Installed new HDD. Need to clone old HDD to it.
- Thread starter Saziel
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- Mar 16, 2013
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There is a lot to take into consideration before considering cloning vs a clean install.
How large is the SSD?
How large is the HDD, and how much space does the data take up?
What, specifically, are you looking to 'clone? Everything? Some of it? Just the OS?
I always recommend a clean install over cloning. Guaranteed to work.
thesuperguy
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- Apr 19, 2013
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I've considered purchasing an SSD as well but the debacle of moving the OS to it has always kept me from buying. The problem with a clean install is that if you had an OEM license, you won't exactly have a way to reinstall I would assume, and this is most likely why the OP needs to clone.
- Mar 16, 2013
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Is this Windows 7? If so, you can download the official Windows 7 ISO here:
http://www.w7forums.com/threads/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-image-downloads.12325/
Burn to a DVD, install, and activate with your current, valid key.
With Win7, OEM considerations only come into play if you are changing the motherboard. And that would be clean install or cloning.
thesuperguy
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I'm on Windows 8, and I'm cloning because my old drive is failing (although it still works mostly normally, so I'm doing this now rather than later) and my Windows 8 is an OEM version. I'd rather clone because I don't want to wait until my drive dies and I have to buy a completely new OS.
Old drive is 1tb, new drive is 1tb. Only used up about 170gb on my old/current one.
Old drive is 1tb, new drive is 1tb. Only used up about 170gb on my old/current one.
- Mar 16, 2013
- 171,476
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1. Windows 8 OEM is fully transferable between drives, motherboards, or even the whole PC.
2. You can create a Win8 install disk via this method: http://lifehacker.com/how-to-create-a-windows-8-installation-dvd-or-usb-drive-505769939
But for cloning? CloneZilla, DriveImageXML, Acronis True Image all would work.
By now you may have solved your problem. However, for others interested in this type of situation, let me point out an easy path.
Several manufacturers of HDD's make available on their websites for FREE download a cloning utility. They do this as a sales incentive to make it easy to migrate from your old HDD to a new one made by them. So they often have one restriction: they don't care whose old HDD you are abandoning, but they will only make the clone copy TO a drive they made. So, for example, if you buy an HDD from WD, get their Acronis True Imaging WD Edition software. Install it on your existing (old) HDD, then run it to make the clone to your new one. IF you buy a Seagate HDD, download from their website the package Disk Wizard. Other makers often have similar free utilities for you.
Both the ones I mentioned above appear to be customized versions of Acronis True image, a very good package that does a LOT of things beyond cloning. So make sure you get and READ the instruction manual file!
One note of caution for you. In my experience, these tools often prepare to do the cloning operation with a set of default configuration settings, and ask you to approve before they proceed. Now, the first step in the process is to Create on the new (Destination) HDD a Partition, and then to Format that, so the HDD is ready to receive all the data. The default often is to make that new Partition the SAME SIZE as the Partition on the old (Source) unit. Most often (although maybe not for OP's case above) the new HDD is LARGER than the old one, and the user wants ALL of that space in ONE "drive" on the new unit, whereas that default setting will not do that. So you need NOT to automatically approve the default proposal. Instead you need to use the menu system to change the settings to make the new Partition the size you want. Other settings often are correct. This is one place where reading the manual helps to understand how to use the menus for this change.
Several manufacturers of HDD's make available on their websites for FREE download a cloning utility. They do this as a sales incentive to make it easy to migrate from your old HDD to a new one made by them. So they often have one restriction: they don't care whose old HDD you are abandoning, but they will only make the clone copy TO a drive they made. So, for example, if you buy an HDD from WD, get their Acronis True Imaging WD Edition software. Install it on your existing (old) HDD, then run it to make the clone to your new one. IF you buy a Seagate HDD, download from their website the package Disk Wizard. Other makers often have similar free utilities for you.
Both the ones I mentioned above appear to be customized versions of Acronis True image, a very good package that does a LOT of things beyond cloning. So make sure you get and READ the instruction manual file!
One note of caution for you. In my experience, these tools often prepare to do the cloning operation with a set of default configuration settings, and ask you to approve before they proceed. Now, the first step in the process is to Create on the new (Destination) HDD a Partition, and then to Format that, so the HDD is ready to receive all the data. The default often is to make that new Partition the SAME SIZE as the Partition on the old (Source) unit. Most often (although maybe not for OP's case above) the new HDD is LARGER than the old one, and the user wants ALL of that space in ONE "drive" on the new unit, whereas that default setting will not do that. So you need NOT to automatically approve the default proposal. Instead you need to use the menu system to change the settings to make the new Partition the size you want. Other settings often are correct. This is one place where reading the manual helps to understand how to use the menus for this change.
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