Migration From Existing Boot Mechanical HDD To SSD?
Sep 3, 2011
my old Q9550 is starting to show its age. I'd love to build a new 6 or 8 (soon)core system with all the goodies, but frankly with this economy, I just cant pull the trigger! I defrag regularly, perform system maintenence on a regular basis, keep tabs on what apps and services are in startup, and I delete apps I no longer use. However, as a teacher and consultant I need to install, use, and test many apps... sometimes using my "production" system, sometimes using a VM. The problem is that my machine is getting slower... its in need of some new life! I have 4GB of RAM and my MB will take up to 16GB, but 4GB DDR2 sticks are difficult to find and I will spend about the same on an SSD. I know what huge performance advantages can be realized by an SSD, and it looks to be "the best bang for the buck" upgrade.
I've read through whs's tutorial on SSD Install and OS transfer, SSD - Install and transfer the Operating System it sure looks like the easy way out is by using Paragons Migrate OS to SSD software, and that's what I'm probably going to do. More info on Paragons Software here: http://www.paragon-software.com/technologies/components/migrate-OS-to-SSD/ It appears that the Paragon SW will let me pick and choose what I want to transfer from my existing 640GB SATA boot drive to a smaller 256GB SSD.
My thinking ie that I will use this sw, and transfer only the OS, excluding the user folders, and app data, etc. This will give me two benefits as I see it... I can still boot off of my old HDD to see what else I need to reinstall, and I keep the data on the SSD to a minimum. I'm considering installing office on the SSD, along with a few other often used apps. Should I place COD on the SSD or leave it on HDD? I know I will need to point to my existing user folders on the former boot drive. I also realize I will have to reinstall most apps and I will place these into their existing directories on the old HDD... e.g. Program Files and PF(x86). I'm figuring a week or so for total migration as this is my everyday work machine.For those of you familiar with this process using Paragone SW and migrating to a smaller SSD.... What tips can you give me, and others, to speed and streamline this migration?
Is there any real noticable benefit from having a SATA mechanical HDD use AHCI or IDE? Also, if there is any benefit, is it related to the rpm speed that the drive is capable of?I keep reading conflicting reports on this, some say AHCI is best, others say there is no real difference unless the disk is an SSD.I am about to do a clean install of Windows 7 on a laptop 5400rpm mechanical HDD so thought I may as well set the mode before proceeding with the install.
I just moved my Windows 7 partition to an SSD. While everything loads much faster, I still hear the mechanical drive being accessed on the boot logo screen and for a few seconds after the desktop appears. I have the page file, temp folder, and other system stuff all on the SSD. The only thing I think it should access on a mechanical partition is the wallpaper, but that's 2 MB max. Is there a way to have Windows log all of the files that are being accessed during boot?
i have just installed a new motherboard/cpu/ram and i am just trying to start windows 7 from an existing hard drive, with it already installed. i have heard that if windows 7 was pre installed on your computer then it will not work. is this true?if needs be, i have a brand new copy of windows 7 that i can make a new start from. question 1. how do i make a new install of windows 7 if it wont boot in the first place. question 2. will i be able to keep my programs/files on this hard drive?
specs
mobo: biostar n68s3+ cpu: amd athlon ii x4 3.0ghz os. windows 7
I have an HP quad core machine with OEM Vista Home Premium 32-bit installed. It has never been connected to the internet (only my home network) since I have only used it for video editing and a few other particular tasks that do not require internet access. My thinking was that by keeping it "virgin" I would maintain fast boot times and that out-of-the-box snappiness. Set it up with several specific types of software, remove everything that isn't important (like AV software), and only install things via USB when necessary. For three years I've succeeded and the box is as fast as the day I set it up. It sits sequestered in its tower still wearing its chastity belt, oblivious to the evils of the outside world.
Unfortunately my main online machine (Vista 64-bit) just suffered the indignity of a failed motherboard. It's not worth repairing. Luckily the hard drive is intact. Here is my plan of action. I'd like to know if it makes sense, if it's doable, and, if so, the best way to go about it.
I'd like to set up a dual boot system. A year ago I purchased a full Windows 7 installation using the student discount available at the time. My virgin machine is capable of handling Windows 7 64-bit, so I'd like to install that (have already downloaded the ISO and burned it to a dvd). What I want to do is throw in an entirely new hard drive and install Windows 7 64-bit on it. I would then leave the Vista 32-bit existing installation intact and untouched. I would end up with three SATA drives in the HP tower -- 1) main drive with the existing, virgin OEM Vista 32 installation, 2) brand-new drive on which I would install Windows 7 64-bit, 3) drive I pulled from my dead Vista 64-bit machine, including lots of data and settings.
