How do you install windows onto a new drive, but keep all your programs working?

bhavv

bhavv

bhavv

Permabanned
Joined
14 Nov 2009
Posts
13,638
I am replacing my 1 TB Sammy F1s with F3s, and I will be partitioning them like this:

hdspace.png


First I will copy all the D Drive over to the new F3s 850 Gb partition, then format the C partition and reinstall windows on the F3s 80 Gb partition.

Is it possible to keep all my installed programs and shortcuts detected and working as they currently are after doing this? And how would I do this?

Thanks to anyone who can explain how to do this.
 
As long as the new drive has the same partiton setup (not size), and the same drive letters, then all you need to do is use the built in backup utility in W7...
It will create an image of your existing C: drive onto the D: partition, and let you create a boot CD, then you add in your new drive, boot off the CD and restore the image to the new C: drive partiton... the power down, remove the old drive and set your bios to boot from the new drive... simples :)
 
Where can I read up how to do that, or how to access the feature?

I use Win 7 Professional, this is the first time since I got it I need to reinstall since Im getting new drives, whereas with Vista I had to reinstall every 2-3 months because it kept getting corrupted :x.

Win 7 has never slowed down or become unresponsive :)
 
Too access the feature, simply click Start and in the search box type "restore", without the " ". It should then appear at the top of the Start Menu...

Nothing to read up on really, but i'm sure google has a guide somewhere :)
 
Oh, I see. I tried it and its simple. I never backed up anything before using the recovery tool :)

I have no idea where I put my blank CDs though .... I'll buy a DVD-R stack.

So I backup windows and it saves all the current settings, then copy over the D partition.
 
Last edited:
I found my box of CD-Rs and two RWs.

The funny thing is that my IDE DVD RW drive is the oldest component in my PC, and I've never bought any blank DVD disks, or hardly ever used it with CDs.

Im going to ask a blonde question in my height of backup noobishness - will a CD-RW have enough space and work for the boot CD :p.
 
Last edited:
Ok, so I got my drives, installed and partitioned one of them to 81.5 / 850, and started to create a system image.

I am putting the image on the new 850 Gb as it requires 800 Gb of space.

Then how do I restore my current main drives configuration and data to the new drive?
 
You now have 2 drives in your rig?
1. old drive with a C: with Windows and D: with Data partiton...
2. new drive with 2 partitons...

You want to copy everything from your C: drive to the new primary partition of the new drive and everything from the D: drive to the secondary partition of the new drive?

Assuming I'm right above...

Firstly, the built in backup will default to backup the C: drive and also the hidden sector that contains a recovery install (much like the restore CD), therefore the partitions you have created on the new drive may by over written? Not sure on this as I have only restored to a single partition drive (SSD)

Use the built in tool to create an image of the windows drive and select the secondary partiton of original drive to store it.. as long as it has space.
Once done, reboot pc and boot from the restore CD, you can then select to Restore, point to the image and then tell it which partition to restore too (new Drives primary partition).
Once finished, reboot and enter the bios again, change the drive boot order so the new drive is first..
Reboot into windows from New drive...

Once in windows you can then simply copy everything from the OLD secondary partition to the new secondary partition...

Job done.
 
Ooooooops ....

Im backing up everthing from Drive C + D to the new drive through the image. I didnt see an option to select just the primary partition :(

Its taking ages.

What you said was right, I just want to transfer over my primary windows partition, the rest can be copy pasted. But its backing up both C + D, not just C.

I cant do a system image of just drive C without also backing up D :(. Its 777 Gb total, I'll just have to wait.
 
Last edited:
When creating the image, it says C + D and both are gray and unselectable.

The image is required for the new backup to boot into windows, cant just backup C without it, and cant create the image without D :(

Maybe it will create a full backup of both the C + D drives onto the new drive exactly as they are now. Thats what I'm hoping.

Normally I would just format C and reinstall Windows, but then I have to update and reinstall everything to make it work which is annoying.
 
Here it is:

disks.png


C needs going to F, D needs to go to G, and everything needs to work.

Right now a C + D image is being backed up to G. I think what I'm doing should work, its on 77% complete.

Wow, 777 Gb and 77% right now ..... thats a bad sign, I hate 7, it ate 9 :(.
 
Looks fine, don't know why it won't let you select C: only, but as Iv'e said, I have only used this tool on a single partition Drive, perhaps it can't do partitions?? Will have a google and see ...
 
Ok, it appears your problem occurs if there are boot files on the Secondary partition (your D: drive), or you have installed program/s to that partition, and the program/s run at system start up.
 
Last edited:
Ok. But the image should create a copy of both partitions in the right places I think. Everything should be mirrored to the new drive as it is now.

How do I get them onto the new drive after the backup is done? Simply boot of it as the primary disk with a restore off the CD?

Thanks for all the help, once this is done I wont ever have to delete Windows partitions and reinstall everything ever again :). Well, unless my primary drive fails.
 
Last edited:
The image cannot be applied to the same drive that it is stored on... you would have to Move the Completed image to the old drive, then boot from the restore CD and go from there.. to restore the image to the new drive, and once done, remove the old drive, boot into windows and you may need to adjust free space on the drive.
 
Or restore the image onto the second F3 :).

I just need to install another Sata power cable to do that.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom