Windows 7: How to clone partition E: alone to boot from a new drive?

burgul · 13 Apr 2012

My current HDD holds:
Primary NTFS Partition C: running XP.
Logical NTFS Partition E: running Windows 7.
Remains of a couple of Dell's recovery partitions – primary FAT16 & FAT32.
I would like to transfer only partition E: to a new SSD. And Keep the letter E: on the new drive, for it to work.
I have enough space for it alone. I do not wish to reinstall at this point.
I tried cloning the partition using Clonezilla Live and EASEUS Partition Master, however I can't get it to boot as drive E: - neither as a single drive, nor together with the old drive. I tried adding dummy partitions; I tried EasyBCD to change the partition to E: ; I tried rebuilding the MBR; I tried DiskPart, but still could only get the partition to boot as either C: or D:.
In Fdisk-compatible or even in the Windows 7's Setup DVD recovery console, it may show up as E:, but still boot Windows as D: or C:. It would boot to a barely working "non genuine" windows 7, with most links still pointing to E:. Windows 7's setup disc would not fix anymore after this, because it claims that Windows did boot the last time.

How can I force my Windows 7 partition to boot as E: from the new drive?
If possible, then I would like to still be able to boot to C: on the old drive.

Thanks in advance for any help or ideas!

gregrocker · 13 Apr 2012

Too bad you didn't correctly boot the installer to install Windows 7 so that it would see itself as C when booted as it does when correctly installed from boot.

So I would consider reinstalling unless you can live with E since it was originally incorrectly installed from XP.

When installed second Windows 7 places its boot files on the XP partition, so in order to boot it once you image to a second HD you'll need to unplug XP HD, swap its cable to new Windows 7 HD or set Windows 7 HD first HD to boot in BIOS setup, mark the new Windows 7 Active, then run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times until Windows 7 starts on its own and holds the System Active flags on its partition. Partition - Mark as Active (Method Two)

You can then plug back in XP HD, boot it when needed using the Dell F12 one-time BIOS Boot Menu key. When ready you can delete Windows 7 partition on XP HD in Disk Management, remove any remaining Boot Menu listing in msconfig>boot or using EasyBCD Edit OS Menu tab.

Sometimes there are unseen problems like a Logical partition which in order to be marked Active must first be converted to Primary using free Partition Wizard. So I'd post back a screenshot of your maximized Disk Management drive map and listings, using the Snipping Tool in Start Menu, so we can look it over first. Screen Shots

I'd also consider using Acronis' premium cloning/imaging app which comes free with any WD or Seagate HD in the mix, or Macrium - Image your system.

burgul · 14 Apr 2012

Thanks for your reply!
Yes, next time I'll make sure that it's C:, but I'll have to reinstall soon, and I have so much stuff to move, so I would vastly prefer moving the partition for now.
I forgot to mention that I already tried setting the partition active or alternatively setting another dummy partition as active. In both cases I got the same results. I changed the partition to primary for that.
I now tried cloning again from the start, following your steps as close as I can, and after 3 repairs I got it to boot again, as C:.
I also tried downloading all relevant trial software from Acronis, but they didn't help much.
Migrate Easy - just like Intel's version of it, would not clone partitions.
True Image - trial version won't clone.
DiskDirector - I found nothing useful.

What screenshots would you like? Are ones from EASEUS Partition Master OK? What do you need displayed?
What needs to be changed for Windows to start the partition as drive E:? Where is that data stored?

gregrocker · 14 Apr 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by burgul

I now tried cloning again from the start, following your steps as close as I can, and after 3 repairs I got it to boot again, as C:.

If you've gotten cloned Windows 7 to boot as C, then what else needs to be done?

Plug back in XP HD and boot it using the Dell F12 key at boot. When ready you can delete Windows 7 partition, or just hide it by removing it as a Boot choice in msconfig>Boot or EasyBCD Edit OS Menu.

burgul · 15 Apr 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by gregrocker

If you've gotten cloned Windows 7 to boot as C, then what else needs to be done?

It's barely working as C: because links are still pointing to E:, most programs won't start, it claims to be non-genuine, I can only try running things through task manager, it won't save configurations...

It needs to boot back as E: to work properly.

burgul · 15 Apr 2012

And setup won't fix it anymore because it has booted.

gregrocker · 15 Apr 2012

Then clone/image it as E, or reinstall it correctly from boot. Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

You may have to reactivate with Product Key after cloning or re-imaging.

burgul · 15 Apr 2012

So how do I clone it as E:?
I can't change the partition to E: from Windows 7 on the other E:
I tried it from the XP, and the XP does remember the E:, but no place else does.

burgul · 16 Apr 2012

Never mind.
Solved it with some help from this:
*FIX* Wrong Drive Letters in Multi-Boot XP,Vista, W7

gregrocker · 16 Apr 2012

Thanks for reporting back so that this might help others.

It may be because you used Clonezilla that you weren't given the choice of drive letter during reimage. This is offered in Acronis and most other imaging suites. Windows 7 backup imaging will maintain the drive letter but also the offset (postition on HD) so it is less useful for these purposes.

Are you saying you used the app given in link to change the drive letter once it was imaged onto the HD? This is normally not possible without ruining Windows 7, except in cases where it slips during repair or reimaging which might be what is happening here if it wound up C after reimaging. In that case Paragon Rescue can change it with its boot disk. Is that what you used, as I had appended it to thread later?

Windows 7: How to clone partition E: alone to boot from a new drive?

How to clone partition E: alone to boot from a new drive? problems?