I would gradually set up the Windows 7 to mirror what I was doing on the machine that just died (I still have access to all of the important settings I need on the hard drive). When I want to do my regular stuff on the net I'll use the new Windows 7 64-bit installation. When I want to do the video and photo stuff I've been doing the last three years I'll boot to the virgin Vista installation (maybe even unplugging from the net while doing so).
So, can I do this? Will I maintain the snappiness of my current setup by making sure that when I boot to the existing Vista 32 install that I stay offline? If all answers are yes, how do I do it? For example, do I just install a new hard drive and then tell the machine to boot to the dvd drive and then install Windows 7 to that new drive from there? If so, how does the dual boot part of it go (or is it automatic and I'll be asked each time I turn on the machine?)
I currently have a desktop using Windows XP. I just recently bought a new hard drive which I plan on installing a clean version of Windows 7 on. Is their a way to image my XP drive to my new hard drive that will have Windows 7 on it so I will have all the programs, etc (using like Acronis True Image?) Or will i have to reinstall all of my programs that I had on the XP drive if I want them on my new drive which will have Windows 7. Am I best off just using the transfer wizard? Just trying to see if their is an easy way to image all of my programs from XP to my new drive.
i have a Sony Vaio Laptop E Series i have been using for a while.I originally bought it on September 2012 and i am thinking of migrating to a better one.I have been using this laptop since then atleast 12 - 16 hours a day without break and now it's giving up (i believe).I am a programmer and i use software like Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash... these really make the Laptop slow (i believe).I am thinking for migrating to a newer and better laptop but keeping the same setup i have.. What i need: Recommendation on what laptop i shall buy (i know i need a desktop... but i can't have one... because of my work schedule.)How will i be able to migrate all my current data to a new laptop.
I have used Mozy on-line backup for a while now, when I was running XP. I find the service to work quite well, at an excellent price.Now that I have migrated to Win 7, I would like to restart my good back-up habits. The client seems to work fine with 7. However, it appears that the client wants to reload all of my files.I want to avoid this, considering it took about a month 24/7 the first time around.Catch is, I have made modest improvements to the structure of my directories, such that some files have been moved around.I have talked to Mozy a few times now about the best way to proceed. Each time, the customer service agent did not seem particularly knowledgeable about what to do.One agent has told me to simply restart the back-up process, and the system will figure out what has already been uploaded regardless of a change in file location. The agent kept referring to this as syncing. I tried this. It appeared to me that the client was again performing an initial back up and uploading everything all over again.Does anyone out there have any experience with using Mozy? After making the move to Win 7, how did you resume your backups? Do I really need to do the whole thing over again, or is there a better method. Or is agent number 1 correct, and Mozy will actually figure everything out without having to start from scratch, even though it appears this it is?
I'm showing an error in my Raid0 configuration, although windows is working properly, and from what i see, i can access all my data. But I think its time to move the install to a normal drive, and i used a ghosting tool to clone the 2 partitions to a new drive. All went fine.
I rebooted, and had to run windows repair from the original DVD, to fix the bootmgr.exe missing file. Again all went well and got all working on the new disk.
However now the clone requires 'activation' within 3 days, and when i try, it tells me i can't, because its and 'upgrade' (which it is), and that i need a new key (which i don't, at hefty price tag!!). Is there a way to fix this, without buying a new 'stand alone version' of windows 7.? (i have the original disk including the key, and its windows 7 ultimate upgrade 64bit).
Quote: In case you buy a Dell PC and want to transfer the OS to an SSD, you might want to read this. i just got my second Dell desktop and discovered the same unusual partition setup as in the first Dell PC. It is.1. a 39MB Fat32 partition - which I assume is used for the BIOS2. a Recovery partition (about 14GBs) which is active - that is the unusual part3. an inactive C partition for the rest of the HDDSince I always install a small 60GB SSD for the OS (really no need to get a bigger SSD for that), I use the Paragon Migration Tool to move the OS from the HDD to the SSD - that is really easy because it is a 2 click operation and it always works flawlessly.In this particular case though, the migration tool also copies the Recovery partition to the SSD because it rightfully figures that you need your bootmgr there. That takes the 14GBs away from your C partition . Thus you lose 25% of your SSD capacity.
