Moving Factory Image Partition, shrinking boot disk size

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  1.    #51

    I would unplug the HD to clean reinstall to SSD.

    What exactly do you wish to do with the HD once you have the SSD up and running?
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  2. Posts : 52
    Windows 7 64bit Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #52

    I like the clean install on the SSD option. I was simple enough to do in my test hdd partition so I'm pretty comfortable with that level of complexity.

    I plan to keep the hdd in the system and store all my user data on that drive.
    A more high level goal would be to use my 80GB SSD as effeciently as possible to get the best performance out of my system. If there are certain types of data I should keep on the SSD, I'm happy to do so. Especially now that I'm going with a fresh install which is saving me over 20GB of HP bloatware and give me more freespace on the SSD.
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  3.    #53

    I would start with User folders on SSD and gradually migrate them to HD as space tightens: User Folders - Change Default Location.

    All Programs should go on SSD, but Page file can be moved off eventually: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/13...le-change.html

    When ready I'd wipe the HD with Diskpart Clean Command to clean the boot sector and prepare it for partitioning your storage as you wish. Partition or Volume - Create New

    A very good use for it is to store Win7 backup images: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup
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  4. Posts : 52
    Windows 7 64bit Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #54

    Ok, sounds like a plan. I'm heading out and will get back to this on Sunday. Thanks again guys. I've been on a lot of technical forums in my day and you two are the creme of crop. Very technical, very responsive and patient with the learners...
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  5.    #55

    Glad to help. Keep us posted and note added info about moving page file above.
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  6. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #56

    I have an SSD and an internall HDD (plus one on eSata and 3 on USB). The way I organized mine is:

    1. All system files on the SSD. But I deleted the hiberfile. The command is powercfg -h off.

    2. On the HDD is my data. But I did not move the default location. I left the default folders on the SSD because a lot of programs store their little files there (especially in Documents) and I did not want those to be mixed with my own data.

    Instead, I made new Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos folders in one partition of my HDD and INCLUDED those folders into their respective libraries (just right click on the folders and you will see).

    3. A second partition on the HDD is for images of the SSD. That is superfast - an image of the SSD is done in 4+ minutes with Macrium. That partition happens to be 380GB so that it can hold plenty of images.

    4. A third and small 50GB partition I have on the HDD for miscellaneous purposes - I use it e.g. for video output from movie maker. Those files are usually only temporary and end up on one of my other external disks or in a data folder.

    5. Since the data partition is on the HDD, I back that up to the 500GB HD that is attached via eSata. That is my fastest external disk.

    6. In addition I use an external 640GB disk attached via USB. To that one I image the SSD and backup data from time to time. This disk and the eSata disk are always disconnected when not in use. Both sit on my desk and have a switch. In Germany I have those disks under the desk. There I switch them off with a remote controlled electrical switch - the kind you can buy in Home depot.

    With that strategy I am covered for all eventualities. Works pretty well for me.
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  7. Posts : 186
    Windows Professional 64bit
       #57

    is this okay?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Moving Factory Image Partition, shrinking boot disk size-capture.png  
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  8.    #58

    timlab please post a maximized Disk Mgmt. screenshot in a new thread you start rather than tagging onto the end of someone else's thread.
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  9. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #59

    timlab1955 said:
    is this okay?
    Yeah that looks OK. The first 101MB OEM partition is probably some tools partition. Don't worry about that. The 100MB system partition and the OS partition are aligned.

    They were smart. They used the 101MB OEM partition to align the others. This is probably a Fat32 partition.

    If you post a disk management snip as Greg suggested, we can reverify.
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  10. Posts : 52
    Windows 7 64bit Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #60

    Ok - I completed my fresh install of Win7 on my SSD drive. All went smoothly as expected.
    Here's my current disk layout. I have a couple of questions...



    My HDD had a 100MB SYSTEM partition - why doesn't my SSD drive require a similiar partition?
    I want to:
    1. Delete my D: partition (my old HP Win7 partition)
    2. Extend my G: partition to unallocated space from deleting D:
    3. Copy my user files from E: to G:
    4. Delete E:, F: (F: is my Win7 test partition which I don't need) H: partitions
    5. Extend G: to use the unallocated space from E:, F:, and H:

    Once I have one huge partition then I will figure out if I want to shrink it and create a second partition on the disk for a backup target. I'll likely follow the layout of WHS, less the external eSata drive.
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