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.

SSD - Install and transfer the Operating System

Read the tutorial that BFK posted. But if you want to make your life really easy, use the Paragon Migration Tool (link is in the tutorial).

yep, I did.
and I am a huge Paragon fan despite the recent issue.
the thing that was annoying in my exchange with paragon is that the same 'shrink on the fly' feature that is in their packaged "ssd" migration util is also touted in the latest Paragon B&R Advanced 2011, and yet there is an issue with how the bootable media sees an SSD. I will not go through the detail again here since that was an XPP image... and actually, I got a much better result installing fresh & clean with xp media, an install that had zero issues ... went fast and smooth, and remarkably I had no issues with AHCI mode. kudos to crucial for good firmware.