Preparing SDD for HDD migration via cloning

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  1. Posts : 35
    Windows 7
       #1

    Preparing SDD for HDD migration via cloning


    I have order and will shortly take delivery of a new 256GB Crucial SSD

    This will replace my laptop HDD and hopefully speed certain operations up considering. I have have an HP G6 Pavilion

    From what I understand as I not going to be doing a fresh win install (and will instead be cloning) I will need to align the SDD??? I had planned to use Acronis.

    If i do need to aligh the SDD then I believe I need to used the DISKPART utility however I am not exactly the steps required as I currently have 4 partitions on my existing HDD

    Partition 1 System - Active - 200MB
    Partition 2 C:\ 223 GB (only 80GB used)
    Partition 3 HP_Tools 4GB
    Partition 4 Recovery 20GB

    All are marked as Primary partition. All are marked as NTFS except HP_Tools which is FAT32.

    Do I create 4 partition then on the new SSD?

    Also similar to the above do i mark the system partition as active?

    Are these the instructions that I need to run?

    Diskpart
    List disk
    Select disk n (where n is the number that was given for your SSD in List disk)
    Clean
    Create partition primary size=200 align=1024
    Format fs=ntfs quick
    Active (assuming you want to install an OS)
    Create partition primary size=(256000-200-4000-20000) align=1024
    Format fs=ntfs quick
    Create partition primary size=4000 align=1024
    Format fs=fat32 quick (can / should I change this to ntfs??)
    Create partition primary size=20000 align=1024
    Format fs=ntfs quick
    Exit

    Any help would be much appreciated.

    Simon
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  2. Posts : 35
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Anyone please?
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  3. Posts : 1,519
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, Mac OS X 10.10, Linux Mint 17, Windows 10 Pro TP
       #3

    One thing about Forums versus chat or IM is there seldom is a rapid response, relies on us folks that volunteer helping others and a particular volunteer having experience in a problem seeing the post.
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  4. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #4

    I don't use Acronis, but I doubt you have to make partitions in advance IF you are going to clone from HDD to SSD.

    The Acronis cloning software should be smart enough to make and format the necessary partitions automatically.

    Likewise, if your partitions are aligned BEFORE the clone, the proper alignment should be maintained on the clone. If it isn't, it would be correctable after the clone.

    Diskpart can show you alignment. The "offset" shown for a partition needs to be evenly divisible by 4.

    You could use imaging instead of cloning if the cloning fails for any reason.
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  5. Posts : 35
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Sorry if it a daft question but what is the main difference(s) between cloning and using a system image?
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  6. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #6

    Here are all the instructions:

    SSD - Install and Transfer the Operating System
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  7. Posts : 1,872
    Windows 10 Pro x64, Windows 8.1 Pro x64, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1,
       #7

    sgrech said:
    Sorry if it a daft question but what is the main difference(s) between cloning and using a system image?
    With Acronis, cloning takes and puts the operating system directly on the new drive.

    Creating an image puts that image in storage and you must recover the image to the new drive.

    I prefer using a drive image myself. I then have a backup already stored.

    Also when restoring an image with Acronis, I have never needed to align anything. I have always taken the image of Windows 7 that was installed on the drive using the Windows installation media.
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  8. Posts : 35
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Also when restoring an image with Acronis, I have never needed to align anything. I have always taken the image of Windows 7 that was installed on the drive using the Windows installation media.

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

    Also I have a 500gb hard disk but only about 100 gb is used, but this system be this size when created?

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

    Thanks
    Simon
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 35
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Also the instructions state

    Most free imaging programs cannot shrink the originating partition to fit into the usually much smaller C: partition on the SSD - even if the amount of data in that partition would fit. In that case you will need to shrink the C: partition on the HDD prior to imaging it. The HDD C: partition must be smaller or equal in size to the designated partition on the SSD. For that operation I also recommend this program because Disk Management might not be able to shrink it enough.

    This concerns me as I have a 232GB partition but only 80GB is used. I have already shrunk it, previously it was over 400GB. My SSD is 256GB. So will the process create a partition of 232GB on the SSD, if it does I have had it as there will not be enought space on left on the SDD to put my other partitions
    Simon
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 10,796
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bits 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #10

    Do you realy need this?
    Partition 3 HP_Tools 4GB =>most liekly drivers in case you need to reinstall them
    Partition 4 Recovery 20GB =>restore to factory settings

    Do you realy need this?
    Partition 1 System - Active - 200MB =>used for bootmanager and bootmenu. Do you need dual boot? You need/us bitlocker encryption (only available on win7 ultimate and enterprise).

    If you don't want Partition 1 : Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD after that proof that it boots succesfully (drive C is marked ACTIVE) and delete partition 1 afterwards.

    Post what you want.
    -------
      My Computer


 
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