Windows 7: Moving Win7 Partition to Another Drive

Here's another new copy option to consider: Paragon Backup & Recovery 10 Free Edition

After copying Windows 7 into space you made for it on DISK1, check BIOS boot order to confirm DISK1 is first HD set to boot, after DVD drive.

Now delete Windows 7 partition from DISK4.

If dual boot is not functional, attempt to boot into XP, in EasyBCD 2.0 remove Windows 7 listing, Add again by name, type and drive. EasyBCD requires Net Framework 2.0 to run in XP.

If any problems remain, post back a screenshot of Easy listings: Screenshot with Paint

gregrocker

You're latest message has me a little confused. I did the required partition changes to my first drive this morning such that a copy of my Windows 7 partition is now in a partition next to C:. However, so far I haven't changed its drive letter so the partition is currently drive H:. Having read your message it sounds as though you are telling me to just go ahead and delete my current Windows 7 partition, i.e. O:, and everything should be OK. However, don't I have to tell the bootloader where the new partition is or is it in order to just re-letter the partition to O:. Snag with that is that I thought the bootloader contained info regarding the drive/partition number on which Windows 7 is located. I would therefore expect the bootloader to still try and boot up from Windows 7's original location on drive 4. Surely, somehow I now need to tell the bootloader it is in partition O: on drive 1. Sorry to be a pain but please bare with me.

Tracey

Before installing Windows 7 I'd booted into WinXP for many years and since XP and Windows 7 are on adjacent partitions, I don't have to check if drive 1 is the first boot device after my DVD drive. It has been for years.

You cannot change the drive letter of an OS partition.

Delete the old Windows 7 partition and report back what starts up.

Hi Tracy,

Not sure where you are up to now.

Did you create a Primary partition on the immediate right of XP and copy Windows 7 partition into it?



If you used partition Wizard - that won't have updated bcd - Paragon would have done.

So - you need to run startup repair from the 7 dvd - it should locate all the installed o/s - highlight the new one and select startup repair ( it will probably automatically do startup repair without you needing to select it. )

You should then have an additional entry on the boot menu. If you select the new one - don't be surprised to boot into the new 7 partition which will call itself O and give some other letter to your original O.

It will do that when you boot into it - but will still be H when viewed from elsewhere.

You can check in Disk Management if you are not sure which partition you are booted into - the partition listed as boot is the one you are currently in.

If you wish to remove the original Windows 7 installation , Open Easybcd, make sure the original win 7 install is not the Default entry, and delete it.

You can then delete the original 7 partition , if you like.

Hi everyone

I did exactly as gregrocker said and had hell and all trouble getting back to even running XP. Took around 4.5 hours just to get that far and as far as I am concerned this is simply because I didn't tell it where to find the new partition for Windows 7 (I did query it but was told to do what I had been instructed). However, having now got back up and running with XP, I'm now struggling to get Windows 7 running.

Windows 7 appears to start normally and says its "Preparing the Desktop". However, when it finishes it simply displays a blank blue window and down in the bottom right it displays the message "This copy of Windows is not genuine" (but I know it is since I've activated it and downloaded files from MS after they've checked my copy is genuine) and it gets no further than that. I have absolutely no access whatsoever to any programs or files and I can't even reboot other than to press the RESET button on my PC and boot into XP.

I think if I could just get past this blue screen and the not genuine message I should be OK - but how do I do that? Perhaps I'll try a repair using the Windows 7 install disk and see how that goes.

Well I tried a repair using the Windows 7 DVD but still no joy, still the plain blue background with message in the bottom right corner. Any more suggestions anyone?

Tracey

Hi Tracy,

Is it the newly copied Windows 7 install you can boot to - but it won't load?

If that is the case, use FREE Rescue Kit Express | PARAGON Software Group

Boot the Paragon cd - select Normal Mode , then Boot Corrector.

Correct drive letters in the system registry. Assign O to the NEW copied 7 partition.



Release the letter O first, if necesssary.

( Yours may look slightly different , as I am using v10 Server edition - you will get the idea - when you see it)

Comment removed

Tracey, was hoping you'd see SIW2's post #14 as he gives the correct way to proceed rather than changing the drive letter which I've only known to bork the OS.

Now he posts the latest tech to sort out your Windows 7 which won't start. Sometimes Windows 7 reacts with "Not genuine" when moved using imaging.

SIW2 is my teacher so I rested easy knowing he left you with the last advice before your tricky copy operation. We also could have walked you through the "hell" you say you went through if you'd been able to get online then.

When a similar situation happened to me during beta dual booting, I accessed Task manager>New task to Run a Windows 7 Repair Install triggering the DVD drive by running D:setup.exe. This reconfigures the boot correctly.

But please follow SIW2's latest advice as he is our top expert on these issues here.

Hi everyone

I'M UP AND RUNNING WITH Windows 7. Yes honestly! After all the worry and, yes, I'd go as far as to say panic, this morning, I'm now up and running with my new Windows 7 partition on my first drive instead of my fourth. I can now vouch for the effectiveness of the free Paragon Rescue Kit - it does do the job.

Before I could reallocate O: to the new Windows 7 partition I first had to release the drive letter but that was straight forward enough. I also had to change another drive letter which had been changed. On rebooting, I became a little concerned when Windows 7 came up and warned me about using non-genuine software but I told it to continue and it finished up booting fully. Once I'd got that far the first thing I did was to download a big file from Microsoft. This can't be done until and unless they check you have a genuine copy of Windows. It passed that OK and I downloaded the Media Feature Pack. Yes, I've already got it but it allowed me to check that MS were OK with my OS.

So overall I'm a happy and very relieved bunny. The final message from SIW2 did the trick and I can't thank him enough. Yes, I could have done without the worry this morning but now I seem to be OK. In fact I'm writing this message in Windows 7 so I guess I'm OK. So guys, thanks for all your help and assistance - and I've learnt a lot over the past few days that may be valueable in the future.

Thanks everyone and I think this thread can now be put to bed - unless anyone else has any comments to make.

Tracey

gregrocker
Thanks for your last message. It gave me the confidence to do exactly what SIW2 said and you were right to advise me to do so. What he said to do worked so very many thanks.

Hi Tracy,

Glad to hear it. You did well as that is a daunting experience.