Solved Creating system image of HDD for re-image to SSD

[Roo Boy]

Hey guys,

I have a laptop with a 500GB HDD of which approx 70GB i is used space

I am wanting to install an SSD in place of the HDD.

Can i create an image of my HDD using Win7 backup and restore and copy this over to the new SSD without any issues?

Someone told me that my SSD may not be able to tell the difference between used space and free space if i do it this way

Thanks

 

[Britton30]

I wouldn't trust the Windows image system, but rather this:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html#post1286911

Or this with a free program, Macrium Reflect.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html#post648001
the better way though with a new SSD is to do a clean install after making a back up of all your data, disconnect all other disk drives though.

 

[Roo Boy]

thanks Britton

I used win7 back up to create an image of my C drive. After my HDD failed i used that image to restore my new HDD back to 100% working order exactly the way it was before it died.
Im not sure why people have hesitation in using this program. Doesnt it create an exact image? If so, what would be wrong with using it?

 

[Britton30]

It's just the built-in Windows backup doesn't let one see what it's doing nor give many options.

 

[whs]

SSDs are different than HDDs. They have to be e.g. aligned, defrag has to be turned off, etc.. If you go by the tutorial that Gary posted in post #2, you should be able to do it. In this tutorial is also a link to the Paragon Migration tool that does everything with 3 clicks - but is costs $19.95.

If you do it manually, I also suggest you copy the bootmgr to the C partition (if you have the 100MB active system partition) before you make the image of the C partition. That makes life a lot easier because you can forget about the 100MB partition.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/209885-bootmgr-move-c-easybcd.html

 

[Roo Boy]

ok thanks guys.

i will check the links out.

I just thought it would be as simple as creating an image and then copying that onto the SSD

 

[Kaktussoft]

thanks Britton

I used win7 back up to create an image of my C drive. After my HDD failed i used that image to restore my new HDD back to 100% working order exactly the way it was before it died.
Im not sure why people have hesitation in using this program. Doesnt it create an exact image? If so, what would be wrong with using it?

win7 system image backup makes an EXACT image. And when restoring it makes the new disk EXACT the same. Same disk disk signature and same partition layout. So all partitions will be on same start sector and same size as at point of backup!! You can't restore to a smaller disk!

 

[Kaktussoft]

Post the current disk layout. So post screenshot of disk management. Cloning to SSD is just the same as cloning to HDD. Only things to remember:

• TRIM must be on. It's on by default in windows.
• Don't defrag the SSD. Win7 sees it's an SSD by default and doesn't defrag it.
• Align the SSD partitions. Can be done later as well

After restore check this:

• Turn off system protection on ghost disks (missing disks) after restore http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/330-system-protection-turn-off.html
• configure system protection the way you want it http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/330-system-protection-turn-off.html

 

[Roo Boy]

Hi,

Here is a pic of disk management. Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting
Ive had a look at shrinking volume on the c drive but it says i can only shrink to 267GB. Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting
I assume that somewhere along the line unmovable data was added onto a different part of the HDD, does this sound right? Ive tried win 7 defrag but its saying ive got 0% fragmentation
Im currently running O&O defrag to see what that will do.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Hi,

Here is a pic of disk management. Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting
Ive had a look at shrinking volume on the c drive but it says i can only shrink to 267GB. Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting
I assume that somewhere along the line unmovable data was added onto a different part of the HDD, does this sound right? Ive tried win 7 defrag but its saying ive got 0% fragmentation
Im currently running O&O defrag to see what that will do.

What's on SYSTEM_DRV? It's 1.17GB and 572MB is free. SYSTEM_DRV has the bootmanager and bootmenu (and maybe recovery environment[?]) But why that big? What else is there. Just a question not a real issue.

