URGENT: New Intel SSD - how to clone/restore/migrate using ATH 2011?
I just connected my brand new 1st Intel SSD 320 series 120GB. I now need to copy/move my system from a partition on my old SATA HDD to the new SSD. I have a backup created on another disk, or can just clone it.
My concerns are:
1. Will there be any problems with alignment after moving my OS (Win7 x64 SP1) to the SSD? Any performance issues whatsoever that would make it a better idea to just reinstall the whole OS from scratch?
2. I wanted to use Intel migration tool (also Acronis AFAIK) but it won't let me install because I allready own ATH 2011. Is using ATH 2011 a better idea? Or should I temporarily uninstall it and use intel migration tool?
3. Will my system stay on C: after restore/clone? Do I need to do anything to make sure of this? This is essential for me.
4. What is the best way of doing this? Restore, clone disk, or go to acronis boot (F11) and do it all from there? BTW I tried using clone disk from windows, but acronis won't let me choose a partition to clone, only the whole HDD, and when I get to destination drive it won't let me use my SSD. How do I work around this?
5. Do I resore system reserved and MBR aswell? Or do I only select the partition?
Thanks in advance.
I would just add to the top of the list to create a backup of the drive before removing the unwanted items to regain space. This way you can revert to your current setup if something goes wrong or there are delays in making the switch. If space for the backups is limited, you could then create an Incremental after removing/uninstalling unwanted items instead of another Full.
Thank you so much for the replies, guys. I really can't wait to get this SSD working :)
I may have been unclear in my 1st post, but I've got a brand new empty SSD connected. And a 320GB HDD with 2 partitions: 1st is system with 50GB used (75GB partition). The other partition is just data. So I need to restore/migrate JUST the system (c) partition to the SSD. Nothing more, nothing less. And boot from it ofc making sure the SSD is now maked as (C) drive. Clone tool won't allow this AFAIK. Tried it. Intel migration tool is just a clone tool also. So same problem. They only copy whole disk to whole disk. I need 1 system partition to new disk. Only way I found so far is to do a backup restore (I keep my system (C) drive backup-ed once/week, so I'd restore that).
Just unsure what to choose as there is the drive, system reserved space and MBR. Which of these do I restore?
Thanks
You are right, you don't need to restore the other data partition.
Follow the steps in the post above: you need to restore the system reserved partition with the 1MB space before as described above. Then restore the C:\system partitiion, then the MBR+Track0
Let us know if any of the steps in post #2 are not clear to you.
The best is that you look for the newest firmware for the SSD. Then intall the system new to the SSD, some parameters will be set from Windows 7 side.
Hi All
Not sure if I'm in the right place but here goes.
I'm about to transfer all from intel80gig ssd to another ssd 120gig .need help
The post below is the closest I found to what I need to do,but I'm not sure how to
do this" after the last partition, restore the MBR+track0 and the disk signature."
Could you explain that please?
I'm using Acronis True Image WD Edition.
I have to keep my C drive as a Cdrive after the transfer as well.
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Here is the best way:
- uninstall any program you don't want on the SSD (eg: games, ). You can leave content and move it later out of the SSD.
- using your current disk, print a screen shot of the disk management console for future reference,
- create an all-partition disk and partition backup to a USB disk (no need to use the sector by sector setting). Validate that backup.
- put your SSD at the same spot at your current disk. Remove your current disk from the computer for the time being.
- boot your computer on the Acronis recovery CD,
- restore each partition at a time. This will allow to control resizing and offset to align the disk
- leave a 1MB space before the first partition (maybe system reserved?)
- mark the correct partition active
- leave the drive letter change option alone
- do not resize any partition except the C:\system partition or any partion you created and want on the SSD
- no need to reboot inbetween partition restores
- after the last partition, restore the MBR+track0 and the disk signature
That's it. Reboot on your new SSD. Then, if you want to use your old disk, put it back in the computer, reboot. Delete whatever you want, etc.
You have some tweaks to optimize your SSD:
- disable automatic defragmentation of that disk,
- disable superfetch service, leave prefetch
- leave the page file on the SSD
but I'm not sure how to
do this" after the last partition, restore the MBR+track0 and the disk signature."Could you explain that please?
The recovery would be done when booted from the TI Bootable Medial Recovery CD.
On the screen where you choose which partitions are to be restored, one of listings will be the Track0/MBR. Check this item with nothing else checked..
On the next screen where you choose the target disk to receive the restore, on the normal 2011, down in the lower left corner of that screen, there is an option to be checked which reads "Recover disk signature". Checkmark this option plus select the proper target disk receiving the restore.
Upon checking the proceed option, you will be restoring both the MBR/track0 plus the disk signature.
Your instructions you listed above are from PAT L and he will probably respond. If you follow the instructions, you should be successful.
Thank you very much for the info.
Ok, what about starting with two drives in RAID 0? Any changes to directions or recommendations? Thanks.
The only difference would be if the computer uses different drivers for RAID and AHCI. In that case, you would most likely need to install/inject the AHCI driver before booting the SSD (for example, using the UR feature of the Plus Pack).
Personally, I would just try it first and see if it works. You can always do it again.
