System image larger than new drive?

Question #1 = No

Don`t put an image on the ssd, do a clean install.

Clean Install Windows 7

Did you hook the ssd up to your system and align it yet ?

SSD Alignment

You could shrink your C partition down, then make the image, then put the image on the ssd.

SSD - Install and Transfer the Operating System

win7 built-in system image backup saves the partition layout as well (size and types of partitions). Win7 system image recovery checks if disk signature and partition layout is still the same when restoring. If not (in case you moved/deleted/resized/created partitions) it initializes and makes the partition layout just the way it was and restores. So indeed you're having problems.

To solve this: shrink the partition prior to backing up. This is of course just a workaround.

Old HDD is still working fine and attached to system? Post screenshot please of disk management Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

Use macrium reflect FREE instead to make and restore backups. It can shrink/extend on restore. Very easy to use and very flexible. Imaging with free Macrium . It can also ALIGN partions on restore http://www.macrium.com/help/v5/partition_alignment.htm . Another handy feature is: you can mount the image as virtual drive: http://kb.macrium.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50080.aspx

It's quite easy to upgrade to SSD

Check the alignment now, before you re install. If you install windows to a bare ssd it`s supposed to do it automatically.

The steps to check it are in the tutorial. Just 4 entries in command prompt. Here`s mine and you can see it`s aligned perfectly, the offset has to be divisable by 4 :)

If you install win7 from dvd and you did let win7 CREATE the partition then it's fine. Win7 aligns the partitions by default on creation. But let's check. In Elevated Command Prompt

Code:

diskpart
list disk
select disk X (replace X with SSD disknumber)
list part (now you know the partition numbers)
select part Y (replace Y with 0, 1, 2 etc)
detail part
exit

What's the offset in bytes?

I recommend Macrium Reflect FREE, but it's your decision. Make a macrium recovery DVD as well and test if it can access the backup on external disk using usb3 port. If not use usb2 port.

Aligning can also be done afterwards. Partition Wizard a perfect FREE partition tool. Also recommended on this forum. Align All Partitions ? MiniTool Partition Wizard help. and How to align a specified partition ? MiniTool Partition Wizard help.

Kaktus, you are just too slow tonight LOL

But you take over, I gotta catch some zzzzzzzz

AddRAM said:

Kaktus, you are just too slow tonight LOL

But you take over, I gotta catch some zzzzzzzz

LOL... it's morning here in europe. Sleep well

The offset must be divisible by 4kB (4096)
Still in diskpart and disk 0 selected:

select part 1
detail part
select part 2
detail part

Post output. It looks win7 install creted a 100MB partition, most likely labeled "system reserved". Remaining of disk is called C. Win7 install only makes the 100MB partition if there are no partitions on disk yet. So part1 and part2 have been created by win7 install.... so aligned automatically. But give me the screenshot.

Or maybe I'm wrong and you created them yourself manualy.

SSD Alignment