Solved Need to switch C drives

[rmiller007]

I have a C drive that is used just for Win 7 64 bit. It is full so I bought a 250 Gb ssd (currently J drive) and created a mirror with C drive. I need to break the mirror and make J drive C drive so I can than expand that out to the full 250 Gb. Your help so I don't screw this up would be great. Let me know what other info you need. Thanks in advance.

 

[DavidE]

Read though this this tutorial by whs and compare it to what you did:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html

For better help, you can also post a screen print of Disk Management so people here can see what you have:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

 

[ignatzatsonic]

"Created a mirror". Hmmmmmmmmmm........not sure exactly what that means or what software you used.

I'd start over and first try to transfer the system from the old drive to the new drive via cloning using Macrium.

If that failed, I'd use Macrium to make an image of the partitions on the old drive and restore those images to the new drive.

What size is the old drive? What partitions does it contain? Do you need to get ALL of those partitions onto the new drive?

More detail about your "created a mirror" attempt might help so we know exactly what you've already tried.

 

[rmiller007]

I created the mirror because I thought I could simply break the mirror, remove the smaller drive, and change the J drive over to C but that doesn't seem to be working. There are 3 ssd drives in the system. C is the overloaded OS. D is the data drive and J is the one I want to take over as C. Getting ready to go to bed. Have a night job as well. Don't want anyone to think I am ignoring them. Thanks in advance.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Quite a mess.

3 dynamic partitions, which should be avoided and are invariably a pain.

2 system reserved partitions when you need 1 at most.

I don't see this J drive you refer to.

Nor do I have any idea how you "created a mirror". As I said in my first post.

I can't recall ever seeing a partition listed as "mirror" in the layout column of Disk Management. Never even heard of it.

 

[DavidE]

Maybe the OP is using RAID mirroring ?
I've never used RAID, i just use images for system backups.

 

[rmiller007]

Win 7 gives you the option to create a mirror. I have now broke the mirror. Disk 0 is the new drive that I need to make the C drive.

 

[Wajiema]

I think what he did was create a software raid with the old OS drive and the new drive(j or disk0). So what i would recommend is to get a boot-able Backup program(I use Acronis but choose ur favorite) and make a backup image of ur current OS drive(the one u are replacing) then restore it to the new drive u just got(J or Disk0).

 

[rmiller007]

I just downloaded Acronis. I am going to give it a try. Will let you know

 

[DavidE]

I would make sure Disk 0 does not have any Dynamic partitions on it going forward, right now the Disk 0 System Reserved partition is Dynamic.
I don't know if Acronis or any imaging program can convert from Dynamic to Basic during the restore process.
I never did that, never tried to, never needed to.

See this tutorial by Brink:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26829-convert-dynamic-disk-basic-disk.html

 

[rmiller007]

I have already deleted everything off Disk 0 in preparation. Why is the harm of having multiple dynamic disk? Thanks in advance.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Why would you need even 1 dynamic drive?

Did you choose dynamic drives on purpose? For what purpose?

 

[DavidE]

I have already deleted everything off Disk 0 in preparation. Why is the harm of having multiple dynamic disk? Thanks in advance.

A Dynamic disk may not boot at any time.
I've read of too many problems with folks having Dynamic Disks, i wouldn't risk it.
Here is one quote/post by gregrocker, the SF installation guru, and you can find many more threads if you search.

Since a Dynamic disk can stop booting Win7 at any time

Source: http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...recovery-have-bad-registries.html#post2574259

It's your PC, your choice.

 

[rmiller007]

I created a backup of the C drive to an external HD. I used Acronis to create the Rescue Media. When I restart with the original C drive removed and the new drive in its place, the Rescue media spins up, gives me the option to boot Acronis or Windows. When I select Acronis, the drive spins for about a min and than stops. Other than Acronis symbol showing on the screen initially with Loading, nothing else appears.

 

[DavidE]

Maybe the Acronis bootable media is bad.
Try booting with a Partition Wizard bootable CD.
Bootable Partition Manger | MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Or try something other than Acronis, ideally not using Linux as the OS on the rescue disk. I'd try Macrium using a WinPE rescue disk.


If the images in your post 7 are accurate, an image of C would never be bootable when restored. Your boot files are NOT on C; they are on System Reserved partition of Disc 2, which is also dynamic.

For all I know, an image of a dynamic C disk just isn't going to work properly. Dynamic partitions are to be avoided.

You may need to delete partitions and install from the ground up on standard non-dynamic partitions.

 

[rmiller007]

Sorry guys, got busy at work. I just went ahead and did a clean install. Was doing what you recommended but the last time I went to log in it said user profile service service would not start. You gave me some valuable info for moving forward. Thanks for all your help.

 

[rmiller007]

I just did a clean install and all drives are basic. Thanks