Win 8.1 installation spread over 2 hard drives, want to combine on one drive

AntiqueScopes

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Aug 8, 2015
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I had an 80GB hard drive in my computer with Windows 10 preview on it. I added a 1TB hard drive and installed Windows 8.1. During the process, I told Windows setup to delete the volumes and partitions on all drives, as I planned on using the 80GB drive for something else. Then when Windows 8.1 installed, it made a 350MB partition (System reserved) on the 80GB and put the rest on the 1TB drive. I tried taking the 80GB out, but apparently the boot info is on it. Is it as simple as making a 350MB partition on the 1TB drive, then cloning the partition from the 80MB to the 1TB? I want to make an image backup on an external hard drive but I doubt it will work, as the info is spread across two drives.
 
Solution
The fact it would not restore the system image to a single 250 GB HDD could be for either or both reasons. In terms of size, good software might recognize that the contents of the 1 TB drive could fit on 250 GB; however, some imaging software does just that - it creates and wants to restore a complete image of the entire original drive. On the other hand, since there was no second drive to which the image of the 80 GB unit could be restored, the software would have been quite correct to realize that restoring only ONE of two HDD's would NOT restore the system and would not work.

If I understand correctly, you have a Win 10 Pro Install disk. Or, is it an UPGRADE disk that must be run from within a Windows 8.1 that is running? You see...

Paperdoc

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No, it's not done like that, but it is relatively simple. You have been snagged by a Windows safety feature. The idea is this: if at any time in future your Windows installed on the 1 TB unit can't boot because one or more system files is corrupted, automatically it will go to the backup copies on that System Reserved Partition on the 80 GB unit, copy over new good copies of the corrupted files, and complete the boot. Self-fixing! A good idea until you remove the second HDD, or want that space back. IF you want to keep this feature unchanged, leave it alone.

However, there is a simple way to change it so that the backups are on your 1 TB unit. This is a little less secure because the backups are not on an independent drive, but it works. To do this you need your Windows Install DVD. Follow this process.

Disconnect the 80 GB unit completely, but leave it mounted in your case. Put your Windows Install disk in the optical drive, make sure your machine will boot from that optical unit first, and boot up. Do NOT do a normal Install!! Look for a Repair Install. This will discover that the backup files are missing from the only hard drive in the system and place new copies of those files on that drive in a new Partition. When it's done, remove the Install disk and reboot. Your machine should boot smoothly from the 1 TB unit only.

Once that is working, shut down and re-connect your 80 GB drive. Boot up and go into Disk Management and get to the 80 GB drive. Delete all its Partitions, then Initialize that disk again to create a single Partition that is not bootable but takes up all available space. Back out of Disk Management and reboot to be sure. Now you should have all of the 80 GB drive available for data storage, and be able to boot from the 1 TB unit no matter whether the 80 GB unit is present or not.

 

AntiqueScopes

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Aug 8, 2015
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thanks for the response - but before I proceed, more questions. I made a system image, and it asked me if I wanted to back up both drives, so I said yes. Then I put a 250GB drive in, unhooked the 80GB and the 1TB drives, and it would not let me make the image on the 250GB. Is this because I only had one drive installed, or because the 250GB was not as large as the 1TB? I only have 170GB total on the 1TB. I have another (unhooked) external drive with all my data on it, but I don't know if I can activate Win 8.1 and Office 2013 again. I'm going to Win 10 anyhow, so would it be better to simply use my Win 10 Pro disk now and go ahead and upgrade? If so, can I just unhook the 80GB and boot to the Win 10 DVD? That would be easier, I think, if it will work.
 

Paperdoc

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Ambassador
The fact it would not restore the system image to a single 250 GB HDD could be for either or both reasons. In terms of size, good software might recognize that the contents of the 1 TB drive could fit on 250 GB; however, some imaging software does just that - it creates and wants to restore a complete image of the entire original drive. On the other hand, since there was no second drive to which the image of the 80 GB unit could be restored, the software would have been quite correct to realize that restoring only ONE of two HDD's would NOT restore the system and would not work.

If I understand correctly, you have a Win 10 Pro Install disk. Or, is it an UPGRADE disk that must be run from within a Windows 8.1 that is running? You see, the dilemma is that IF you must have Win 8.1 running, that means you MUST have both HDD's in place and the upgrade will preserve the current structure: the System Reserved Partition on the 80 GB unit will still be there and NECESSARY for your machine to operate. If that is your case, you would be better to do the change I suggested FIRST. That is, you disconnect the 80 GB unit and use the older Win 8.1 Install CD to place the required backups on the 1 TB unit. THEN you upgrade to Win 10 Pro. THEN you reconnect the 80 GB unit, wipe it clean and re-Initialize it.

On the other hand, if what you have is a Win 10 Pro Install disk intended for use with a new HDD, then yes, you can Install it to the 1 TB HDD. If you do that, do NOT connect the 80 GB unit until the Install is complete and working.

HOWEVER, it's not quite "simple". If you do a fresh Install of Win 10 Pro, it will know NOTHING about all your application software - for examples, MS Office, a browser, games, graphics software, Adobe Reader, utilities, etc. A new Install of Win 10 will have a set of Registry files with no information about those apps, and merely copying them from your backup on another drive will not get them working. The all will have to be re-Installed under Win 10 so that they can place the proper info in the new Win 10 Pro Registry. This is one major reason why an upgrade that preserves all your old apps and their Registry entries is much easier than a fresh Install.

So, if your Win 10 Pro disk allows you to UPGRADE, and not just to do a fresh Install, I'd suggest that is easier. As I said, BEFORE you do that I suggest you fix the original issue of having to keep the 80 GB unit installed with its backup files. If you then upgrade with the 80 GB unit still disconnected, the resulting Win 10 will be able to boot properly from only the 1 TB unit, whether or not the 80 GB unit is connected.
 
Solution

AntiqueScopes

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Aug 8, 2015
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I waited a couple days and my latest response did not show up, so here goes again. I tried making an image several times, and it did not work. I finally went ahead as you suggested and used the 8.1 install disk. It did not work. I tried it again, it still did not work. I tried it a third time, and it worked. I then formatted the 80GB, but the main reason I wanted to get it out of the new system was that it is several years old and I did not want to take a chance. I rebooted a few times to be sure everything was OK, then I tried to make an image again. After 30 hours it gave me an error. 3 more times I tried, same thing. I tried a different external hard drive, still no luck. One last time, and after 36 hours it said it was successful, so I also made a system repair disk. It has been an ordeal, but now everything works like it should. Hopefully someone else can learn something from this - even if it is only patience.
Thanks again for your response.