Restoring image backup on a new hard disk

[curiousclive]

I have a brand new hard drive that I would like to replace my 'C' drive.
I would like to know if it is possible to use the image backup that have using win 7 backup image utility to set up this new disk?
Or would I have to clean install a new copy of Win 7 first then try the backup to save me having to re-install everything?

Any info would be gratefully received.

thanks
Clive

[Just Plain Fred]

I have a brand new hard drive that I would like to replace my 'C' drive.

Any info would be gratefully received.

thanks
Clive

Clive,
Hello. I have no knowledge of Windows ability to do what you want ... Acronis True Image Home ( 2010 v 7046) has the software to do what you want.. ( not for "free" ) i have used the "clone feature" many times. It will result in a "boot-able OS" (new HD) http://www.acronis.com/ check out their forum as well http://forum.acronis.com/ Post back if you have any questions about Acronis Regards Fred

PS: found this as well http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilit...andimage.shtml

[mercyh]

Windows backup should do it nicely. Also Macrium reflect free will do the job.

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp

http://lounge.windowssecrets.com/ind...owtopic=776749

If you are using the windows backup you boot from the windows dvd or the recovery CD you made with windows backup. Then take the restore option, select your backup and go. You do not need to format or install windows on the new disk first as the image restore takes care of all of these tasks. It takes between 30 and 45 min on most machines as apposed to hours if done traditionally.....

[Medico]

I'm with Fred. I never tried to use Win 7 to put my OS on a new HD, but Acronis can do this in 2 ways. Using the Clone option as Fred mentioned allows this by connecting both old HD and new HD at the same time and moving from old to new. This might be the easiest option on a desktop. The other option, I have read, is that you can put in the Acronis Rescue disk, boot to it, attached your Image (I use an ext HD for my Images) and restore to the new HD from the Image. This would be the option to use on a laptop. You may have to format the HD first in this option, but I would think you have to format the HD to Clone to it as well. Either way this is easy to axccomplish with many of the 3rd party Imaging apps. Like I said I do not know about the Win 7 Backup and Restore. This app is not nearly as full featured as the 3rd party apps.

[cafed00d]

Are either the new or old hard drives Seagate (or Western Digital)? Seagate provides a stripped down version of Acronis (Seagate DiscWizard) with its drives (or you can download it from their site). It provides the necessary tools to image a drive - did that with my Win 7 system disk what its drive started acting strangely; I was able to transfer the image to another drive and continue running.

[curiousclive]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I do not have acronis and do not want to pay for a one off use program. Have tried macrium reflect and did not like it as had too many options. I find the windows image backup works for me as do not need multiple options to just do one thing (make an image and use it to restore).

Nice to know though that I do not need to have a win7 OS installed first before can use restore image. This was what I was not sure of as used image restore only a couple of times and both times had win 7 already installed on disk.


Thanks again for all your inputs.

Clive

[curiousclive]

One other question, Is there a problem if the disk I am restoring to is smaller than the disk I created image from as long as large enough for image size?

Thanks again
Clive

[mercyh]

One other question, Is there a problem if the disk I am restoring to is smaller than the disk I created image from as long as large enough for image size?

Thanks again
Clive

I think there might be. I am not sure how Windows backup handles this situation. If I were going to attempt this I would partition the disk ahead of time and then attempt to restore to the partition. You would be much safer getting a larger disk instead. (the reason I say that is some manufacturers specs are different and if the disk is 1 byte smaller then the old disk, the image may fail to restore. The disk can be a 100gb disk but if the cylinders are laid out differently it may have slightly less usable space.)

[mercyh]

Actually it doesn't matter if the DISK is smaller as long as the PARTITION is the same size or larger. I would reduce the size of the partition on the OLD disk to the same size (or smaller) then what you want the partition to be on the NEW disk. I would then create the image, swap the disks and do the restore. After the restore is done and you are up and running, you can expand the partition on the new disk to fill any unused space. (Or create a second partion for storage that you do not need included in the backup image.)

