Re-installation of Windows 7/64 on SSD from Dual Boot

[Movick]

Hello,

I'll give the "2 cent version" of my situation.

I have a dual-boot system (XP on mechanical HDD / Win 7/64 Pro on SSD). Recently, I had a series on infections damage my XP installation irrepairably and it is now time to move everything over to 7. I've just purchased a larger SSD to accomodate all of my programs and I'll need to re-install Win 7/64 on the new SSD. BTW...by "all of my programs" I am referring to latest builds, Win 7 compatible applications, i.e. Corel X6.

First, will I be able to re-install Win 7 Pro (OEM disc) on the new SSD without issue (same PC - new SSD)?

My BIOS is set up as AHCI for the SSD, and I am given the option to select Win 7 (default) or an older operating system (XP) - this was for the dual boot set-up. For now, I will keep the dual boot configuration, as I can still log on to XP in safe mode and transfer old data to external E-sata back up.

My second question is: once I physically swap out the larger SSD, how do I prompt the system to install Windows 7 from the CD-ROM drive onto the new SSD?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

Thanks in advance!!
Movick

 

[VistaKing]

Hi Movick

If you're installing Windows 7 to the new SSD drive make sure only that drive is plugged in. Unplug the XP drive and the smaller SSD . What are you going to do with the smaller SSD drive that has Windows 7 Pro already? You may want to uninstall it from that drive before you could use the key on the new SSD .

 

[Movick]

Hi VistaKing - thanks for the crazy fast reply!

"What are you going to do with the smaller SSD drive that has Windows 7 Pro already?"
It is only 64GB, hence I planned upon removing it completely from the PC, replacing it with the larger SSD. I'll probably keep it as an emergency back-up volume - good idea or no?

If I physically remove the old SSD, replace it with the new one and unplug the XP drive, would I simply boot from disc? What about the BIOS dual boot config - will it default to a single boot with the absense of the 2nd drive or will I need to reconfig BIOS beforehand?

Thanks again!!
Movick

 

[Movick]

BTW..I should mention that I have an internal storage drive as well - should i unplug that as well for the re-installation?

 

[VistaKing]

All drive must be unplugged . Just the drive you will be installing on must be plugged in. Disable the dual boot in bios .

 

[Movick]

Thanks VK, please Forgive my redundancy in clarifying the details one last time - I'm a power user not a hardware guy.

(1) I swap the SSD and unplug the other two drives.
(2) I boot, go into BIOS and change the dual boot setting. May I ask where would I find this setting?
(3) I reboot or continue boot out of BIOS, insert Win 7 disc into ROM.
(4) Allow Win 7 to install on the new SSD.
(5) Power-off, re-plug 2 secondary drives.
(6) Reboot, BIOS set dual boot back to previous setting.

Did I miss any steps?

Thanks for the help - I hope my inexpertise isn't too annoying!

Movick

 

[Kaktussoft]

Please post screenshot of disk management of current situation.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Hello,

I'll give the "2 cent version" of my situation.

I have a dual-boot system (XP on mechanical HDD / Win 7/64 Pro on SSD). Recently, I had a series on infections damage my XP installation irrepairably and it is now time to move everything over to 7. I've just purchased a larger SSD to accomodate all of my programs and I'll need to re-install Win 7/64 on the new SSD. BTW...by "all of my programs" I am referring to latest builds, Win 7 compatible applications, i.e. Corel X6.

First, will I be able to re-install Win 7 Pro (OEM disc) on the new SSD without issue (same PC - new SSD)?

My BIOS is set up as AHCI for the SSD, and I am given the option to select Win 7 (default) or an older operating system (XP) - this was for the dual boot set-up. For now, I will keep the dual boot configuration, as I can still log on to XP in safe mode and transfer old data to external E-sata back up.

My second question is: once I physically swap out the larger SSD, how do I prompt the system to install Windows 7 from the CD-ROM drive onto the new SSD?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

Thanks in advance!!
Movick

So you do the dual boot now by using the win7 boot manager? So something like:

 

[VistaKing]

In the bios change the boot device to 1 DVD 2 SSD

 

[Movick]

Kaktussoft,

Yes, that's what I have. Need I config differently than VK suggested?

