Preparing SDD for HDD migration via cloning

Kaktussoft · 19 Nov 2014

You can clone with Partition Wizard. It's called "copy partition" in that software (a partiion manager). Or do "copy partition" (be sure to make them primary). And make the one ACTIVE that was ACTIVE.

How to Copy Disk | MiniTool Partition Wizard Tutorial
How to Copy Partition | MiniTool Partition Wizard Tutorial

You can resize the partitions in the "copy" dialog. There's even an option in menu to align a partition or even better "align all partitions". After succesfull clone..... shutdown, power off, detach old drive and boot. Most likely it doesn't boot. Do Startup Repair to repair the boot menu and drive lettering. All fixed? power off and attach old drive again if you wish.

You can also clone with Macrium Reflect Free if you wish.

whs · 19 Nov 2014

Regarding SSD alignment - if you restore from an image into an already existing aligned partition, then of course there is no need for alignment. Also, if the image comes from an originally aligned partition, the imaging program will keep the alignment when you restore - at least Macrium does that. But if the image was taken from a HDD it is not aligned and if you restore that image to an empty disk, then you have to first align the SSD.

Regarding restoring larger partitions to smaller SSDs - Macrium will shrink those large partitions and restore the image as long as the data fits on the SSD.

Kaktussoft · 19 Nov 2014

Eventually you can align later. Eventually you can resize paritions later. Eventually you can make it bootable by running "Startup Repair". What problems are you afraid of?

whs · 19 Nov 2014

Kaktussoft said:

Eventually you can align later. Eventually you can resize paritions later. Eventually you can make it bootable by running "Startup Repair". What problems are you afraid of?

This is all true - but not obvious for the layman. It is better and easier to get it right in the first place.

ignatzatsonic · 19 Nov 2014

see comments in bold

sgrech said:

I know you can clone with Acronis, can you also create a system image with it?

Yes. You can also do both with Macrium, which you might find more user-friendly.

Also I have a 500gb hard disk but only about 100 gb is used,

OK.

but this system be this size when created?

What? Can you rewrite that?

Is there much difference in completion time between cloning and restoring a disc image?

Not a significant difference. It might take 5 to 30 minutes to make an image file and maybe 30 minutes to restore it--depending on the size of the partitions in the image and the speed of the CPU.

Think of a clone as a transfer of everything on a disk to another drive in real time, while you wait. Typically used when things are running well and you just want to move to another drive. A clone is not a backup.

Think of an image file as a representation of everything on whatever partitions are deliberately selected to be part of the image file. Not necessarily all partitions on a disk. Image files must be "restored" to be useful and are not a real time transfer from one drive to another. Image files are a backup, usually used to recover from a bad situation. You make the image file when things are going well and you restore it after you've gone in the toilet for whatever reason.

You could use either when moving to an SSD, but I'd probably lean toward imaging.

Generally, I'd try to move Windows to a new drive via imaging, but move my data files without imaging. But if your data files are on C, they will be included in an image of C.

sgrech · 19 Nov 2014

DISASTER, I thought something would go wrong and it has. I think I have actually bust my computer and I feel sick. I am an idiot.
I feel physically sick.
Decided to take Kaktussoft advice and remove partition (SYSTEM) 1 . However i did not follow his procedure and move the bootmgr. Instead I followed the procedure here.

System Reserved Partition - Delete
Made the windows recovery disk and then deleted the partition. Went to boot up from wrd to carry out a repair however I can't boot from the disk.

Then I spotted this
1. Insert the Windows 7 installation disc, slipstream Windows 7 SP1 installation disc, or System Repair Disc into the CD/DVD drive and restart the computer.
WARNING: Check to make sure that you set the BIOS to have the CD or DVD drive listed first in the boot order.

I did not change the bios permanently earlier when I booted from the wrd - so I think i am f*****d

Kaktussoft · 19 Nov 2014

stupid! Why not just move the bootmgr and bootmenu? pff....
Why not verify first if burned win7 installation disk is working??

anyway..

Went to boot up from wrd to carry out a repair however I can't boot from the disk.

How did you make the windows recovery disk?
What error do you get on (trying to) boot from that dvd?
Did you set CD/DVD drive as first boot device in BIOS? (or select it as one-time boot device during boot)

ignatzatsonic · 19 Nov 2014

You should be able to bring up a menu that would allow you to boot from the DVD drive for this boot only, not permanently.

Might be F12? F8? F2? I can't recall

Kaktussoft · 19 Nov 2014

Partition 1 System - Active - 200MB =>did you delete that partition?
Partition 2 C:\ 223 GB (only 80GB used)=>did you mark this partition ACTIVE?

Kaktussoft · 19 Nov 2014

Did you follow this System Reserved Partition - Delete ? It says in step 1 "Boot from your installation or repair disc.". So you DID boot from DVD...... I'm totally confused