SSD Install - Just to make sure!

Hi I have been lurking around and posting several threads over the last few weeks regarding how to clone and copy over my windows partitions onto a SSD drive.

Here are some of the threads I posted and started:

Here and here which have been an absolutely amazing amount of help thanks.

But - I feel a little overwhelmed with it all - can I just confirm if I can do the following as well? The following is based on me thinking that it might be best to clone the Windows 7 partition first onto the whole drive and then shrink the resulting C partition to define additional partitions for the rest - owing to my dual boot set-up.

1. Align the SSD
2. Make a System Image and create Restore Disk of my C and D Drives.
3. Back-Up the files.

Place the SSD into the compartment and power up.

4. Clean Install Windows 7 REM
5. Then apply the System Repair and Install the saved System Image which will identically place the C and D drives on the SSD

6. Then take out partition software and create an ext4 partition for linux (since I have and would like to continue with a dual boot).

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Sorry if I have not completely understood - I am a little confused - !

Thanks again for all comments on this!!!!!!!!!

Hello lister.



If you want to dual boot Linux with Windows 7 I would do that on separate HDD/SSD, one for Windows 7 and another for Linux so you don't have Grub issues to have to sort later.

This way you don't have to use a boot-loader and you can use the BIOS one-time boot menu to choose which OS to start at PC startup, not much different than using a specific boot-loader to do the same thing; have a look at this info below for some ideas.

   Information

The easiest way to do away with boot issues between separate Operating Systems (OS) is to use the BIOS one time boot menu to select which OS to boot at system startup, each motherboard has an individual hot-key to tap during system start-up to access this menu.

If you have 2 separate Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and have one OS installed to one HDD and you want to install another OS to the second HDD, disconnect the HDD with the first OS installed on it and leave only the HDD you want to install the second OS to connected.

Just be sure not to change where the original HDD SATA cable was connected, it has to be re-connected to the exact same port to avoid boot issues.

Install the second OS to the connected HDD and when complete and the system is booting good, power down and reconnect the first HDD with the first OS on it.

This way the OSs will boot independently of each other and there will be no boot conflicts between the 2 separate OSs to have to sort later.

Then set the BIOS to boot the HDD / OS you want as default and if you want to start the other (new) OS you use the BIOS one-time boot menu to select that HDD / OS to start when the PC is started.

As it's a fairly new SSD align is probably not needed, Windows 7 will do it just fine.