Install to new SSD from old HDD Recovery Partition

[phoenix198]

I have a Mesh i5 750 PC base unit which performs very well but I would like to add a Corsair 60GB Force SSD 2.5" SATA-II as a boot drive, and use the original 1TB HDD as a data/games store. Can anyone tell me whether it is possible to simply install the SSD then restore the Mesh's operating system (Windows 7 64-bit HP) onto the SSD from the original HDD's recovery partition?

I have previously done a 'clean' install of a retail copy of Windows 7 64-bit to a SSD boot drive on a home-built system and remember that it had a slightly different sequence from 'normal' installations to a HDD. As I recall it created a small (100MB?) hidden partition on the SSD for nefarious Windows purposes then I had to perform a couple of registry hacks to optimise Windows 7 for a SSD, and move my default Libraries and data stores to to the 'slave' HDD.

I suppose the real question is: does a reinstallation of Windows 7 from an OEM Recovery partition (or even from a Recovery Image backed up to DVD) go through the same installation process(es) if it recognises that it is being installed onto a SSD?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mark Phelps]

..As I recall it created a small (100MB?) hidden partition on the SSD for nefarious Windows purposes ...

Despite what you think, it was NOT for "nefarious Windows purposes"; instead, it's the default Win7 setup which creates what essentially is a boot partition. It does this to allow you to fully encrypt your other partition -- the Win7 OS partition.

IF you create an NTFS partition on a drive in advance, you can install to THAT partition and Win7 then will not create the separate boot partition.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

In addition to what Mark Phelps has said, it also contains a link to the Windows Recovery Console in the advanced boot options menu built into Windows 7 that you won't get without the 100MB System Reserved partition being present.



I have been working on methods to create this useful partition where needed, have a look at these links below.

Boot Windows 7 from Logical

Boot Windows 7 from a Logical Partition

click to enlarge

​

Now let's see if we can get you some help with the reason you're here.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello phoenix198.



Before we make any specific recommendations will you please post a snip/screen-shot of the entire disk management drive map with a full description as to which drive/partition is which, so we can see what you have going so far.

In the Windows start menu right click computer and click manage, in the left pane of the "Computer Management" window that opens click disk management and post a snip of that.


How to Upload and Post a Screenshot and File in Seven Forums



Be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.

 

[gregrocker]

You can try cloning your Win7 installation over to the SSD, but you may be better off clean installing if the calibration doesn't come out correct.

You would need to make your Recovery Disks to use to install to the new SSD. Acer has extra procedures when installing to a new drive which you should read about in the Manual on Acer's Support Downloads webpage for your model. Who knows if Recov Disks work on an SSD - Acer tech support might but don't count on it.

Unless you want all of the bloatware you'd be better off starting fresh with a clean install while other HD is unplugged, then you can plug it back in afterward to copy files in or boot it if necessary using F2 BIOS Boot Menu key.

 

[tw33k]

You could try this...
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/75127-partition-image-restore-hdd-ssd.html

 

[karlsnooks]

Phoenix,
We really need that snapshot of the output of DiskManagement to correctly advise you.

Clear up one confusion on my part--do you have a separate Win 7 DVD for this system in which you desire to install a SSD?

 

[phoenix198]

Apologies for delay in posting this - I had some wetware issues to deal with.

Disk management drive map is below



D drive is an external USB drive and not relevant to the issue.

In response to a number of other queries:

• I have the original Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium OEM DVD. It is a 'Mesh' branded version but I don't think it has otherwise been crippled
• I intend using a Corsair Force 60GB SATA II SSD
• I realise that I cannot possibly squeeze a full image of my currently installed OS, App and games onto the SSD. I am therefore going to have to reinstall these after the basic Windows installation

I am starting to think it might be simpler in the long run to simply use the OEM disk for a clean install onto the SSD ...

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

You can dual boot for while till you get things sorted; have a look at the info below to get some ideas.

How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7

   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.

​

 

[mjf]

I have an Acer desktop and made a duplicate HDD as an emergency backup. I used imaging and this included the recovery/hidden partition (PQService). MS imaging won't move the recovery partition and I used Macrium. I used MS imaging for the rest since this is my default imaging application.
I found it a very straightforward procedure. I am happy to help here but others will need to provide specific advice on the SSD.

Acer support in my part of the world is terrible. Maybe Acer US can give simple recovery advice using the recovery disks.

But as someone suggested you can use your COA key on the Acer machine with your Retail windows 7 disk to do a clean install. gregrocker the person for this I think.

 

[karlsnooks]

Yep, since although you are only using about 140 GB of that large partition, that is still much more than 60 GB.

When you get ready to install:

1. Remove your present monster,
2. Connect the SSD,
3. Use the tutorials Greg gave you to make a clean install, complete with a Clean All.
4. Don't sweat the alignment thing. Win 7 and your SSD will take care of that correctly for you. Don't worry about defrag, indexing--those will be turned off for you. Don't listen to all of the scare-mongers about only so many writes. Your computer will be long dead before that happens.
5. After you've installed and updated Win 7, then you can reconnect your old drive.