I have a windows7 image that I am putting on different dell model. I notice that when I start up the machines, they continuously reboot. Is there a migration tool that i can use to stop the reboot?
i purchased a new computer and i migrated all my XP sp3 icons over to the new machine. This includes but not limited to favorites, desktop, as well as a third party email client that allows me to store favicons. In total there must be a few hundred shortcut icons.The problem is the icons are not displaying, the only way i can get them to display is by revisiting each site and creating a new shortcut and deleting the old link and placing the new link it its place. This is happening both on desktop and in all files on the directory, no old shortcut icons are showing, they all just default to the standard ie icon.I cant possibly do this with hundreds of icons, i would loose my mind lol.First can you explain the issue and why this is happening, is there a difference between the two formats?Second, is there a better and faster way to fix this without having to revisit each url and create a new shortcut.
quick breakdown. Ive installed windows 7 onto my ssd (primary drive) and updated and installed all drivers. so its now a blank canvas. ive got a 500gb wd hd which has all my programs, data, pictures etc on it, including the old o/s.files and folders I can easily backup and move across as i please but ideally id like to keep the ssd relatively clutter free. (for games, data hungry apps)do i need to back that old drive up, reformat it and start again, installing the same programs to it minus the o/s?or does anyone know if i can run those original programs from a slave drive and if so how can i access them in the new o/s?in particular things like antivirus programs, itunes (which has a 130gb library) and so on which are already installed on the old drive but at the moment inaccesible as programs except for their folders.
1) If I wanted to use a new OEM license of W7, will it work (activate) on a VM?2) Is there a way to install W7 on an unactivated (don't ask, stupid licenses) VM Vista system while preserving all the data and settings? (or at least most of them)3) If not, is there a way to do the user migration from the unactivated virtual Vista? Speaking of which, it's Parallels Desktop 6 (Mac user that still needs to use Windows
A while ago I was using Windows XP Pro on my laptop. I was then forced to switch completely to Windows 7, but because I had so many application and configurations done on the XP, I created a VHD from it (using this) before replacing it. Now, I want to know if its possible to set that VHD beside my current OS as dual boot.I searched and found solutions, but those are either to add a new VHD (Windows 8 mostly) to the dual boot, or loading VHD in virtual machines.Also, if it is possible, can I copy the VHD on my external HDD and load it every time from there?The whole idea is because my laptop is not so powerful and it wouldn't handle VMs very well. Because of the same reason, XP Mode is not an option.Normal dual boot also is not preferred for two reasons:
1. I want my configurations which are already set on the VHD,
2. My laptop's HDD is only 150GB which does not have too much capacity left already. I can spare like 20-30GBs for XP, but I really cannot deal with the dual booting mess now! I will rarely use the XP for specific tasks, so VHD would be much easier if I will have the option.
I have a install of Windows 7 on my computer which I am not willing to remove and reinstall. I would like to try out the Windows 8 developer trials, it seems logical given my situation to dual boot, allowing me to keep my current install and test Windows 8 simultaneously. I have a spare 80gb hard drive I could use, or I could create a partition on one of my existing hard drives, but a partition is much less ideal. I have tried dual booting linux on the hard drive before, but the linux drive over rode my dual boot set up (I obviously did something wrong), and I could only boot to linux.
How can I safely dual boot Windows 8 on this hard drive (or a partition if necessary), while keeping my Windows 7 install and data in-tact? Just to let you know I have over a TB of data spread over 2 drives but only 2 TB of hard drive space, so I can't back up a lot of my data, just a heads up.
I upgraded my husbands computer from Windows Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit. Did a full backup under Vista to an external drive, and also used Easy Transfer. Wanted to do a clean install and format the hard drive due to past computer problems. All went fine until I used easy transfer to put the ''old''files back onto the computer after the new Win 7 install. I'm getting a ''protected content migration'' error,asking for a password. My husband did not have a password on the old user account,but just to be sure we have tried every password that we have used. No luck with any of them. How do I know what it is that we no longer have access to? Is there anyway for me to recover access to these files that are supposedly password protected? Should I do anything as drastic as just doing a full restore back to Windows Vista from the backup copy and change anything and then start over?
I have a partition question and after scouring the Web, can't find anyone with the exact same situation as mine. Basically what I'm wondering is if I can delete a primary partition and then extend another, non primary into that space.
Here's what I have and why I want to do this: my laptop came from the factory with one 500GB SATA drive, split into two partitions (C, primary, and D, logical, each 250GB). The Win7 install was on the C drive. Recently, I installed a 120GB SSD as a second drive, and using the tools with it, copied the contents of my existing C partition to the new SSD, and then made the SSD the boot drive labeled as the C drive. So far so good, everything works fine.
