Preparing SDD for HDD migration via cloning

[sgrech]

I have order and will shortly take delivery of a new 256GB Crucial SSD

This will replace my laptop HDD and hopefully speed certain operations up considering. I have have an HP G6 Pavilion

From what I understand as I not going to be doing a fresh win install (and will instead be cloning) I will need to align the SDD??? I had planned to use Acronis.

If i do need to aligh the SDD then I believe I need to used the DISKPART utility however I am not exactly the steps required as I currently have 4 partitions on my existing HDD

Partition 1 System - Active - 200MB
Partition 2 C:\ 223 GB (only 80GB used)
Partition 3 HP_Tools 4GB
Partition 4 Recovery 20GB

All are marked as Primary partition. All are marked as NTFS except HP_Tools which is FAT32.

Do I create 4 partition then on the new SSD?

Also similar to the above do i mark the system partition as active?

Are these the instructions that I need to run?

Diskpart
List disk
Select disk n (where n is the number that was given for your SSD in List disk)
Clean
Create partition primary size=200 align=1024
Format fs=ntfs quick
Active (assuming you want to install an OS)
Create partition primary size=(256000-200-4000-20000) align=1024
Format fs=ntfs quick
Create partition primary size=4000 align=1024
Format fs=fat32 quick (can / should I change this to ntfs??)
Create partition primary size=20000 align=1024
Format fs=ntfs quick
Exit

Any help would be much appreciated.

Simon

 

[sgrech]

Anyone please?

 

[Berton]

One thing about Forums versus chat or IM is there seldom is a rapid response, relies on us folks that volunteer helping others and a particular volunteer having experience in a problem seeing the post.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I don't use Acronis, but I doubt you have to make partitions in advance IF you are going to clone from HDD to SSD.

The Acronis cloning software should be smart enough to make and format the necessary partitions automatically.

Likewise, if your partitions are aligned BEFORE the clone, the proper alignment should be maintained on the clone. If it isn't, it would be correctable after the clone.

Diskpart can show you alignment. The "offset" shown for a partition needs to be evenly divisible by 4.

You could use imaging instead of cloning if the cloning fails for any reason.

 

[sgrech]

Sorry if it a daft question but what is the main difference(s) between cloning and using a system image?

 

[whs]

Here are all the instructions:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html

 

[pbcopter]

Sorry if it a daft question but what is the main difference(s) between cloning and using a system image?

With Acronis, cloning takes and puts the operating system directly on the new drive.

Creating an image puts that image in storage and you must recover the image to the new drive.

I prefer using a drive image myself. I then have a backup already stored.

Also when restoring an image with Acronis, I have never needed to align anything. I have always taken the image of Windows 7 that was installed on the drive using the Windows installation media.

 

[sgrech]

Also when restoring an image with Acronis, I have never needed to align anything. I have always taken the image of Windows 7 that was installed on the drive using the Windows installation media.

I know you can clone with Acronis, can you also create a system image with it?

Also I have a 500gb hard disk but only about 100 gb is used, but this system be this size when created?

Is there much difference in completion time between cloning and restoring a disc image?

Thanks
Simon

 

[sgrech]

Also the instructions state

Most free imaging programs cannot shrink the originating partition to fit into the usually much smaller C: partition on the SSD - even if the amount of data in that partition would fit. In that case you will need to shrink the C: partition on the HDD prior to imaging it. The HDD C: partition must be smaller or equal in size to the designated partition on the SSD. For that operation I also recommend this program because Disk Management might not be able to shrink it enough.

This concerns me as I have a 232GB partition but only 80GB is used. I have already shrunk it, previously it was over 400GB. My SSD is 256GB. So will the process create a partition of 232GB on the SSD, if it does I have had it as there will not be enought space on left on the SDD to put my other partitions
Simon

 

[Kaktussoft]

Do you realy need this?
Partition 3 HP_Tools 4GB =>most liekly drivers in case you need to reinstall them
Partition 4 Recovery 20GB =>restore to factory settings

Do you realy need this?
Partition 1 System - Active - 200MB =>used for bootmanager and bootmenu. Do you need dual boot? You need/us bitlocker encryption (only available on win7 ultimate and enterprise).

If you don't want Partition 1 : http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/209885-bootmgr-move-c-easybcd.html after that proof that it boots succesfully (drive C is marked ACTIVE) and delete partition 1 afterwards.

