Migrating Os To New Disk - Messes With Programs On Other Disks?

Hi,
I am considering migrating my current Windows 7 OS to a new internal disk to create headroom for upgrading to Win 10. The current system disk being only 80 GB. This seems to be possible as such, though I suspect in practice it involvs potential problems.

One of my considerations is other installed programs. These currently reside partly on the system drive and partly on two other ssd:s. I am thinking all of the programs on other disks will have to be uninstalled/reinstalled since their registry entries will go corrupt by moving the system to a new drive. Am I getting this correctly? Or will the new system drive assign as C:, thereby not messing with the installs on other internal program disks?

 

This should be straightforward and should not cause you to have to reinstall programs installed on other disks. You only need to clone your drive to a new drive and physically install it. Depending on how you perform the cloning op you may need afterwards to adjust the size of the OS C:\ partition.

 

Thank you.
Any suggestions regarding reliable disk cloning software?

 

I use Partition Wizard- It will allow you to fit the small hard drive you have to any hard drive, and you can just tell it to fit to whole of new drive- I have done this many times- no other software needed.
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/minitool_partition_wizard_home_edition.html

 

Thank you.
Would it be possible to go from mbr boot to gpt boot while migrating? Is uefi instead of bios needed to use gpt boot?
Using software such as the above, do I need external drive space such as an USB stick to store system image before migration? I guess cloning software itself could be installed on any chosen existing internal disk apart from system disk?

 

You can simply install Partition Wizard on your present hard drive, or, use another computer, and an external caddy/docking station with your old and new hard drive attached,
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Drive-Docking-Stations/b?ie=UTF8&node=1480103031
In Windows 10 , there is a tool to use , but, it is suggested to upgrade first , then attempt the conversion -
I have not tried this , yet, but will do soon, as I have a hard drive with some backup partitions, and it is in mbr mode,but, I want to try my luck (Same as the nickname-the Tinkerer)
I would suggest that that do a Clone - then upgrade to W10, , then , unless you want the pay for version of Partition Wizard......
So- Make a Clone on the new hard drive, first
Upgrade to Windows 10
Use the tool in Windows 10 MBR2GPT
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/mbr-to-gpt
If you have problems, you still have the original to clone again.

 

From what we can deduce about your computer it is an MBR system on a BIOS motherboard. Regardless of whether it is possible to convert the disk to GPT you simply cannot run a GPT boot disk on such a system. You have to have a UEFI motherboard.

 

Thank you.
I would have to clone - migrate - upgrade to W10. Cloning and migrating might be one step unless the clone is supposed to sit temporarily in other disk space before migration?

I am currently reading up on using gpt in combination with bios boot. As my new system drive would stay well below 2 TB size, my take is that reliability in case of boot sector failure would be the main advantage of going from mbr to gpt. It seems win 10 will install on mbr unless boot is uefi instead of bios.

 

It appears that this model has uefi and bios option in bootup according to bios page on Lenova site. (Same as on my Lenova g70-70)-I choose when in bios......................
https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/gb/en/...ownloads/driver-list/component?name=BIOS/UEFI

 

You appear to have access to information other than that posted here - I see no mention of the model number. However if you are correct then please disregard my post #8.

 

Thank you both. I simply didn't notice post #8 when replying, sorry. Yes it is an older Gigabyte X58 motherboard, Intel i7 930 processor. I have also come across conflicting info regarding BIOS + GPT in combination. I will go with MBR partitioning. Seems W10 will install on MBR.

 

Sorry Earthling, I looked back on the posters previous posts, and assumed it was the one used before-, but there are plenty of motherboards that give a choice in the setup-bio (legacy,or, UEFI)-It seems it is an X58......
I have a hard drive set to gpt, and one set to legacy, this gives me a slight problem if I want to read of the other disc.

