Replacing a hard drive
I want to replace a hard drive in my HP laptop computer with a larger drive. I used Acronis to backup the drive C on my current hard drive (although not drive D), and I routinely restore this backup whenever necessary. My question now is whether I can do the same thing with a larger drive that I install into the computer. Is there a need to first format such a new drive, or prepare any sort of sectors, or partition it, or do I just use Acronis in the usual way to just restore what I previously backed-up from the smaller hard drive that I want to replace. My operating system is Windows 7 that I upgraded long ago from Vista.
Thank you for this information. I found the following procedure for cloning a laptop hard disk in Grover's True Image Guides (i.e., item # 2931): http://kb.acronis.com/content/2931, but I have a question about it. If I use this procedure for cloning my approximately 135 GB drive onto a much larger drive (e.g., 500 GB, or 1 TB), will the remaining space of the larger drive be available for installing new programs and data? Or will the space of the larger drive only be partially useable; i.e., solely the portion of the larger drive that exactly matches the layout of the smaller drive that I am cloning?
I want to replace a hard drive in my HP laptop computer with a larger drive. I used Acronis to backup the drive C on my current hard drive (although not drive D), and I routinely restore this backup whenever necessary. My question now is whether I can do the same thing with a larger drive that I install into the computer. Is there a need to first format such a new drive, or prepare any sort of sectors, or partition it, or do I just use Acronis in the usual way to just restore what I previously backed-up from the smaller hard drive that I want to replace. My operating system is Windows 7 that I upgraded long ago from Vista.
Hi, Can I respectfully suggest a very easy way to do what you want, but firstly confirm GroverH has written many helpful tutorials, and whos knowledge on ATI is oustanding, and I make the following suggestions in a constructive manner.
1: do a full disc and partition backup
2: make a ATI boot disc
3: Fit you new hard drive:
4:Restore your image using boot disc, and reboot.
5:Your new hard drive will show the same capacity as your older smaller one
6: download and install "partition wizard" and extend the partition to use the full capacity of your new drive.
I mention Partition wizard because it is so easy, and you can add more partitions to your new drive if you wish, its up to you. Have done this many times and it works well. The advantage of doing it this way is you dont have to restore each partition separately as you would according to the before mentioned tutorial.
Cheers
Thank you very much for this information. I currently own an original Acronis True Image Home 2010 (Full Version) bootable CD that I purchased in a store. I've successfully used this CD several times to backup my entire hard drive, and to restore it when my computer failed to operate properly. So, with regard to the procedure that you recommend, should I use this Acronis CD for step 1 (i.e., to do a full disc and partition backup)? And, is this CD equivalent to the ATI disc that you suggest making in step 2? As for using "Partition Wizard", can it also be used multiple time in the future in order to "re-form" unused disc space into additional partitions (i.e., divide the hard drive into drives that are in addition to its C and D partitions/drives)? And, I would also like to know whether I can use the suggested procedure to set up a 1 TB - 1.5 TB hard drive, as readily as a 300 GB - 500 GB drive; i.e., is there a restriction to the size of hard drive that I purchase to replace my approximately 135 GB hard drive?
ATI 2010 is an old version, and im unsure if it would have all the updated drivers for your setup, but if you have used the boot cd to restore to this pc before all should be good to go?
It does not matter if you make the backup image with the installed version or the cd, but I would certainly not mix different versions to backup and restore. It doesnt matter if you do step 1 or 2 first.
I believe the disc made with the program, or the downloaded one should be the same, again assuming both installed and boot disc versions are the same. According to my account history version 7160 was the last and current update of 2010, suggest you install it and download the same version boot disc.
Partition wizard is free software that subject to mini tool policy may or may not remain free in the future. What could happen as with other freeware is that they may remove features of the free product and only include those features in the paid for product. They have already done that with recent versions having no support for dynamic discs, but if thats a dealbreaker older versions can be found on the net. There is also other free software that you can investigate, I only recommended PW because its so easy to use, and it wont allow you to do anything silly without warnings. Yes you can add as many partitions as windows and your hardware will allow. Download it, play with it, google reviews etc etc. You can use windows disc management to alter partitions but its a bit clumsy compared to PW.
Off topic but I had a dual boot linux/win8 pc that I wanted to revert back to win8. Partition wizard made it so easy, by recovering the MBR which linux had of course interfered with, and after a reboot PW the allowed me to delete the linux partition and extend the windows one to the full drive size. It all took about 5 minutes, and when you look at the convoluted rigmarole suggested on some of the linux/windows forums, it was childs play.
You can setup a 1-1.5 tb drive easily with the suggested method, and the size of your hard drive would be limited by the depth of your pocket (laptop 2.5 inch big drives aint cheap) and the limitations of your bios/windows, which unless your laptop is relatively new will be 2tb for a boot partition. Ill get flamed for that, you watch. it is possible to go beyond 2tb depending on your hardware/software setup?
Again, I do not denigrate GroverH and his great tutorials.
Cheers