Post what you want.
-------

 

[Kaktussoft]

You can clone with Partition Wizard. It's called "copy partition" in that software (a partiion manager). Or do "copy partition" (be sure to make them primary). And make the one ACTIVE that was ACTIVE.

How to Copy Disk | MiniTool Partition Wizard Tutorial
How to Copy Partition | MiniTool Partition Wizard Tutorial

You can resize the partitions in the "copy" dialog. There's even an option in menu to align a partition or even better "align all partitions". After succesfull clone..... shutdown, power off, detach old drive and boot. Most likely it doesn't boot. Do http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html to repair the boot menu and drive lettering. All fixed? power off and attach old drive again if you wish.

You can also clone with Macrium Reflect Free if you wish.

 

[whs]

Regarding SSD alignment - if you restore from an image into an already existing aligned partition, then of course there is no need for alignment. Also, if the image comes from an originally aligned partition, the imaging program will keep the alignment when you restore - at least Macrium does that. But if the image was taken from a HDD it is not aligned and if you restore that image to an empty disk, then you have to first align the SSD.

Regarding restoring larger partitions to smaller SSDs - Macrium will shrink those large partitions and restore the image as long as the data fits on the SSD.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Eventually you can align later. Eventually you can resize paritions later. Eventually you can make it bootable by running "Startup Repair". What problems are you afraid of?

 

[whs]

Eventually you can align later. Eventually you can resize paritions later. Eventually you can make it bootable by running "Startup Repair". What problems are you afraid of?

This is all true - but not obvious for the layman. It is better and easier to get it right in the first place.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

see comments in bold

I know you can clone with Acronis, can you also create a system image with it?

Yes. You can also do both with Macrium, which you might find more user-friendly.


Also I have a 500gb hard disk but only about 100 gb is used,

OK.

but this system be this size when created?

What? Can you rewrite that?

Is there much difference in completion time between cloning and restoring a disc image?


Not a significant difference. It might take 5 to 30 minutes to make an image file and maybe 30 minutes to restore it--depending on the size of the partitions in the image and the speed of the CPU.

Think of a clone as a transfer of everything on a disk to another drive in real time, while you wait. Typically used when things are running well and you just want to move to another drive. A clone is not a backup.

Think of an image file as a representation of everything on whatever partitions are deliberately selected to be part of the image file. Not necessarily all partitions on a disk. Image files must be "restored" to be useful and are not a real time transfer from one drive to another. Image files are a backup, usually used to recover from a bad situation. You make the image file when things are going well and you restore it after you've gone in the toilet for whatever reason.

You could use either when moving to an SSD, but I'd probably lean toward imaging.

Generally, I'd try to move Windows to a new drive via imaging, but move my data files without imaging. But if your data files are on C, they will be included in an image of C.

 

[sgrech]

DISASTER, I thought something would go wrong and it has. I think I have actually bust my computer and I feel sick. I am an idiot.
I feel physically sick.
Decided to take Kaktussoft advice and remove partition (SYSTEM) 1 . However i did not follow his procedure and move the bootmgr. Instead I followed the procedure here.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71363-system-reserved-partition-delete.html?ltr=S
Made the windows recovery disk and then deleted the partition. Went to boot up from wrd to carry out a repair however I can't boot from the disk.

Then I spotted this
1. Insert the Windows 7 installation disc, slipstream Windows 7 SP1 installation disc, or System Repair Disc into the CD/DVD drive and restart the computer.
WARNING: Check to make sure that you set the BIOS to have the CD or DVD drive listed first in the boot order.

I did not change the bios permanently earlier when I booted from the wrd - so I think i am f*****d

 

[Kaktussoft]

stupid! Why not just move the bootmgr and bootmenu? pff....
Why not verify first if burned win7 installation disk is working??

anyway..

Went to boot up from wrd to carry out a repair however I can't boot from the disk.

How did you make the windows recovery disk?
What error do you get on (trying to) boot from that dvd?
Did you set CD/DVD drive as first boot device in BIOS? (or select it as one-time boot device during boot)

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You should be able to bring up a menu that would allow you to boot from the DVD drive for this boot only, not permanently.

Might be F12? F8? F2? I can't recall

 

[Kaktussoft]

Partition 1 System - Active - 200MB =>did you delete that partition?
Partition 2 C:\ 223 GB (only 80GB used)=>did you mark this partition ACTIVE?

 

[Kaktussoft]

Did you follow this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71363-system-reserved-partition-delete.html?ltr=S ? It says in step 1 "Boot from your installation or repair disc.". So you DID boot from DVD...... I'm totally confused