Moving Windows to another Partition?

[Gundog48]

I have Windows and my files currently installed in one horrible mess on one drive. I would like to create a new partition and move Windows 7 into it. I would really like to avoid a clean install as I have only just recovered from one I had to do a week or so ago. Installing Adobe Creative Suites and 10 ton of other software is not fun!

So, can I just make a partition and somehow move Windows into it? And if I did, would it be possible to move my partition to an SSD in the future?

Cheers!

 

[j.col]

first of all make an image backup. this will have all your installed programs on it as well.

Save a Windows 7 backup image of your HD to primary partition or external HD, then boot into Windows 7 DVD Repair console>Recover Using an Image to the new partition or SSD.

 

[malcolm]

Most popular scheme is to partition the disc as a 'small' C:/ partition, then the rest for 'docs' and move your documents on to that partition. There are instructions for doing this readily available on the web.

The Windows partition usually has all the Programs on there as well, locating these on another partition can be done, but it usually causes more isues than it solves.

 

[Gundog48]

first of all make an image backup. this will have all your installed programs on it as well.

Save a Windows 7 backup image of your HD to primary partition or external HD, then boot into Windows 7 DVD Repair console>Recover Using an Image to the new partition or SSD.

Thanks! Could you go step by step please, I am good at hardware but appaling at OS stuff. So:

• I create a disk image using Acronis
• Save the image to my primary partition
• Create a new partition
• Boot Windows using the DVD
• Choose repair, then recover using an image
• Select the new partition

Have I got this right? But wouldn't that move all my files to the new partition?

 

[Gundog48]

Most popular scheme is to partition the disc as a 'small' C:/ partition, then the rest for 'docs' and move your documents on to that partition. There are instructions for doing this readily available on the web.

The Windows partition usually has all the Programs on there as well, locating these on another partition can be done, but it usually causes more isues than it solves.

LOL, u genious! So copy my files to an external drive, make the C partition smaller, create a bigger partition then move my files to it. How simple!

 

[j.col]

Thanks! Could you go step by step please, I am good at hardware but appaling at OS stuff. So:

• I create a disk image using Acronis
• Save the image to my primary partition
• Create a new partition
• Boot Windows using the DVD
• Choose repair, then recover using an image
• Select the new partition

Have I got this right? But wouldn't that move all my files to the new partition?

that sounds right to me, as other answer, make c smaller, then use the bigger partition for docs, music, vids, games etc...
but i have never used acronis, so double check on net about restoring an image with acronis.
windows 7 has its own image build option
here is a tutorial http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/4241/how-to-create-a-system-image-in-windows-7/

 

[Makhaira]

Just use GPartEd - it's free, can resize without data loss (although if you're not in possession of a recent backup I'd take one just to be on the safe side), and can be run off a boot CD. Then you can resize straight away .