Now, what I'm left with is this: C: 120GB (SSD, now the boot drive with the Win7 install) D: 250GB (SATA, the original D partition, Disk Management IDs it as a logical drive, extended partition) E: 250GB (SATA, the original C partition, Disk Management IDs it as a primary partition)
So, I have the original "C drive" on E now... it's no longer the system/boot drive. Obviously I don't need the files on it as they are all on the new SSD. What I want to do is to delete all those files and then combine what's on D and E into one 500GB D drive as I have no reason to have the two partitions. Is it possible to just delete the E partition and then extend the D partition into the unallocated space? I'm confused because it seems as though the D partition may rely on the E partition being there since the E drive IDs as primary. Or would the D partition become primary?
I know I could just back up the D partition to an external drive, delete both D and E partitions, and reformat as one new D and restore the files, but I don't want to create more work for myself if I don't have to. Obviously I don't want to mess up the files on the D drive though, which is why I'm asking.
I have a new Win 7 PC. I have an existing two XP PC home network. The existing network successfully shares files and a printer. Integrating the new Win 7 PC into my network, I have been half successful. I have internet access through the existing router on all three PCs and I have printer access on all three PCs since moving the printer to the Win 7 machine. Both XPs can see the Win 7 machine on the network.
This is where things go off the rails for me though. The Win 7 machine cannot see anything in its network except itself and the router. Keep in mind that certain apps can see back and forth. Windows Easy Transfer was able to see my XP machine from the Win 7 machine and move all my files over just fine. Norton NIS 2009 can see all 3 PCs from all 3 PCs and interact with each perfectly fine.
Likewise, the XP PCs aren't quite there yet either. They alternate between having 100% access to the Win 7 public USERS share and having no access at all - with no changes being made to the setting. Currently it is not accessible and I might not have permission to use this network resource. Interestingly with the XP to Win 7 connection fails, it fails on both XP computers at the same time. Either both work just fine or neither works at all.
All three PCs are in the same workgroup. All three have the same user account names and passwords. In Win 7, Network discovery is on along with all the other Advance Network Sharing features. I am currently sharing the Win 7 shares with Everyone. I have tried shutting the firewall off and leaving it on. All three are set at Full Trust for NIS 2009.
Currently I have an internal network (no internet access), with a few XP workstations conencted via a hub, working fine. When I added a Win 7 computer, it cannot connect to the network. It says "unidentified network" and when I run troubleshooter, result is "does not have a valid IP configuration." Note that all the XP computers are using the NetBIOS protocol; TCP/IP is not selected.
Have main computer win 7 and works fine with virgin hub. Have aquired second computer running xp pro and won't set up with hub. Keeps trying dial up and failing to recognise connection to hub.
Is there any way to create a shortcut to a non-existing target? create a new shortcut and in the "Target" field I enter a path to a non-existing target, then when I press 'OK' I get an error. The target cannot be found (of course). Is there any way to override this or solve it any other way. Anyone?
I built my PC(Window 7 64 bit pro) year and an half ago with SSD, but now i planning to start my business, i am thinking to put to get two new SSDs on my pc to set up as RAID 1 (if i remember correctly, it help to store data in case one die)thinking to get Intel, but i hear some bad thing regarding to Intel with sandforce SSD, can someone point what is going to effect my pc?is it possible to clone my ext'g SSD with the OS to new RAID SSDs, then use the old SSD for minor storage, so my PC will never have problem with the SSD(if it does i just replace one of them) which software should i use for clone and how do i set up the RAID 1 if i do it.
I have my pc set up with an SSD and a 1TB hard drive. I recently had a power outage which corrupted Bootmgr on SSD so I had to reinstall Windows 7. I had all users and programs set up under the 1TB hard drive since I just used the SSD as a boot drive. I still have my old user folder on the 1TB hard drive. Is there a way to create a new user on this new installation of Windows and link it back to my old user folder on the 1TB hard drive? I've already tried going under Registry: HKey_Local_Machine in the ProfileList and manually changing the ProfileImagePath for a new user account. But, it just caused the system to use a temporary account when logged in. It never used the path I wanted it too.
i am re-installing WIN-7 on a previously installed WIN-7 (the same OS). But the prob is that, i had installed it with XP already loaded. Now that i want to re install WIN-7,
I installed a recent (2012) game yesterday on windows 7 64-bit and when it finished it had a checkbox "Install DirectX". I clicked it and it showed progress installing but some of the files had the directx9_ description. That seemed bizarre because windows 7 already have the latest directx 11 version. Opening dxdiag it showed version directx 11. Is there any way i can re-install the latest version or that installer didn't change anything? Should i do a system restore prior to that installation or am i ok and have the latest version of directx? I want to have directx11 support in most of my games.