The only basic difference ,other than extra security is that you can make more partitions- These are not really any use unless you need them- With mbr/bios, 4 are more than sufficient for most needs.
I notice some versions of the x58 motherboards had a few problems installing WINDOWS 10, but seems easily enough overcome.
Unless dual booting(or, even triple boot, as I have, on my gpt drive) I find mbr is sufficient, and use over half my 1tb for documents,etc: on my mbr disc-

 

Thanks for clarifying guys. My Lenovo also has this UEFI/BIOS dual config but I much prefer the BIOS/MBR setup as I use EasyBCD to give me a boot menu that can boot Macrium Reflect and Partition Wizard boot disks as well as Win 10. This wouldn't be possible booting a UEFI system. Also have no use for more partitions.

 

Windows 10 on a gpt disc does seem to make booting from another usb etc: a bit tiresome , holding down the shift key, whilst clicking restart, to restart to show the options. Otherwise clicking that f2/ f12 button so fast on startup can be a pain-I got on alright with it, but EasyBcd did help with naming the startup system, with dual, and triple boot

 

Thanks. I will have to consider this carefully since this computer is used for personal as well as work purposes. Work assignments are on separate internal hdd:s backed up externally).

Some further considerations (sorry for deviating into hardware territory).

All six Intel controlled sata ports on my motherboard are already in use. There are two Marvell 9128 controlled ports which I don't prefer to use, as well as two Gigabyte controlled ones. Two options:

1. Uninstalling everything from an existing second small (now in use for some program installs) ssd, replacing it with the new ssd. Clone, migrate.

2. Hooking up the new ssd to an existing external esata connector, cloning and replacing the old system ssd, connecting the new ssd to its sata port.

My understanding is that changing sata ports between disks won't mess things up?

How would I assign drive letter c: to the new disk, c: being already used by existing system drive? Booting up from new disk, going into Disk manager, reassigning drive letter? Could reassigning new system disk to c: be accomplished by software such as Minitool Partition Wizard?

 

Option 2 should do the job. When you remove the current drive and connect the new drive and reboot it should automatically be allocated C. Image the drive before upgrading it to 10.

 

Thank you.
There seems to be a lot of problems installing W10 on X58 motherboards. I don't think it will be worth risking after all.

 

You have nothing to lose providing you store a disk image first and know how to use it should you need to. I use Macrium Reflect and have never had a failed restore. Personally I would give it a go. Anyway, you wouldn't be installing, you would be upgrading.

 

I suppose you are right about that. I have never used a disk image to roll back a system to a previous state before. Where would this disk image be stored - could I store it on any given internal disk?
Yes. I'm thinking one potential upgrading vs clean install would be existing motherboard and other hardware drivers still being present.

 

You can store it on any disk other than the one being imaged, you just have to know where it is when you need it and for the disk to be connected. Whichever imaging software you choose the vital thing is to create and test the bootable CD/ISO that you have to use to boot the system and mount the image at restore time. Anyway, if you end up trying a clean install you will find Win 10 is A1 at finding the best drivers, it's hardly ever a problem.

 

I was just about to ask about that, thanks. I guess what i need to create is a "System repair disc".

 

System Repair can't do it. Each imaging prog has its own boot disk which contains the imaging software and which can create or restore an image.

 

...another consideration is space. Images are usually compressed, so a disk with say 50gb used will typically only need 25-30gb for the image file. No need to provide 500gb because you are imaging a 500gb drive. Most ppl just plug in a usb drive and store their images there.

 

Ah, ok! Meaning that also creating the image is done by booting from its disk? I guess maybe this applies also to my question post #5 regarding where to install software such as MiniTool Partition Wizard? It could else be installed on any other disk apart from old system disk I suppose. Maybe these two software being mentioned here basically have the same capabilities to image and clone. Paid version of MiniTool seemed rather comprehensive.

 

Imaging software is installed just like any other software, usually on the system disk, and that is normally from where you would run it to create a new image. However you can't restore from there for obvious reasons which is why you need a boot disk. You usually create the boot disk from the installed software. As regards Partition Wizard, while you can use it to store copies of your disks, it is not the recognised method. Imaging software is. Each has capabilities the other does not and both are essential tools imo.

 

OK, thanks. As for migrating using Partition Wizard my concern was running the software from the actual disk being migrated. My intention has been to migrate all of the installed programs on the system disk, not just the OS. Perhaps the content of the system disk is being untouched by this operation.
Disk space for system disk image should be plenty on several internal as well as external disks.