Oh yes, I don't have one of those 100 MB reserved partitions. Hasn't interfered with anything.

Do make yourself a System Repair Disc.

​

​

[FONT=&quot]DISC - CREATE A SYSTEM REPAIR DISC[/FONT]​

START | type System Repair | Enter key | Create Disc button

​

​

 

[karlsnooks]

I have an Acer desktop and made a duplicate HDD as an emergency backup. I used imaging and this included the recovery/hidden partition (PQService). MS imaging won't move the recovery partition and I used Macrium. I used MS imaging for the rest since this is my default imaging application.
I found it a very straightforward procedure. I am happy to help here but others will need to provide specific advice on the SSD.

Acer support in my part of the world is terrible. Maybe Acer US can give simple recovery advice using the recovery disks.

But as someone suggested you can use your COA key on the Acer machine with your Retail windows 7 disk to do a clean install. gregrocker the person for this I think.

Win 7 Backup and Restore copies the 100 MB partition by default, the C partition (or whatever letter you used) by default and any other partitions you specify. Please see:
Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

 

[mjf]

Karlsnooks
the 100MB is not the recovery partition. It contains the boot manager, boot configuration data and sometimes some recover tools.
The Recovery partition most OEMs supply and the one I refer to typically contains around 9 GB which is used to build the OS.

Any newcomers - you can absorb the 100MB (active, system reserved) into your windows partition but don't just delete it your computer won't boot.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Any newcomers - you can absorb the 100MB (active, system reserved) into your windows partition but don't just delete it your computer won't boot.

If you are referring to resizing the Windows partition to the left, which will take a 3rd party software, that is out-lined in Option Two of this tutorial at the link below; is this what you're referring to?


Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD

 

[mjf]

Any newcomers - you can absorb the 100MB (active, system reserved) into your windows partition but don't just delete it your computer won't boot.

If you are referring to resizing the Windows partition to the left, which will take a 3rd party software, that is out-lined in Option Two of this tutorial at the link below; is this what you're referring to?


Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD

Yes thankyou.
If you want an extra partition number this is a way to safely absorb the 100M partition.

 

[whs]

Is there really consensus that that the recovery disk will do the SSD installation? I am not so sure, but I have never tried that.

If not, then there is a lot more to it:

1.Move all the data from the current C to a data partition. Here is how: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/72427-data-partition.html Hopefully there will be less than 60GBs left on C after that.
2. Clone C. Methods were posted earlier.
3. Align the SSD. Here is how: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/113967-ssd-alignment.html?ltr=S
4. Define a primary, active partition on the SSD. Use the bootable PW that BFK linked.
5. (optional) Disconnect the HDD as Greg said - just to be on the safe side.
6. Dump the clone on the SSD.
7. Reconnect the HDD and try to boot from the SSD (change boot sequence in BIOS)
8. If the boot was successful, switch the defrag off.

Did I forget anything?

 

[karlsnooks]

Karlsnooks
the 100MB is not the recovery partition. It contains the boot manager, boot configuration data and sometimes some recover tools.
The Recovery partition most OEMs supply and the one I refer to typically contains around 9 GB which is used to build the OS.

Any newcomers - you can absorb the 100MB (active, system reserved) into your windows partition but don't just delete it your computer won't boot.

Absolutely wrong! Let me say it slow for you..
I
do not
have
a
100 mb
partition.

I purposely do not have one.

 

[mjf]

Karlsnooks
the 100MB is not the recovery partition. It contains the boot manager, boot configuration data and sometimes some recover tools.
The Recovery partition most OEMs supply and the one I refer to typically contains around 9 GB which is used to build the OS.

Any newcomers - you can absorb the 100MB (active, system reserved) into your windows partition but don't just delete it your computer won't boot.

Absolutely wrong! Let me say it slow for you..
I
do not
have
a
100 mb
partition.

I purposely do not have one.

I think your enter key isn't the only thing stuck.

The screenshot is a typical partitioning of an OEM computer boot disk. This is a classic MS configuration for Windows 7.
1st Partition: contains the OEM factory recovery (Disk management suggests it's empty but it contains around 9 GB to recover your system to the original condition.
2nd Partition: 100MB marked System, Active. The BIOS in conjunction with the Master Boot Record (MBR), which is the first 512 bytes on the disk, pass control to the system active partition. In this partition is the boot manager which uses information in the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) to move to the next stage of the boot sequence.
3rd Partition: marked Boot, Page file,.... Control is passed to a program
c:\windows\system32\winload.exe which loads the windows 7 OS.

If you just delete the 100MB partition which is system, active the BIOS will report a boot error.
If you absorb the functions of the 100MB partition into the 3rd partition using for example the Barefootkid tutorial this partition becomes
System, Active, Boot ....
Some computers will already be configured this way.

Is that slow enough?

 

[karlsnooks]

This is the last I will say on this.
You do NOT need that 100 MB partition.

It isn't "absorbed" into anything.