Installed SSD with the install kit but SSD has same space as old drive

[atikovi]

I installed a Crucial 525GB SSD with their install kit using the Acronis cloning software to replace the HD in a 3 year old Dell desktop. Everything works fine except when I check the hard drive space, it's showing the same 298GB of the old drive. In Disk Management at Disc 0, I have under Volume, C: with 298GB and Partition with 190GB. How do I combine the two or eliminate Partition? Computer won't let me delete Partition and screen shots follow.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I wouldn't try to delete that partition marked "System".

Note that it's about 190 GB, and is virtually empty. But it's marked "system". That's where your boot files are. If you deleted it, you wouldn't boot.

I'd shrink it down to maybe 200 to 500 MB--well under 1 GB.

That will generate a bunch of "unallocated space"--about 190 GB of it.

Then you can add that unallocated space to C.

I don't think Windows will let you do all of that with Windows own built in tools.

I'd use Partition Wizard Mini Tool:

Free download Magic Partition Manager Software, partition magic alternative, free partition magic, partition magic Windows 7 and server partition software - Partition Wizard Online

 

[Megahertz07]

Can you post the Disk Manager image of the old disk so we can see it?

 

[AddRAM]

I would write the system files to C before you do anything.

 

[atikovi]

Can you post the Disk Manager image of the old disk so we can see it?

I connected the old drive to the install kit cable and plugged it into a USB port. It's disc 2 here:

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Nothing particularly noteworthy in the last picture.

I assume the PC will boot fine with just the SSD connected.

If that's true, I'd just go ahead with Partition Wizard.

As AddRam says, you could first copy the boot files from Partition to C. If you did that, you could then delete Partition.

You'd then have just one partition on the SSD.

The tool to do that would be EasyBCD. There's a tutorial on this site.

Or you could shrink Partition and add the shrinkage to C, leaving you with 2 partitions on the SSD: C and Partition.

Either way works. Most people have at least 2 partitions on the primary drive, but it's not necessary. I don't.

You don't need that Partition partition. But you DO need the boot files on it. You get to choose on whether you want to copy the boot files to C and then delete Partition, or shrink Partition and add the space to C, keeping Partition.

When you are done, you should have one partition marked active on the SSD and one partition marked system on the SSD.

 

[atikovi]

Only 110MB of files in Partition:

So how do I copy them to C:? Neither Open nor Explore is an option when I right click on Partition.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

110 is about right.

Did you read what I said in my most recent post?

You use EasyBCD.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi here's a tutorial of how to use easy bcd
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/209885-bootmgr-move-c-easybcd.html

 

[atikovi]

110 is about right.

Did you read what I said in my most recent post?

You use EasyBCD.

Yes and thanks for the help. Trying your second suggestion. I shrunk Partition down to 200MB leaving 190GB unallocated.

Trying to move/merge allocated into C:. Thought I could right click C: and Extend Volume, but that choice is grey and not clickable.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You cannot add the unallocated to C with Windows Disk Management.

Why? Because in your case, Partition is between unallocated and C. Windows Disk Management is inflexible and allows adding ONLY if there is nothing in between.

If that picture read C, then unallocated, then Partition, you could add unallocated to C.

So you must use Partition Wizard to add unallocated to C. It's flexible in that way and give you much more control.

 

[atikovi]

You cannot add the unallocated to C with Windows Disk Management.

Why? Because in your case, Partition is between unallocated and C. Windows Disk Management is inflexible and allows adding ONLY if there is nothing in between.

If that picture read C, then unallocated, then Partition, you could add unallocated to C.

So you must use Partition Wizard to add unallocated to C. It's flexible in that way and give you much more control.

OK I used PW and got it done. Thanks again for the help. And I'm a bit annoyed at Crucial for not addressing such a situation in their installation kit. The average computer user probably has no idea of the steps for a successful HD transplant beyond the physical replacement.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Pretty much why we would usually restore a system image and not clone

Otherwise clean installing is best on an ssd.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'm a bit annoyed at Crucial for not addressing such a situation in their installation kit. The average computer user probably has no idea of the steps for a successful HD transplant beyond the physical replacement.

A slicker way to do it is to use third party imaging, rather than cloning. You should probably look into imaging anyway as a way of recovery if your drive drops dead.

I suspect the drive manufacturer's instructions just assume most users have the simplest configuration.

You also might direct some of your annoyance at Acronis, which is often not the sharpest available tool.

Post a screen shot if you want any confirmation that all is well.

 

[atikovi]

Hi,
Pretty much why we would usually restore a system image and not clone

Otherwise clean installing is best on an ssd.

Average computer user here and those terms are over my head. If by clean install, you mean re-installing all the programs that were installed on the old drive over the last 3 years, that would be arduous at best taking days.

 

[atikovi]

Post a screen shot if you want any confirmation that all is well.

Looks fine to me.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Yeah, that's fine.

With a single partition setup like that, if you ever want to use imaging, all you have to do is make an image of the C partition. In your former situation with system on 1 partition and Windows on the other, you would have to image both partitions in order to recover from a disaster.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Imaging is easy enough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQA7NlLvxg8