SSD - Install and Transfer the Operating System

The only one that needs to be aligned is your Volume 1 (as per your cmd picture). The C partition is then automatically aligned. Do the following commands:

Diskpart
List disk
Select disk 1
List partition

Now you should see a result like this.

Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 Primary 100MB 1024 KB

The offset (in KBs) has to be divisible by 4. And 1024 can be divided by 4. E.g. 64 would also be OK

whs said:

The only one that needs to be aligned is your Volume 1 (as per your cmd picture). The C partition is then automatically aligned. Do the following commands:

Diskpart
List disk
Select disk 1
List partition

Now you should see a result like this.

Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 Primary 100MB 1024 KB

The offset (in KBs) has to be divisible by 4. And 1024 can be divided by 4. E.g. 64 would also be OK

Thanks you very much Wolfgang now I understand - sorry mate I am as I said a bit on the simple side with this stuff - now clear as mud LOL!!

whs said:

1. Proper alignment is very important for the SSD - not only for performance (up to 300% degradation with misalignment) but also for wear and tear.

So speed is degraded badly, but it should still run faster than an HDD whilst it lives,
but life expectancy would be down to months instead of a decade or two.

3. The reallocation of drive letters is normal because the running system gets the letter C:

Yes, exactly what I expected myself.
BUT the reason I stated this was to show that the old Windows was still visible to the new Windows,
and when I first added Dual Boot of Windows 7 to my old XP Laptop I was warned on this forum against allowing Win 7 and XP to see one another's partitions because System Restore on one could trash the other,
so I feared that allowing Win 7 on SSD to see Win 7 on HDD might be another "gotcha".

4. It sounds like your partition on the SSD was smaller than the partition on the HDD from where the image was taken.

No, the HDD had a 1 MB "Unallocated" gap at the beginning, then Partition Wizard shows :-
100 MB First Physical sector 2048, last Sector 206847 :- *:System Reserved
25.0 GB First Physical sector 206848, last Sector 52635647 :- O:Old_C_Samsung

My SSD is now shown as 1 MB "Unallocated" gap at the beginning, then
100 MB First Physical sector 2048, last Sector 206847 :- *:System Reserved
55.8 GB First Physical sector 206848, last Sector 117227519 :- C:C_OCZ_System

N.B. I like my partition labels to remind me what drive letters are expected.
I learnt a hard lesson on my Laptop when all 7 partitions vanished and the Partition Wizard Boot Disc was able to show me 30 start/stop boundaries of where partitions used to reside. The Boot disc did not know the partition letters but was able to show me the labels - which at the time were system defaults because I never saw the need. After an hour of trying to remember and guessing I was able to select what to resurrect and then the Boot Disc gave me back a working system.
I now know how important labels can be.

5. Drag & Drop is the right way. If you drop into a partition on the SSD, the SSD will be automatically aligned by 1MB. If you drop into an unallocated space, the alignment will be as it was in the partition from where the image originated.

6. I would not use the 100MB system partition. Move the bootmgr to C:, then you can ignore the 100MB partition. Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD

Thanks - I should have done more preliminary research.
I will know better the next time, but I will stick with what I have for now

Regards
Alan

P.S.
Using Macrium under Windows (running in SSD) when I select the 100 MB partition of the last HDD image, and drag/drop down onto the original 100 MB in the HDD,
I can then click on "Restored Partition Properties" and this shows the alignment will be
"Vista/t/SSD (1MB)"

I get the same assuring message that all is well when I select the latest SSD image and drag/drop onto its existing 100 MB in the SSD.

Thanks whs I ran what you said and got the right result - I think as there are three partitions sowing in this DISKPART and in Computer admin there appears only two but if the all important one is that first one then I must be ok?

You are OK. Remember, the number divisible by 4 is at the KB scale. The offset of the other 2 partitions is in MB and GB. If you break that down into KB, then it is always divisible by 4.

Example: the 101MB of your second partition become 101.000KB - and that can be divided by 4.

whs said:

You are OK. Remember, the number divisible by 4 is at the KB scale. The offset of the other 2 partitions is in MB and GB. If you break that down into KB, then it is always divisible by 4.

Example: the 101MB of your second partition become 101.000KB - and that can be divided by 4.

Thanks so much Wolfgang I have just read the tut and should have done in the first place - impetuosity for you!

ICit2lol said:

Thanks so much Wolfgang I have just read the tut and should have done in the first place - impetuosity for you!

Kids! Always in a hurry!

Britton30 said:

ICit2lol said:

Thanks so much Wolfgang I have just read the tut and should have done in the first place - impetuosity for you!

Kids! Always in a hurry!

Yep sorry Dad - only don't just hit me again

You are very welcome. Glad you could get the job done.