Windows 7 reinstall

[sevicetech]

I have hard drive starting to fail and would like to move the installation to new partition on a different drive. Can I just copy the files over?

If I do need to reinstall on the empty partition will it activate with my upgrade media? System currently passes WGA and works, don't want to reinstall the wrong way and mess it up.

 

[gregrocker]

Please post back a screenshot of your full Disk management map, using Snipping Tool in Start Menu attaching file using paper clip in reply box.

Note exactly which partition you want to copy where, and what is on other partitions.

Apart from copying to another partition, would you consider saving a backup image of your current HD to reimage onto the other HD?

 

[sevicetech]

I have an 80GB C drive where W7 is installed (25GB is used). I have a 1TB drive divided into 2 partitions, one is 50GB empty and the rest is the other partition which holds my photos, video. media etc. I want to move my Windows 7 install to the 50GB empty partition on my 1TB drive and take the 80GB drive out all together. I'm OK with reinstalling W7 if that's the "easy way" to do it. My concern is the "system reserved" portion won't get moved to the 1TB drive. If i pull the 80GB drive out and just do a clean install on the 50GB partition, the windows install DVD won't see a current version of windows to upgrade/reinstall from.

I'll give the snipping tool a shot when I get to the HTPC.

 

[sevicetech]

Here's the "snip" (cool tool BTW) I'm wanting to move the win7 install from C to J and remove disk0 out of the system entirely. I'm even OK with simply reinstalling W7 on the "J" partition, but I don't know if it will work since the upgrade media won't be able to verify the C drive installation. I know if the "system reserved" is on a different drive than the OS install the computer will need to have both drives in order to boot.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You can take either of these general approaches:

Make an image of the entire disk 0, which contains the system reserved and C partitions. You would presumably put that image file on E. Then restore that image to J. C currently has about 24 GB used, so I think you would have to shrink C in Disk Managment to say 30 before you make the image. It would then fit on J. You could use Windows 7 imaging tools, Macrium Reflect, or Acronis. You would do this from your current C drive.

Or you could kiss off disk 0 entirely and just do a clean install on J. If you have a legit Windows 7 upgrade install disc, you don't need to worry about seeing a current version. A new system reserved partition will be created on disc 1. Disconnect disc 0 before doing this to avoid complications. Boot from the Windows 7 install disc. When it comes to life, it will be in a new world and completely unaware of disc 0 or any previous install. You have 48 gigs of space on J, which will be enough to last a long time assuming you keep most or all of your data on Media (E drive).

I would take the second route. You wouldn't be under time pressure worrying about drive failure, you wouldn't have to deal with imaging or partition shrinking.

If you are activated now and take the image route, you won't have to reactivate. If you are activated now and reinstall on J rather than make an image, you might have to reactivate. No problem; if you have to talk to Microsoft just tell them the truth--you had a drive failure and were forced into it.

If you do the image, you won't have to reinstall programs. If you reinstall to J, you will have to reinstall programs.

Stuff like mp3s, pictures, Word documents, etc can be dragged around across partitions. Installed programs cannot.

I would copy anything important on C to E right now (other than installed progams), including bookmarks and email. If all of your personal data is already on E, then who cares if C explodes--you can always recover if you have an install disc.

 

[RogerR]

Stuff like mp3s, pictures, Word documents, etc can be dragged around across partitions. Installed programs cannot.

You can move installed programs successfully if you relabel their destination location to match their origin.

So, if you move all your programs from say D:\Program Files to E:\Program Files, as long as you change the drive letter of the new program partition to D:\ then the program shortcuts will all still be pointing to correct directories and operate normally.

 

[gregrocker]

Use free Partition Wizard bootable CD to shrink C: smaller than J: then copy C: into deleted J: space, recover MBR into C:

Boot PW CD, select 1 for screen resolution, then rightclick C:, Resize smaller than J:, OK.

Now rightclick J: partition to Delete, OK. Now rightclick C: Copy into J: space, letter it C:, OK. Apply all steps.

Either swap the cable for DISK0 to DISK1, or set DISK1 as first HD to boot in BIOS boot order, after DVD. Leave DISK0 unplugged.

Now boot into Win7 DVD, select Repair console on second screen, click through to recovery tools to open a Command Line, type:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK # (# for new Win7 HD)
LIST PARTITION
SELECT PARTITION # (# for Win7 partition)
ACTIVE
EXIT

Now boot back into Win7 DVD Repair console, click through to Recovery Tools, select Startup Repair and run up to 3 separate times with reboots to rewrite MBR to Win7 partition.

After Win7 starts, you can plug in other HD to delete using booted PW CD.

 

[sevicetech]

I went ahead and just did a clean install on the "J" (now c) drive. I have 2 issues:
HDTV is forced into 480i when it is the only display (works fine at 1080i when ran in dual display mode). of course the default 480i is @ 30hz and the TV rolls and I can't change it to 1080i. This is all done through the Nvidia component output. New Nvidia drivers did not fix. Even setting the HDTV as primary monitor won't work.

The other problem I'm having is sound, center/rear channels are weak. Mixer shows all channels maxed.

FWIW Windows did not like the key until I left the 80gb HD hooked up for the reinstall. It needed to detect the old windows install. After all was said and done it activated with no problem.

 

[sevicetech]

Safe mode works @ 480i, won't let me change from 800x600

 

[gregrocker]

Check your computer manufacturer's Support Downloads webpage for your model for Sound drivers and possibly extra software. Ditto Video drivers. If its Custom built then check your Sound and Video hardware maker's Support Downloads website to try all of the latest and next-to-latest plus any Beta drivers.

 

[sevicetech]

I tried the VIA control panel but it doesn't offer bass management. No sub-woofer and VIA won't redirect the sub channel to the mains. In Windows the control panel will only allow the center and surround speaker to go to 36 in volume. Perhaps a dedicated sound card might do a better job...

 

[sevicetech]

I tried doing another reinstall to correct my Graphics issue. W7 doesn't seem to be completely happy unless it's installed on the 1st partion on the drive and allows the boot 'system reserved' partition to be created. Unfortuantely that means moving the contents to the "back" of the drive and creating an new "front" partition. Sucks not having another huge drive I can just dump the data to then do a reformat.