Clone Win 7 to SSD

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Forceman

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I'm getting an SSD and am interested in cloning my current install to the SSD instead of re-installing. I know this has been asked before and the answer is always "Do a fresh install" - but does anyone know if, when cloning an image from a normal drive to an SSD, Win 7 will correctly set all the SSD related settings? I realize a fresh install is best, and I will probably do that, but I'm curious how Win 7 actually handles the "clone to SSD" situation. Anyone done it?
 
I've done it. If you look at the OCZ forum there's threads on what needs to be done after you clone you OS. Make sure you set the partition alignment before cloning. The other tweaks after the fact are pretty straightforward.

Just as a side note: if you don't have an OCZ drive don't bother asking questions (or say that you have one) since they won't really help..
 
Danny Bui said:
It has been done and unfortunately Windows 7 does not correctly set all SSD settings after a clone:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1534491

So with a SSD, do a fresh install.
Click to expand...

I remember reading that thead - must have stopped before they got to the cloning part.

I was afraid the Windows wouldn't set all the proper switches and such for SSD use if you didn't initially install to the SSD - so it looks like another fresh install. God I hate re-installing all the little apps that you take for granted after a while.
 
You might beable to sysprep your install and copy the contents of the hdd to the ssd before you reboot into setup. Though i dont know if when creating partition on an ssd it does it differently or not so that may or may not work.
 
Never used sysprep before - does anyone know if it is possible to run a sysprep and then still use the computer? So run the sysprep and then backup or image the drive before you reboot or shutdown?

Anyone have a link to a good sysprep guide? I'm going to try syspreping the drive, then cloning to the SSD then install the SSD and boot up and see what happens. Anyone know how easy that would be to do? I don't want to make an image to deploy or anything, I don't think, just reset the drive for an initial startup.
 
For what it is worth, I shrank the partition on my old drive to smaller than the SSD size, then used Win 7 Backup to create an image, then used the Win 7 Recovery Disk to put the image on the SSD. Seemed to work fine - alignment is good, speeds are good, and it appears that everything is set the way it is supposed to be (defrag is turned off, etc). So far so good.
 
I know bumping old threads is frowned upon just wanted to add I used a trial version of Acronis 2011 and I copied my Win7 install to a vertex2 without issue.

1) In Windows, before clone, hooked up SSD, quick formatted, default allocation size, made an active partition
2) used true image to back up my win7 boot partition to another drive
3) restored backup to the SSD, using default true image settings
4) double checked the alignment and it was good
5) booted off the SSD, used windows CD/repair to add an MBR, and viola, done.

Whole process took less than an hour.
Fresh install? Maybe safer, but not [H]ard. :)
 
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