Laplink's PCMover dilemna

[Rollo]

Force Windows to install on D Drive -Laplink's PCMover dilemna

Hi
I am trying to use Pcmover to move my retail license for Win7 to my new computer with all my programs as already installed. License aside, the problem is that for Pcmover to work fully, the drive letters must correlate - C drive copies to the new C drive , D drive goes to the new D drive.
But my problem is that because the old computer is installed to the D Drive drive bec it is a dual booting machine (Win7 Home - not use on C, and Win7 Pro is on D) and I can't get the new machine to accept a clean install of Win7 to anything except the C drive, which messes up PCMover! I even tried installing a second copy of Win7 to the D drive but bec the CD drive grabs the D letter during installation, - I'm foiled again.
Laplink's tech support can't give me a workaround.
Does any think they might know a workaround?

thanks
Rollo

 

[gregrocker]

Win7 always correctly boots on C is its been installed from boot and not from another OS already occupying that letter.

I'd image rather than use that app which I've never heard of. Doesn't it just reinstall programs files and settings into a fresh install?

You'd be better off doing a Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 since reimporting settings is a corruption path into a fresh install, and a clone or image is an old install which may be less than perfect.

 

[Britton30]

Welcome to Seven Forums.
I can't help with PCMover, I haven't heard of it either. I think a much better way would be to make an image of your system, including all drives. Make a WinPE recovery disk and boot from it to restore the image(s) to the new PC.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html#post648001

 

[Rollo]

My solution

Thanks to Greg & Britton, I just remembered that Acronis Universal Restore offers this facility- to transfer an installation without the HAL layer. I will lay the image into the drive letter that I prefer, and then I will live happy-ever-after!
Cheers,
Rollo

 

[Britton30]

I wouldn't fixate on drive letters, rather the partitions you want to use. ID them by the drives serial numbers, size, brand, etc. What ever partition w7 is booted on will be C, no matter what it shows under Acronis or other cloning/imaging software.

 

[gregrocker]

If offered the choice set the drive letter to Automatic, include MBR and Track0, keep the correct partition marked Active during image recovery.

If WIn7 won't start, unplug all other drives, confirm Partition Marked Active to run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times until Win7 starts.