Copy win7 system files to new formatted harddisk

[d4d4ng]

Hi All,

I used 32 bit win7 on a laptop with 200GB harddisk. As the time went by, it has becoming full. I want to reformat the harddisk but I don't want the hassle to reactivate the windows. I would like to know how to backup the windows system files only but not files that have been installed by other software. It should include the driver files needed by windows to operate.

I am not sure if I can use the recovery disk created by windows it self to copy windows system files to a new formatted harddisk.

Any enlightenment will be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advanced.

Best regards.

 

[richnrockville]

I recommend that you perform a image backup of your 200gig C drive and then store the image on an external drive. After creating the bootable restore cdrom, you can then replace the 200 gig with a larger one and booting the cdrom, you can restore to a larger drive. Then if you don't want the programs you had installed, you can uninstall them.

Other than that, I do not think that your method on your new hard disk will work, too many interconnected files and entries in your registry which will really barf..

Rich

 

[d4d4ng]

Hi Rich,

Thank you very much for your prompt reply. Appreciate it.
I think you are right. I forgot all the entries in registry put by installed software.
But if I create a recovery disk by windows 7, can I restore it to a new formatted harddisk so I don't have to uninstall programs that I don't need anymore. Just reinstall program that I need now.

Best regards.

 

[richnrockville]

Hi Rich,

Thank you very much for your prompt reply. Appreciate it.
I think you are right. I forgot all the entries in registry put by installed software.
But if I create a recovery disk by windows 7, can I restore it to a new formatted harddisk so I don't have to uninstall programs that I don't need anymore. Just reinstall program that I need now.

Best regards.

One thing about the recovery disk. It will put your complete system on a new
hard disk. Just like the other one but larger.

I have recommended Acronis backup as it seems to be pretty reliable and fast.
I do this each saturday morning to a small Esata 2.5" drive(s) I have 4 of them that I rotate.
there isn't any way to selectivly backup just the system files and not programs, Again the registry gets into the game.

Best to image the system and uninstall what you don't want, they create another image that you can restore to your new hard disk.

There ain't no easy way

Rich

 

[DocBrown]

Here is an excellent Tutorial

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hi Rich,

Thank you very much for your prompt reply. Appreciate it.
I think you are right. I forgot all the entries in registry put by installed software.
But if I create a recovery disk by windows 7, can I restore it to a new formatted harddisk so I don't have to uninstall programs that I don't need anymore. Just reinstall program that I need now.

Best regards.

Hello d4d4ng, welcome to Seven Forums!


If the disk out-lined in this tutorial at the link below is the one you are referring to, it is not an installer, it will only do startup error repairs, it can't be used to install Windows.

How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc

 

[Orbital Shark]

There are other factors in what is taking up the space on your HDD. Restore points and temporary internet files are 2 of those and they can take up a hell of a lot of space.

Step 1

Try cleaning out all but the most recent and see how much space it can free up. Locate 'Disk Cleanup' and right-click then 'Run as Administrator' then in the 'More Options' tab, look at the second option.



Step 2

Open Control Panel and click 'Network and Internet' then 'Internet Options' and set the following options.



Now every time IE closes down it'll delete most o your temporary internet file.


OS

 

[Night Hawk]

Recommended prior to image creation and restoration of to new drive;

Check present to see if "dirty" by running "chkdsk /r/f" check disk utility with repair swirches added,

run the "sfc /scannow" command at the Start>Run command line for verification of system file integrity using the system file checker,

backup anything you want and deletion of unneeded files and empty temp folders on source drive to reduce size of the actual image,

and lastly hope the restored image works properly before disconnecting the original 200gb source drive.

The alternative option would be simply having the new drive added in as a main storage device for backup purposes where if large enough store a full system image made of the present main drive. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

 

[whs]

If your 200GB disc is nearly full, there must be a lot of user data. Maybe you can offload that to an external disc and then install a http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/72427-data-partition.html. Once you have all your user data folders established, you can copy the data back to where it belongs. Maybe you even want to keep some of the infrequently used files on the external disc. Movies and Music (both are big) play just as well from an external disc.

Now you can deal with the remaining OS partition. Delete everything you do not need. Uninstall programs with Revo Uninstaller (use the "Advanced option"), cleanup your temporary files with CCleaner and delete your hibernation file (if you do not use hibernation) with the cmd command powercfg.exe -h off. Now you should have more breathing room.

 

[gregrocker]

There are three decent free imaging programs that can save a backup image of your Win7 partition after you clean it up using the excellent suggestions outlined above. You can then use the boot disk which comes with each to reimage the new HD.

The built-in Win7 backup imaging program is worth a try: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

If it won't reimage correctly to a new larger HD, try the second best free choice Macrium Reflect linked earlier.

The third most popular free imaging choice is Paragon 10 Backup/Imaging. Paragon Backup & Recovery Free Advanced Edition - Free Download

One of the three of these will reimage Win7 to your new HD successfully so you can Extend it's partition into the extra space of the larger HD: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2670-partition-volume-extend.html

 

[Night Hawk]

Actually I wouldn't recommend resizing if you see an image successfully restored onto the new drive but use the remaining space for a second data partition. That will retain the integrity of the partition table rather then seeing it turn into a bunch of unallocated "raw" drive space due to some corruption of the MFT.

Some time when removing the 7 RC off of a second primary and nuking that to re-expand the XP primary the entire drive suddenly became "raw"! If this wasn't a preinstalled 7 I would simply adivse a clean install and restoration of a backup using the Windows Easy Transfer once you had everything back on fresh. Your user files and settings would then be restored.

The option for using the new drive in a self contained external enclosure would be another idea for long term storage of your major files freeing up space on the present drive plus safe guarding against any sudden losses, Without the means of performing a clean install you will still want to keep the original intact even if replaced by the new drive entirely in the event of any mishap.