Transfer to new drive?

[cclloyd9785]

How am I supposed to transfer all my data from one hard drive to the other (replacing laptop drive, both are SATA 3Gb/s)

 

[NoN]

If you're a laptop you can always create restore CDs with the Apps provide by the manufacturer, but this will not allow your proper data. This will install the OS like you bought it.

You can also ghost (image) the entire system including restore partition, with the one of your choice "Norton ghost 15", "Acronis True Image Home 2010", "DriveClone Pro 7"...and some other brand as Paragon software.

You will have to buy an adapter Usb 2.0 to Sata 2,5" to image from the laptop to the new Hdd:
http://sataadapter.com/

 

[loaba]

Do you have a friend? Do you have a friend with a computer? Does said computerized friend have a home network? If the answer is yes to these questions, then perhaps you could backup your data on their machine?

A good question might also be how much data do you have? Does your laptop have a DVD burner? Why not just burn a backup disc?

After replacing the HDD, what are you going to do in regards to the OS? Are you going to restore your factory settings (ugh), or were you thinking of just reinstalling the OS by itself?

 

[cclloyd9785]

Wait, are you saying I can just back up using Ghost, and then restore on the new drive, because I have Ghost 15.0.

 

[Saltgrass]

win 7 backup and restore will make an image of the drive and replicate it on the new one. You will need a network, or an external/separate drive to copy the image to.

 

[whs]

If you have Ghost, use the Copy function. That will copy MBR and everything else to e.g. an external drive. In my Ghost 14 manual it is described in chapter 15.

 

[NoN]

Wait, are you saying I can just back up using Ghost, and then restore on the new drive, because I have Ghost 15.0.

Yes you can Ghost your entire machine then image it to the new drive...but you'll still need the adapter Usb 2.0 to Sata 2.5" show on my previous post. So, you'll not screw the old Hdd one in case the new image fail to boot...

 

[whs]

Wait, are you saying I can just back up using Ghost, and then restore on the new drive, because I have Ghost 15.0.

Yes you can Ghost your entire machine then image it to the new drive...but you'll still need the adapter Usb 2.0 to Sata 2.5" show on my previous post. So, you'll not screw the old Hdd one in case the new image fail to boot...

If you use Ghost 15 to "Copy" a clone to an external drive, I don't believe you need any of this gear.

 

[NoN]

Wait, are you saying I can just back up using Ghost, and then restore on the new drive, because I have Ghost 15.0.

Yes you can Ghost your entire machine then image it to the new drive...but you'll still need the adapter Usb 2.0 to Sata 2.5" show on my previous post. So, you'll not screw the old Hdd one in case the new image fail to boot...

If you use Ghost 15 to "Copy" a clone to an external drive, I don't believe you need any of this gear.

Depend if the drive is free...In case not, it will have to be formated before cloning action.

The drive have to be clean of any files or he will have to part it the same amount "Gb" as the original drive (prefered a little more Gb).

The tool adapter is just handy if you don't have an external drive Free!

 

[whs]

The drive have to be clean of any files or he will have to part it the same amount "Gb" as the original drive (prefered a little more Gb).

That is not so. All you need to do is to define a new folder for the clone - but, of course, there must be enough room on the drive to hold the image.

 

[CommonTater]

How am I supposed to transfer all my data from one hard drive to the other (replacing laptop drive, both are SATA 3Gb/s)

Ok... I gather you are currently in posession of both of these hard drives... but (laptop style) you only have one place to install a disk drive...

You need one of these...

Welcome to Vantec ? Leading Brand of Storage, Thermal, and Mobile Accessories! -

That is an external housing for a laptop drive....

Install your OLD hard disk in the external housing. Put the new one in the laptop.

Create whatever partitions you need... I strongly recommend splitting the drive so that Win7 has about 50gb and the rest is used for data storage.

Install your OS on the laptop *without* the old drive connected.

Now connect the (now external) old drive and copy your data files over to the new one.

In Disk Management delete all partitions on the old drive, format it as one big playspace.

Now copy your data files *not programs* *not os* just data.... movies, music, documents, financials etc.


Now you have a brand new internal drive, with a fresh OS and an external backup drive to keep your data safe from irretrievable loss....