Thanks!
Movick

 

[Kaktussoft]

Kaktussoft,

Yes, that's what I have. Need I config differently than VK suggested?

Thanks!
Movick

Yes do it differently! Change only the boot order in BIOS. 1-DVD, 2-SSD... most likely it's already setup that way. Post screenshot of disk management as it is now. Enlarge the fields so I can read everything

 

[Movick]

KS - Disc management in BIOS or from Windows? Also, how do I capture/save a screenshot when in BIOS ? I usually hit the print screen key and open in an image editor in Windows.

Thanks for the help!
Movick

 

[VistaKing]

Kaktussoft,

Yes, that's what I have. Need I config differently than VK suggested?

Thanks!
Movick

Yes do it differently! Change only the boot order in BIOS. 1-DVD, 2-SSD... most likely it's already setup that way. Post screenshot of disk management as it is now. Enlarge the fields so I can read everything

Isn't that what I said before ?

In the bios change the boot device to 1 DVD 2 SSD

 

[Movick]

VK - I understand your suggestion for the re-installation; however when I wish to restore the dual-boot how is that done? I didn't set this up originally, and I didn't realize the dual-boot was a Windows function. I've no idea as how to reset the dual boot via windows.

Thanks!

 

[VistaKing]

Movick take a look at the link below

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

 

[Movick]

Thanks for the link VK - unfortunately I don't think the outlined procedure will work in my case. I do not have the XP disc and the volume is corrupted; I won't be able to download and execute programs in XP. This was/is a cloned drive.

All I'd like to do is move Windows 7 to the new larger SSD and reset the dual-boot to how it was, allowing me to access an external e-sata RAID which Windows 7 doesn't like for some reason. Accessing the e-sata RAID is at this point the only reason I need XP whatsoever. I guess I can move all critical data from XP before the re-installation, but I'd like to have access to the RAID in the event of an emergency.

I don't know why Windows 7 doesn't properly access the RAID through the PCI card - it worked perfectly in XP, but in 7 it sees the drives, but opening/transferring files doesn't work properly.

 

[VistaKing]

Could be a driver issue . When you will be installing windows 7 will you have the user data on the SSD ?

If you want to change the location of the User Profile while installing Windows Se7en

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...move-during-windows-7-installation.html?ltr=U

If you want to change the user folder default location to another location after install

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/87555-user-profile-change-default-location.html?ltr=U

 

[Movick]

Before I do the re-installation I want be up to speed on a few things. I think the issue with the RAID has to do with AHCI. The guy who set up the dual boot was a little haphazard and rushed (to be polite). I know that while AHCI was/is enabled in BIOS, it does not show up in device manager under IDE/ATA controllers as AHCI - meaning it is not functioning in win 7. Oddly, trim (as per a DOS query) seems to be enabled.

From what I've just read about enabling AHCI for the SSD, it should be enabled in BIOS before the Windows installation on the SSD. That stated, am I correct to assume that Windows will properly configure AHCI during installation provided it is enabled in BIOS prior to installation? Or need I do a nerve racking reg edit?

 

[VistaKing]

You should be good if you set the SATA for the SSD to AHCI in the bios . If you don't want the 100MB (System Reserve) partition do the following

When you get to this screen ( image below )

Press Shift and F10 . You will get a command prompt window . It should open up to X:\Sources . In there input these commands and press enter after each line .

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK 0
CLEAN
CREATE PRIMARY PARTITION 
SELECT PARTITION 1 
ACTIVE 
FORMAT FS=NTFS LABEL="Windows" QUICK 
ASSIGN LETTER=C
EXIT
EXIT

Back on the image above press Install Now . Check the I accept the license terms box and click on Next. Click on the Custom (advanced) option. Then choose
Disk 0 Partition 1: Window (C:\) and click Next

When it reboots don't press any keys it will continue on its own

 

[Kaktussoft]

Post screenshot of disk managment in win7 please