Installing new SSD & keeping Win7 on HDD

I am fairly sure you'd need 2 Windows licenses if you want to dual boot Windows 7 on 2 different drives installed at the same time in one PC.

Imaging is a much simpler way to have an OS backed up. You can typically be back up and running in 30 minutes and you haven't tied up your spare drive in the meantime.

You don't want to have your "System Reserved" partition on a different drive than your C partition. The way to avoid that is to have only one drive connected when you install Windows.

In your situation, I would:

1: plan on using the SSD as my OS drive, with the system reserved partition on that same SSD.

2: install Windows to the SSD with only the SSD connected.

3: if you have confirmed that the SSD will boot your PC with the HD disconnected, then re-connect the HD and delete the OS partition from it. Then add that reclaimed space to the data partition on that drive. You might be able to do that with Windows Disk Management or you might have to use a tool such as Partition Wizard.

see comments in bold

7isntheaven said:

I have Acronis True Image software I can install & use (from the WD-branded type), will that be better to use to make system images with or will Win7 imaging be good enough?

I would use Acronis rather than Windows, but I would prefer Macrium Reflect Free to Acronis.

The bigger and FAR more important point is that you know how to use your imaging application, it's shortcomings, it's nuances, it's menus, etc. The worst thing you can do is make an image and then say to yourself, "well, that's done. I'll figure out how the restoration process works when the time comes." Bad move.

I wasn't asking about changing or moving the system reserved partition on the HDD once I have Win7 up & running from the SSD, just if I can delete it from Windows Explorer from the OS on the SSD once I reconnect the HDD, since it's special system files.

No, you would NOT delete it from Windows Explorer if "from" means "using".

You delete it via Windows Disk Management, which will result in a bunch of "unoccupied space". You then add that unoccupied space to the data partition. You most likely would have to use Partition Wizard to add the space to the data partition.



In other words, once the SSD OS is booted, can I simply delete the system reserved part along with the Windows system folders or will I need to reformat the 250GB part to get rid of the reserved folder to clear up space on it?

After the SSD is booted, you can reconnect the HDD and delete any partition you want from it. Presumably, you'd delete the System Reserved partition and the OS partition, leaving only the data partition. Then add the space from those 2 partitions to the data partition.

You wouldn't delete "Windows system folders". You'd delete the entire operating system partition on that drive--what would be C if you were booting from it. As well as the System Reserved partition.

You don't need to "reformat" anything. Just delete partitions and then add the space they previously occupied to the data partition.

If you want, you can install Windows to the SSD and not even have a System Reserved partition on it. That's what I do. It doesn't really matter, but I just like the idea of one partition on each of my drives--it appeals to my sense of order.

You need the files normally found on System Reserved. Those files are needed to boot.

You don't need System Reserved.

You can install without System Reserved and the files normally found on System Reserved will be put on C.

It takes a minute or so to do during the installation.

Boot from the Windows 7 installation disc.

Hit Shift F10 at the first screen where you are asked to choose a language.

A command prompt will appear. Type diskpart at that prompt.

Type in the following commands one by one, followed by the Enter key to create a partition (text in parentheses are comments only):

list disk (to show the ID number of the hard disk to partition, normally Disk 0)

select disk 0 (change 0 to another number if applicable)

clean (this wipes the drive of anything on it; not needed on a brand new drive)

create partition primary (this will create one primary partition covering the entire drive; if you instead want to create a primary partition of 80 GB, add “size=80000” after the word “primary”)

select partition 1 (this selects the partition you just made)

active (this marks that partition active)

format fs=ntfs quick (this formats that partition)

exit (this quits the diskpart program)

exit (this closes the command prompt window)

Continue Windows 7 installation as usual. Remember to highlight and select the partition just created when you come to the partition screen asking you "where do you want to install Windows?”.

Thank you both for helping, along with the clear instructions on how to use the cmd to set a partition before installing, I really appreciate it. Now if I'm understanding correctly, I would have to create a partition on the new ssd before installing Win7 from DVD if I do not want a system reserved partition on the new ssd, or I can just have Win7 do all that during install and have it just create a system reserved partition, correct? Does it make any difference to performance or security, such as help preventing malware from accessing it (I do use AV) if it's in a system reserved part? It's 512GB and I will just have the OS and a few select programs) unless I'm not aware of some other way(s) for better performance.

After just ordering it from Amazon, I was looking at my Armor A90 case user guide .pdf & low & behold it actually supports one 2.5" drive at the very bottom of the other 6 - 3.5" hdd bays. DOH! I never expected that on a 5 year old case. I added a Sabrent 2.5 to 3.5 adapter bracket to my order ($6.99). Oh well, I'll probably end up using it if I buy another 2.5 ssd at some point down the road.

Also, when I go to boot up for the very first time on the ssd, should I leave my Ethernet connection unplugged while I optimize the drive so Windows Updates doesn't pester me or sneak in any unwanted drivers before I disable auto-update? I am not looking forward to having them hanging up trying to install them over & over up again...took me 3 days of research to get WU working & getting them all installed! Strangely, after installing IE11, WU worked perfectly on the HDD..what the ....?

Since my BIOS is already set to ahci, will I need to hit whatever F-key (10?) during setup to install additional drivers "from floppy" which I don't have, or can I just point Win to the AMD & mobo drivers if I copy any needed drivers to a USB stick, or just install everything after booting into Windows, like I believe I did before? I c.r.a.f.t. I'm 60 years old lol. Sorry for all the questions, I'm no wizard and it's been quite awhile since I've installed or re-installed an OS. Samsung includes the Magician software that helps you optimize the ssd, but iirc (unlikely) I think you have to install it in Windows to use it, but I do not know for sure. Thanks once again!

Edit: Is it me? I wanted to highlight/copy/paste the cmd instructions above to Notepad but it will not highlight with the mouse...guess I'll just take a screenshot.