 

[cclloyd9785]

Im not going to reinstall the OS just to get a bigger drive.


So I can clone my drive using Ghost 15, to my Seagate 1.5TB drive, then insert the new drive, install an OS with ghost, then clone it back or what?

 

[whs]

Im not going to reinstall the OS just to get a bigger drive.


So I can clone my drive using Ghost 15, to my Seagate 1.5TB drive, then insert the new drive, install an OS with ghost, then clone it back or what?

Yes, that's about it. Clone your OS (with Ghost COPY) to your external drive. Then install your new disk, run the Ghost recovery disk and pull the clone into your new disk. I suggest you clone to a predifined folder on your external disk rather than to the disk address. If you give the folder a meaningful name, it will be easier to id when you work off the recovery disk. And make sure you also restore the MBR (you will be prompted for that option).

 

[cclloyd9785]

Ok thank you.

 

[karlsnooks]

Ok thank you.

OK follow the advice of Saltgrass. This is also the method recommended by Microsoft.

Procedure is very simple.
Connect and external USB drive.
Control Panel | Backup and Restore | in left-hand task pane select Create a System Image | follow prompts to backup all "drives" from your present hard disk to the external.

Now what you will have is a VHD file on that external which Win 7 knows how to use.

Now make yourself a System Repair Disk;
Control Panel | Backup and Restore | in left-hand pane, select Create a system repair disc

After you have the system repair disk, then put same into your CD drive.
Power off, boot up
IF you are not set up to boot from CD, then go into you bios (often the F2 kay) and choose to boot from CD first.
After booting from that repair disk, choose System Restore from the menu.
Prompts will ask where the repair image is located.
You'll be ask if you want to restore all drives (which you do).

It takes more effort to explain this procedure than it does to do it.

Once you've got your repair cd and the Win 7-created backup then you can't miss.

 

[whs]

Ok thank you.

OK follow the advice of Saltgrass. This is also the method recommended by Microsoft.

Procedure is very simple.
Connect and external USB drive.
Control Panel | Backup and Restore | in left-hand task pane select Create a System Image | follow prompts to backup all "drives" from your present hard disk to the external.

Now what you will have is a VHD file on that external which Win 7 knows how to use.

Now make yourself a System Repair Disk;
Control Panel | Backup and Restore | in left-hand pane, select Create a system repair disc

After you have the system repair disk, then put same into your CD drive.
Power off, boot up
IF you are not set up to boot from CD, then go into you bios (often the F2 kay) and choose to boot from CD first.
After booting from that repair disk, choose System Restore from the menu.
Prompts will ask where the repair image is located.
You'll be ask if you want to restore all drives (which you do).

It takes more effort to explain this procedure than it does to do it.

Once you've got your repair cd and the Win 7-created backup then you can't miss.

Karl, why do you want him to jump thru 9 hoops with these complicated windows programs where he has Ghost15 which is a lot simpler.

Update: we are discussing after the fact. That's what the OP just told me: " your idea worked flawlessly".

 

[karlsnooks]

This is a detailed explanation of a very simple procedure and is the very same procedure recommended by Microsoft.

The procedure works, works, works, works, works, works, works, works,.....

 

[whs]

This is a detailed explanation of a very simple procedure and is the very same procedure recommended by Microsoft.

The procedure works, works, works, works, works, works, works, works,.....

Karl, I am sure your procedure is correct. But I have had too much bad luck with MS backup/restore that I will not touch it with a 10 foot pole.

 

[CommonTater]

Yes, that's about it. Clone your OS (with Ghost COPY) to your external drive. Then install your new disk, run the Ghost recovery disk and pull the clone into your new disk. I suggest you clone to a predifined folder on your external disk rather than to the disk address. If you give the folder a meaningful name, it will be easier to id when you work off the recovery disk. And make sure you also restore the MBR (you will be prompted for that option).

Ummmmm only problem with that is when he puts in the new disk it won't have an operating system on it so he's not going to be able to boot the thing up to clone or declone anything...

 

[CommonTater]

Im not going to reinstall the OS just to get a bigger drive.

In a computer that only holds one disk drive... I'll bet you 3 manhole covers that's exactly what you end up doing.