ScottALot
Active Member
Issue: I would like to move my Windows 7 OS from my 500GB hard drive to my new 60GB SSD.
Disclaimer: I know many people have put up guides and such, like the sticky that is in this section. However, these are all centered around a clean install of Windows (which sounds like a time-consuming idea, and wouldn't you have to buy a new copy of Windows?); I just want to drag-and-drop/copy-paste the OS in a sense.
*Disclaimer*: I DO NOT WANT TO TRANSFER ALL OF MY DATA TO MY SSD. I have Googled for a couple hours now, and every thread question seems to go like this:
A: Hi, I want to move my OS to my SSD!
B: OK, download Acronis True Image and transfer all of your HD contents to your SSD.
A: No, [didn't you read my issue?] I want to move my OS to my SSD. If I wanted to transfer all of my HD to my SSD, I would have 1) Gotten a huge ol' SSD 2) Stated so in my OP, and 3) Have done it already because that's easy and you're just trying to find a work-around for this issue.
B: Oh. *gives up*
C: How about you do a clean install of Windows?
A: That sounds like an okay idea. I have some questions, though. 1) Would I have to buy a new copy of Windows? 2) Would my files on the other drive be accessible if I have two copies of Windows? 3) Are you sure there isn't an easier way?
C: *never heard from again*
So... I have 2 500GB hard drives, a 1TB hard drive, and a new 60GB SSD. The 1TB hard drive has a copy of Windows 7 that is registered to an AMD build I did a while ago. I have heard that if you swap motherboards, that Windows copy is useless, so I've just used it for random storage. That drive has 798GB free, so I haven't used much of it. One of the 500GB hard drives has a copy of Windows 7 on it that is registered to the current PC, so this is my boot drive. It has 98.8GB of space on it, so it's nearing full. The other 500GB hard drive is completely blank, but formatted so it can be seen in Windows. The 60GB SSD is completely blank as well, but is formatted.
What I want to do is as follows:
SSD: OS Boot Drive (for now... I'll add more to it later, like commonly-used programs)
500GBx2: RAID 0 of main storage
1TB: Backup of the RAID
Setting the RAID up seems somewhat easy, but I haven't been able to find many tutorials for systems already in use; the ones I find are for newly-built rigs. I could transfer all of the data from the 500GB drive [in use] to the 1TB and then [somehow] stripe it to each 500GB drive. I have downloaded Acronis True Image, but using it in that fashion is a little fuzzy to me.
The OS transfer seems to be the more controversial [if that's the right word] part of the issue. I have nothing to go off of in that respect, but it doesn't seem like it should be as much of a problem as people are making it.
Sorry for making that so lengthy, but I want ALL the information there.
http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll18/scottycatman/?action=view¤t=2011-12-31143738.jpg
http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll18/scottycatman/?action=view¤t=2011-12-31143708.jpg
http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll18/scottycatman/?action=view¤t=2011-12-31143720.jpg
Disclaimer: I know many people have put up guides and such, like the sticky that is in this section. However, these are all centered around a clean install of Windows (which sounds like a time-consuming idea, and wouldn't you have to buy a new copy of Windows?); I just want to drag-and-drop/copy-paste the OS in a sense.
*Disclaimer*: I DO NOT WANT TO TRANSFER ALL OF MY DATA TO MY SSD. I have Googled for a couple hours now, and every thread question seems to go like this:
A: Hi, I want to move my OS to my SSD!
B: OK, download Acronis True Image and transfer all of your HD contents to your SSD.
A: No, [didn't you read my issue?] I want to move my OS to my SSD. If I wanted to transfer all of my HD to my SSD, I would have 1) Gotten a huge ol' SSD 2) Stated so in my OP, and 3) Have done it already because that's easy and you're just trying to find a work-around for this issue.
B: Oh. *gives up*
C: How about you do a clean install of Windows?
A: That sounds like an okay idea. I have some questions, though. 1) Would I have to buy a new copy of Windows? 2) Would my files on the other drive be accessible if I have two copies of Windows? 3) Are you sure there isn't an easier way?
C: *never heard from again*
So... I have 2 500GB hard drives, a 1TB hard drive, and a new 60GB SSD. The 1TB hard drive has a copy of Windows 7 that is registered to an AMD build I did a while ago. I have heard that if you swap motherboards, that Windows copy is useless, so I've just used it for random storage. That drive has 798GB free, so I haven't used much of it. One of the 500GB hard drives has a copy of Windows 7 on it that is registered to the current PC, so this is my boot drive. It has 98.8GB of space on it, so it's nearing full. The other 500GB hard drive is completely blank, but formatted so it can be seen in Windows. The 60GB SSD is completely blank as well, but is formatted.
What I want to do is as follows:
SSD: OS Boot Drive (for now... I'll add more to it later, like commonly-used programs)
500GBx2: RAID 0 of main storage
1TB: Backup of the RAID
Setting the RAID up seems somewhat easy, but I haven't been able to find many tutorials for systems already in use; the ones I find are for newly-built rigs. I could transfer all of the data from the 500GB drive [in use] to the 1TB and then [somehow] stripe it to each 500GB drive. I have downloaded Acronis True Image, but using it in that fashion is a little fuzzy to me.
The OS transfer seems to be the more controversial [if that's the right word] part of the issue. I have nothing to go off of in that respect, but it doesn't seem like it should be as much of a problem as people are making it.
Sorry for making that so lengthy, but I want ALL the information there.
http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll18/scottycatman/?action=view¤t=2011-12-31143738.jpg
http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll18/scottycatman/?action=view¤t=2011-12-31143708.jpg
http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll18/scottycatman/?action=view¤t=2011-12-31143720.jpg
