New HDD Into Computer Problems

[karlsnooks]

Did you make a System Image backup using Win 7 Backup and Restore?

 

[Codeword]

yes i did

 

[karlsnooks]

Make a System Repair Disc.
A system repair disc can be made on any Win 7 computer.

What you must do although is make the disc on a Win 7 system that has the same "bittiness" as the win 7 on your dying disk.

The win 7 can be home, pro, ultimate, whatever but if you have 32 bit then you need to make the disc on a 32 bit system and likewise if you have 64 bit then you have to make the disc on a 64 bit system.

What you are going to do, after making the system repair disc is:
Remove the old hard disk.
Connect the new hard disk.
Boot up to the System Repair CD/DVD you made.
Connect the external usb drive.
Perform a System Image Restore whereby you will restore to the new drive.

Here's a little more detail.

​

CREATE AND RESTORE A SYSTEM IMAGE

CREATE A SYSTEM IMAGE BACKUP · START | type Backup your computer | Enter key
· Create a System Image (in left-hand pane)
· select where to save the backup | Next
· Select the drives to backup | Next | Start Backup | Finish

CREATE A SYSTEM RESTORE DISC
START | type System Repair | Enter | Create Disc

RESTORE A SYSTEM IMAGE BACKUP
· Boot from a System Repair Disc
· Connect the external backup drive which contains the backup image
· NEXT
· Restore your computer using a system image
that you created earlier radio button | NEXT
· Use the latest available system image radio button | NEXT
· Format and repartition discs checkbox | NEXT | FINISH |YES

​

You've already made the System Image Backup to your external usb drive.

Procedure works. I've done it, precisely as written. Actually, the procedure is ridiculously simple.

 

[karlsnooks]

Just a quick note:

Be sure to disconnect the old drive.
This is very important.

 

[Codeword]

huh once again ive managed to mess somthing up! ok i tried to follow what you said but i get stuff totally different. i put my recovery cd in and it says thats its loading files. once thats done it takes me to the recovery screen but the only options i get to choose from are factory restore and run diagnostics. i tried to get into advanced boot options and use repair my computer from there but i dont have it. anything you can explain to help me along

 

[karlsnooks]

Probably my way of explaining things isn't all that clear.

What I'm going to do is ask some of the others to look at this thread and perhaps their approach to the problem will be more appropriate.

Many roads lead to Rome and the main thing is that you get to the coliseum.

 

[theog]

huh once again ive managed to mess somthing up! ok i tried to follow what you said but i get stuff totally different. i put my recovery cd in and it says thats its loading files. once thats done it takes me to the recovery screen but the only options i get to choose from are factory restore and run diagnostics. i tried to get into advanced boot options and use repair my computer from there but i dont have it. anything you can explain to help me along

Run the diagnostics tool, & post back

 

[pooch]

I think the way to do this is like this,
Connect the USB drive to the PC
Click on start orbrb: type backup and click on "Back up and Restore" when it appears, in the new window that opens click on "Create a system image"



A new window will open and windows will suggest a drive for the backup which will probably be the USB drive. Make sure this is correct and click on next.




The next window shows the drive to be copied which should be your C:\ drive If you should also get the choice to copy another partition this will be your hidden HP repair partition click to save it as well then click on next.



Now you get a confirmation window. click on start backup



A new window will open showing the backup in progress



When the back up is almost finished a new window will open click on Yes



Insert a blank CD/DVD into your DVD Rom and then on create disc



Now you can change HDD's and replay the image

Points to note

The new drive needs to be the same size or bigger than the old one
If you do not copy you HP hidden repair partition you will be reliant on backup images to repair windows if it messes up IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR IMAGE SAFE

 

[karlsnooks]

Pooch,
New drive does not need to be same size or larger than old.

Common misconception. My ssd is smaller than my hdd. I imaged from one restored to the other using MS Backup and Restore.

 

[pooch]

Pooch,
New drive does not need to be same size or larger than old.

Common misconception. My ssd is smaller than my hdd. I imaged from one restored to the other using MS Backup and Restore.

Very common as I have had problems with this in the past then we will just have to wait and see what happens.

 

[pooch]

I have had a think about this and what I am trying to say is;
The new drive has to be equal in size to or larger than the partitions to be copied ie C:\ partition + the hidden partition.
In my case it relates to drives as I have a complete drive for C:\ and the only way around it for me is to either shrink my C:\ partition or use third party software

 

[Wishmaster]

I've actually went from a image of a larger drive to a smaller drive without issue as well.

That is, provided the amount used space on the imaged drive does not exceed the free space on the new drive.
Other than that, total disk size shouldn't matter.

I think a lot of it might just be the program used to do the imaging/restore.
Acronis has no issue with it either, and resizes the C partition at the restore.

 

[pooch]

Sorry if I am not making myself clear I know that it is possible with third party software but I was talking about Windows 7 built in backup, please see snip

 

[Dave76]

You can download Acronis True Image WD Edition Software, this is a free version of Acronis. You must have a WD HDD in your system in order to use it.

Install your old Seagate HDD and the new WD HDD, then clone the old hard drive to the new one.
Starting on page 83 of the User Manual.
It will resize the partitions to fit the larger HDD in automatic mode.


I have just used this to clone a WD HDD to a Seagate HDD, it was easy and had no problems cloning from the failing WD drive.
Seagate also has an Acronis free version.

If you want to test the Seagate drive, D/L and run Seagate SeaTools – Short Drive Self Test and Long Drive Self Test.

 

[karlsnooks]

You can actually do it with 100% Win 7 software. Acronis and Partition Wizard are two 3rd party products which can make the job easier.

I've done it with exclusively MS software and also using Partition Wizard. I've not used Acronis for this purpose but very reliable people have told me that they personally used Acronis.

 

[Lordbob75]

Hmmmm....

My recommendation is to get any and all files you need off the dying drive and onto that external drive (you would be better off doing this from a computer with a working OS), then remove any and all drives from your computer except for the new HDD.
Put in the Windows Install disk and completely format the drive and give it a fresh install.
Install just the OS onto the HDD and make sure it works, then get your backup files and everything onto the new drive.
You will need to reinstall all your programs and everything, but it should fix all the problems (unless the old drive dies on you).

Hopefully that helps.

~Lordbob

 

[karlsnooks]

He has already made an image backup.

True, he needs to make sure that he can mount the vhd from the backup so that he can recover any files later.

He also has a new drive which he desires to use and to simply restore the image that he made to the new drive.

He has a large external usb drive which contains the image backup made with Win 7 Backup and Restore.

 

[Lordbob75]

He has already made an image backup.

True, he needs to make sure that he can mount the vhd from the backup so that he can recover any files later.

He also has a new drive which he desires to use and to simply restore the image that he made to the new drive.

He has a large external usb drive which contains the image backup made with Win 7 Backup and Restore.

I guess I should have asked more specifically.
Did he make a full backup of the system (to which he can restore to an empty drive) or did he just make a system restore disk (which I THINK requires an already installed OS... could be wrong)?

~Lordbob

 

[karlsnooks]

If the procedure given in Brink's tutorial for making a full system image backup was followed correctly, then he has made a full image backup.