[s]You do not say if you are running 32bit or 64bit Win7.[/s] I see it now it the thread title, you have 64bit so the following tool won't work.

If it is 32bit I would use the following to manipulate the partitions.

http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

[petesmst]

@CuriousClive: I have done exactly what you want to do. I bought a new 300GB hard drive and used the Windows 7 32-bit installation disk to install a full windows system (image) backup from a 500GB drive to the new drive. Image size was 120GB. Worked perfectly.

The procedure is as stated by mercyh in his earlier (first) post to this thread at 2010-08-18 01:19.

(It amazes me the "suspicion" with which so many users view MS products and how easily they opt for other alternatives without trying the MS software and then"push" their choice as the preferred (only) way to go). Good luck. It will cost you nothing, not even the download time of "Acronis" or something else.
(I have since changed to a clean install of the 64-bit Windows 7 Professional and routinely use the built-in backup capability of the product).

I use Symantec's "Ghost" for more complex backups such as across my home network. But for basic, stand alone PC safety, Windows backup is fine.

(Edited to correct typos)

[mercyh]

Peter,

Did your Primary Partition (os drive C span the whole 500gb drive? Were you able to move this partition to the smaller 300gb drive without trouble? Did you have to first partition the new drive or did you just boot the Windows dvd with the new blank drive installed and it all "just worked"?

(I have never done this with windows backup to a smaller drive and would like confirmation that it works so I can put it in my "bag of tools")

Thanks

[mercyh]

Peter,

Thanks for the clarification on your post. You get a thumb from me for confirming that I can use this in a way I did not think was possible...

[petesmst]

Hi there mercyh: Yes, my primary partitio nspanned the whole 500GB and the translation of the image backup to the smaller UNFORMATTED 300GB single partition new drive proceeded without any trouble. Neat!

[Medico]

@CuriousClive: I have done exactly what you want to do. I bought a new 300GB hard drive and used the Windows 7 32-bit installation disk to install a full windows system (image) backup from a 500GB drive to the new drive. Image size was 120GB. Worked perfectly.

The procedure is as stated by mercyh in his earlier (first) post to this thread at 2010-08-18 01:19.

(It amazes me the "suspicion" with which so many users view MS products and how easily they opt for other alternatives without trying the MS software and then"push" their choice as the preferred (only) way to go). Good luck. It will cost you nothing, not even the download time of "Acronis" or something else.
(I have since changed to a clean install of the 64-bit Windows 7 Professional and routinely use the built-in backup capability of the product).

I use Symantec's "Ghost" for more complex backups such as across my home network. But for basic, stand alone PC safety, Windows backup is fine.

(Edited to correct typos)

Actually, I did try the Win 7 Backup and Restore several times. I could not use DVD-R media, had to use DVD-RW (problem with Backup and Restore, possibly corrected, who knows) I could not get Backup and Restore to reconize my Ext. HD, possibly my settings, who knows. Finally switched to Acronis and worked first time without any settings changes, no playing around, nothing. This is why I say Win 7 Backup and Restore is a basic tool, without the feature set included with a 3rd party app. I do routinely use MS products. I did use Disk Management to partition my HD, but when it would not allow me to delete the Recovery Partition and expand my "C" drive into this partition (The Recovery Partition was located ahead of the "C" drive and Disk Management would not do this) I switched to a free 3rd party app, Partition Wizard which did a very fine job of this. I use MSE and routinely recommend it as an excellent AV/AM app. I just found Backup and Restore did not do what I wanted it to do, so I switched to a 3rd party app that did.

[curiousclive]

Thanks all for your inputs.
Seems like it is possible to copy an image done from a large drive to an unformatted smaller drive using win 7 image as it re-formats the new drive for you.
tried to do same with macrium reflect bur came up with error saying new drive smaller than image saved.

So will only know once try it out when new drive arrives.

again thanks for your inputs.

Clive