Windows 7: Transfer installed win 7 from one hdd to new hdd

im considering upgrade my hdd to 1.5tb, however i have just installed all the windows and activated, i dun really want to reinstall everything and activate windows again



do i need to create a hd image for it? and how and what do i need to do

Welcome to Seven Forums, whitepanda.

I believe that you should be able to image your current HD and then recover to the new drive. Then you can partition the new drive using the Windows 7 tools.

Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup


Partition or Volume - Create New

In addition, you can clone your drive using an application such as Acronis True Image Home. It's no problem to swap out and replace the original drive with a newly cloned drive. Windows 7 should still be activated and not notice the difference. Even if it does, it should just reactivate itself.

thanks for the welcome

if i do that will MS think its a different computer and activate windows may be an issue in the future??

With a new HD, probably not.

If it occurs, there will be a number to call at Microsoft where you can explain what you did. Since you have a legitimate license, they will set it straight. (I went through a similar process with XP, and it wasn't much of a hassle at all.)

I copied mine to two different hard drives. Over kill maybe but I didn't want to take any chances. One on a USB HD and one on an old 40 gb hd that was laying around.

I just did a bunch of updating including updating a proprietary driver for my hard drive and for the first time Windows 7 indicated it needed to be reactivated. I have swapped hard drive clones before without that happening (however, they were the same model and size hard drives). Anyway, all I did was click "activate windows now" and it reactivated itself with no problem and no telephone call required.

I suppose if that happens more than about 10 or so times within probably a 6 month period, I might have to call MS. I'm just guessing at those numbers but I'm sure it's set up to be something like that. I'm sure they don't want millions of people calling them every time a hard drive or some other component is changed.

did u install windows again, or just create image onto another one?

Hello, new member here...

I realise this is an old thread, but what about if I want to transfer my Win 7 to a SMALLER HDD? Contemplating upgrading to an SSD...

Found these forums to be very helpful by the way - the thread on activating AHCI in my drives after the fact was very useful.

Thanks for any advice!

@ roknrob : Hello, here is a link that may help to decide if its worth the money or trouble.
Review: Hard disk vs. solid-state drive -- is an SSD worth the money? - Computerworld

Hope it helps.