Why shrink C? It can be done by running Partition Wizard bootable CD. Free download Magic Partition Manager Software, partition magic alternative, free partition magic, partition magic Windows 7 and server partition software - Partition Wizard Online (last one in list). Boot from that CD
And something like How to Move/Resize Partition with partition manager? Partition Wizard Move/Resize Partition Video Help.

 

[Kaktussoft]

ok thanks guys.

i will check the links out.

I just thought it would be as simple as creating an image and then copying that onto the SSD

Indeed it is almost that simple. Make an image (of both partitions) with Macrium Reflect Free and restore it using Macrium Reflect Free rescue CD. See http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html

Resize both partitions during the restore process to any size you want. Don't forget to align them as well to VISTA/WIN7 style during the restore process.


Also read #8

 

[Roo Boy]

Hey Kat,
Thanks for the reply. Ive only just gotten to it now (21 hours later).
I was advised to shrink the volume of the c drive down to say 90% of the SSD size before imaging it and then copying it over to the SSD.
So i tried this but the is a sector called MFT on the partition that sits about mid point of the HDD so the most i can shrink the volume to is around 240GB (its a 500GB HDD).
Are you saying this is not necessary??

 

[Kaktussoft]

Hey Kat,
Thanks for the reply. Ive only just gotten to it now (21 hours later).
I was advised to shrink the volume of the c drive down to say 90% of the SSD size before imaging it and then copying it over to the SSD.
So i tried this but the is a sector called MFT on the partition that sits about mid point of the HDD so the most i can shrink the volume to is around 240GB (its a 500GB HDD).
Are you saying this is not necessary??

Not if you make an image using macrium and restore using macrium.

With copy you mean "make backup image and later restore that image"? Not simply copy the partition (called clone)!

 

[Kaktussoft]

If you really want to shrink the partition... use Partition Wizard bootable CD.
Free download Magic Partition Manager Software, partition magic alternative, free partition magic, partition magic Windows 7 and server partition software - Partition Wizard Online (last one on bottom of list). Burn that ISO and boot from it. Then resize the partition

 

[Roo Boy]

do you sleep buddy?? oh, i just saw you are from Netherlands so its afternoon there. Its 11PM here so almost bed time.
Ive been suffering from a stomach bug so havent been too well and my head is pretty fuzzy.

When i said copy i meant Creating an exact image using the Win7 utility as this is what i did on a HDD to HDD and it worked perfectly although the drives were the same size. Im going from a 500GB HDD down to a 120GB SSD. Although when i made the image with win7 today after defragging etc it only was about 45GB from memory

 

[Roo Boy]

Hi Kaktussoft,

Have you had success personally using Macrium when they is data that cant be moved by other defrag programs?

 

[Britton30]

Macrium is an imaging/cloning/restoring program. It doesn't defrag that I know of.

 

[whs]

Hi Kaktussoft,

Have you had success personally using Macrium when they is data that cant be moved by other defrag programs?

If the data fits on the SSD, Macrium can put it there. The partition size is irrelevant. I do, however, recommend that you stay 10 to 20% below the SSD capacity to allow for proper garbage collection.

How much data do you have right now. I seem to recall that your image was 47GB or something like that. This would suggest that you have appr. 65 to 70GB of data - unless you have an awful lot of unused space (e.g. large hiberfile and pagefile) which increases the compression rate.

 

[Roo Boy]

thanks guys,

My current c drive - after running perfect disk defrag now shows 420GB free of 464GB
I think it was slightly more than this before the defrag.

The main concern is that i have this MFT file sitting at approx the 240GB area of the partition. Im concerned that although the image is saying 40 odd GB of data , when i go to reimage over to the 120GB SSD that it will say the drive is too small due to the MFT file sitting where it is.

 

[whs]

With free Macrium, you will have no problem. During the recovery process, just drag the image to the SSD.

One important detail: If you have the 100MB active system partition (check in Disk Management), then copy the bootmgr to C before you image C. Then you need not move the 100MB partition.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/209885-bootmgr-move-c-easybcd.html