Solved Reached the breaking point! - Must I do a 'clean' install of W7-Pro-64

[Mike Lynch]

Recapping your last Post:
Use a SSD and do a clean install to it.
Once the clean install is done, move Users (File) to the HDD.
Question(s):
The software applications I will need to reinstall like MS Office, do they install on the SSD or the HDD?
When I would run a MA Backup, will it include both the SSD and the HDD?

 

[Megahertz07]

Recapping your last Post:
Use a SSD and do a clean install to it.
Once the clean install is done, move Users (File) to the HDD.
Question(s):
The software applications I will need to reinstall like MS Office, do they install on the SSD or the HDD?
When I would run a MA Backup, will it include both the SSD and the HDD?

You move C:\users to D:\users before the end of installation using sysprep. Very easy and I have all the scripts.
Normally the software you install goes to C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86). But you can redirect them to a folder on D: . I have my AV on D:\Programs\Avira.

What is MA Backup? As the D:\Users\name folder is part of the OS, everything related to the user (like libraries) are directed to D:\Users\name. I don't think you will have any issue.

 

[Mike Lynch]

Sorry!

By MA I really meant MS (Microsoft).

I should proof read my Email more carefully.

 

[SIW2]

Where are we up to now?

Have you moved/copied the data from your dynamic disk to the new 6tb disk? Or are you waiting for the new 6tb to arrive?

 

[Mike Lynch]

The new drive arrived yesterday.

I am just about to do the move/copy to it.

I will mount the new drive in a USB Dock and start the process.

 

[RolandJS]

Megahertz07, SIW2, would you recommend OP not moving c:\users to d:\users just yet? I was thinking that if an OS C partition restore is ever called for, OP would have to somehow restore from another image the d:\users right afterward? I was thinking of keeping the OS and data partitions separate when it comes to making full image backups. It's the restores that can be tricky, correct?

 

[SIW2]

I never move User linked files to a different disk.

If the user has hundreds of gb of videos/photos/whatever, just store them on a data disk, and reach over to them when wanted.

 

[SIW2]

The new drive arrived yesterday.

I am just about to do the move/copy to it.

I will mount the new drive in a USB Dock and start the process.

Won't it will be faster if you use a sata connection.

 

[SIW2]

I just got hold of a t3620, waiting for a dp>dvi adapter before I can try it out.

I usually put caddies in the 5.25 bays in my machines. No internal disks at all. It makes things much easier.

KKmoon

 

[Mike Lynch]

I wasn't smart enough to consider speed.

Any guess how much faster SATA could be than USB3?

When you use the KKmoon device is it faster than USB3 and or SATA?

 

[Megahertz07]

Megahertz07, SIW2, would you recommend OP not moving c:\users to d:\users just yet? I was thinking that if an OS C partition restore is ever called for, OP would have to somehow restore from another image the d:\users right afterward? I was thinking of keeping the OS and data partitions separate when it comes to making full image backups. It's the restores that can be tricky, correct?

In my point of view, if C:\Users is moved to another partition or drive, the main advantage is that the OS and data are on different partitions / drive and you can reinstall Windows without changing the data partition.
On a small SSD/ HDD configuration you will have the speed of a SSD and the space of a HDD at low cost (US$25). It's the configuration I have in my desktop and laptop
I've been using Kari tutorial since 2013 without issues.

 

[SIW2]

The kkmoon and similar are sata.

I have an ssd in there as the boot disk. Then just slide in a 3.5" disk as and when I want to access it. Hotswappable.

Very easy to change disks, no crawling about inside the machine.

The other advantage is most of the time only the ssd is powered on. Saves electricity and wear on the other disks.

SSD are cheap now, 240gb kingston is about £25 or less.

Check the reviews on the link to see how other people use it.

 

[RolandJS]

Thanks for the heads-up Megahertz7! I guess the newer stuff can do things the old stuff could not dream of doing. Old school was: don't mess with Windows, if it lands there, it stays there. I'm used to copying the data from c:\users... over into my designated d partition directories.

 

[Mike Lynch]

Time / Speed of the connection

Time - YIKES - I need to take a long nap.

 

[Mike Lynch]

Well, it's been chugging for an awfully long time!

The small display window that showed how much time remained went away early this morning.
I thought it was finished with the last copy but I could still hear the disk doing something.
Looking at the Resource Monitor, I assumed that it was 'draining' Buffers.
Than was about 10 hours ago.

ANY thoughts as to what is happening?

 

[Mike Lynch]

It's still cooking!
I'm going to let it continue until tomorrow morning.
Hopefully, it will have finished whatever it's doing.
If not, I will try and end it via the Task Manager or a Windows shut down.

If anyone has any suggestion, please chime in.

 

[Mike Lynch]

Good morning!
It's still running.
I had a thought last night that it might be some sort of "Backup' that is running.
Some time back, I was referred to a product called Macrium.
I see it in the Process List as Macrium Disk Imaging and Backup.
I will try and stop it if I can.
If not, I will try and remove it from the PC.

 

[Megahertz07]

A 6 TB HDD is huge and it will take a long time to copy to another disk.
You should have had attached the new disk to a SATA port instead of a USB enclosure. It is much faster.

 

[Mike Lynch]

When I started it, it had 1.83TB (Logical Partition Backups (F of used space on it.

Just guessing, I believe we are about 48 hours into the copy.

A question for future use:

I have heard about PCI Cards that provide External SATA.
It appears that the Cards run at 1.5 and 3.0 'something' per second.
Would this type of Card allow a copy like this to run faster than the USB-3 Dock that I am using?

 

[Megahertz07]

Theoretically a USB 3.0 would be as faster as a SATA 3 (600) but it's not what I've been seeing.
As you have a desktop, the best place to put a HDD is inside the case where it will be protected, specially from falling.

The very low copy speed can be from other reasons than a connection type. You have a problematic source disk so, it can be the reason.