Cannot create a backup image on my backup harddrive?

Folks,

Running W7/64. I've tried to create a system backup to my D drive: error message states that I cannot create an image to a drive which Windows boots from or is installed on.

Not good.

My computer has an SSD ,the C drive, and a spinner, the D drive.

When I installed Windows, I only had the C drive installed. The D drive was not physically connected.

Now, the D drive was recycled from another use. It +had+ been a C drive (possibly for this very machine). I did a full format on it, and ensured it was not hooked up during the SSD install. (I thought that would erase windows OS files.) Somehow, Windows on D drive won't die!

My thought is that I need to perform a repair install. I can do that...and I will. I'll make sure D drive is physically disconnected. Again. Obviously, my attempt to erase any and all previously used data on the D drive failed. (At least, that's my thought.)

How do I remove any OS remnants on the D drive? Yeah, I've got stuff on it, but I can create a Macrium backup and restore them, if need be.

I've included Drive Manager image of it as well as what Macrium sees. (I've got some of the SSD unallocated for overprovisioning.)

Thanks,
Ken

Okay, I've followed your instructions...

WHAT?!? Aarrgghh, I missed your edit! It's all goooooonnnne.

Kidding, there. I thought I'd done that before I reused it. It's been about a year, so I'm not sure.

It's a WD Black, 1 Tb, about 2 years old. (Hmm, there's probably a SMART file I could find to get the exact info.)

Before I go through with copying all those files (to an external drive), DISKPART->"Clean All", disconnecting D, perfoming a repair install, then reconnecting and recopying...is there a way to verify/check what Windows files are on my D drive which are causing the issue?

Thanks,
Ken

RolandJS said:

Ok, I think I know what you would like to do: on your spare hard-drive, have a mirror copy of your OS on the original in-use hard-drive.
I do the same thing with my desktop and one of the two laptops -- the 2nd HD is a clone of the 1st, in-use, HD.
Either Acronis True Image or Macrium Reflect can clone a hard-drive onto another hard-drive, i.e., from the in-use to the spare.
I named my desktop's in-use HD's OS and data partitions: S01[20A]C and S01[20A]D respectively.
After each cloning operation:
-- I boot into the in-use HD's Windows, usually the top choice of the two listed.
[NOTE: If you do not get the white lettering on black background with the above two choices...we have a little nitnoy work to do!]
-- I rename the spare HD's OS and data partition S03[5A0]C and S03[5A0]D respectively
-- Control Panel --> Device Manager --> Disk Drives --> disable, not uninstall, the 2nd, spare, HD.

Sorry, but not quite. I do use Macrium (and love it), but I was just trying to create Windows Backup image onto my D. My D is not dedicated as a mirror of my C. My C has limited space (you can see from the screenshots, original post.) I've got "data" (pictures, games, etc.) on my D drive.

My Macrium backup of my C drive is on an external drive. I do like your approach.

Cheers,
Ken