I am running Windows 7 64-bit and I need to clone my current drive C, which is an SSD, to an identical SSD in preparation to swap the drives as part of an RMA. In the end I want the new disk to be identical to the one in the system today. Is there a more straightforward process to do that than the one listed above?
Thanks in advance.
Bob,
While cloning is an option, the safer choice is to do a backup of everything and then restore everything as shown by these links.
Do the procedure when booted from the TI bootable media recovery CD.
When restoring and when you get to the screen where you choose the target disk, be sure and also checkmark the "Recove Disk Signature" option.
http://forum.acronis.com/sites/default/files/forum/2009/12/7027/Disk-op…
http://forum.acronis.com/sites/default/files/forum/2009/12/7027/disk-op…
Thanks Grover. I have a couple of questions:
- Why is a restore safer than a clone?
- You say to restore everything and I assume you just mean everything on the physical disk I'm replacing and not the other disks that I'm not planning any action against. Correct?
Thanks again.
Yes, when doing the backup, if you click on the disk option, the entire contents of the disk will be included. Likewise, when doing the restore, if you checkmark the disk option, the entire contents of the backup will be applied to the new disk. Be sure and include the "Recover Disk Signature".
Read the tan colored link in my signature below. Not only is there a hardware risk but a risk of a user mistake--especially when both disks are the same or similar. To easy to confuse which is which. There have been instances reported on the forum about the new disk being cloned ovetop the old disk and of course, the original data is lost.
By doing a disk restore of a disk backup, the same starting offset will be applied to the new disk as was on the old SSD.
Remove the old SSD and put in an enclosure or docking station.
Install the new blank SSD to replace the old SSD.
Restore the backup from the storage disk to the new SSD.
Shutdown and disconnect the backup disk. You do not want Windows to see two identical disks and become confused about drive letters.
Reboot with only the new SSD attached.
After you boot with the new SSD, you can later attach the old SSD if you want to wipe the your data before returning.
Got it. Thanks Grover.
Not only is there a hardware risk but a risk of a user mistake--especially when both disks are the same or similar. To easy to confuse which is which. There have been instances reported on the forum about the new disk being cloned ovetop the old disk and of course, the original data is lost.
The same risks generally apply to backing up and restoring too. True Image and Disk Director show the drive layouts when you select source and target. Someone who can't tell the difference between a drive with partitions and a blank drive is probably going to botch things somewhere else anyway.
By the way, I recently and successfully moved an existing Windows 7 partition to a new SSD using Disk Director. I just copied the partition, assigned C:, hid the old partition, and that was it. You don't need to remove the backup drive either as long as you can keep the drives straight. Just hide the backup partitions. I know Disk Director can do that, not sure about True Image. Windows won't get "confused" by duplicate partitions; only some people will.
My best advice is not to listen to misinformed people who insist that you should reinstall Windows when upgrading drives or any other hardware -- completely unnecessary and a waste of time.
The only difference would be if the computer uses different drivers for RAID and AHCI. In that case, you would most likely need to install/inject the AHCI driver before booting the SSD (for example, using the UR feature of the Plus Pack).
Personally, I would just try it first and see if it works. You can always do it again.
Followed the directions above but didn’t make the full boot into windows. Blue screen appeared for a second just after the colored balls of light did their little swirl in the middle of the screen, then back to reboot. On reboot repair options were listed. I choose the 64 option and put in my windows 7 recovery disk that came with the computer.
The repair ended with the message:
Windows cannot repair this computer automatically.
Startup Repair cannot repair this computer automatically. Sending more information can help Microsoft create a solution.
On reboot this message came up:
Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem repair.
Status: 0xc0000225
The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible.
Original configuration: Sager 8760 laptop, two 500GB drives in RAID 0, NVIDIA graphics card. Windows C: Games F: Data M: and small system partition. About a year ago user files Desktop, My Documents, … were moved from C: to F: using the move option in the properties box for each file that was moved.
Before installing the Intel series 320 120GB SSD, Bios was switched to AHCI and HDDs were removed. SSD was installed in the primary site.
Other info: After the above, I used the Windows 7 disk that came with the computer to delete the C: partition on the SSD and let the Windows install create a new C: partition and it also installed a 100MB system partition without me asking.
The installation booted just fine but without my files and settings. I used Acronis True Image 2010 to restore C: tried boot, restored system partition, tried boot, restored boot sector and signature, tried boot. Still the same result as my first attempt above with restoring the partitions to the SSD.
Any ideas?
You don't need to prepare the SSD at all.
If you tried with Universal Restore and it didn't work, here is what I would do, assuming you have only one OS and it is Win7 or Vista:
- boot on the recovery CD, choose add disk, choose the SSD, confirm it will erase everything, this will blank out your SSD.
- restore your backup on the SSD. Do the restore partition by partition so that you can make sure you have a 1MB space before your first partition.
- boot on the Win7 DVD, reinstall Win7. This will keep your settings, programs and content if your previous OS was Win7 (reinstallation) or Vista (upgrade). The reinstall is pretty quick, but you will have to download the updates again.
When trying to leave the 1MB free space before the first partition, seems to only allow 0, or 7.813 or 15,66....... Will 7.813MB free space be ok?
No, it has to be 1MB exactly or a multiple of it. If you cannot (not the case with 2011), then create the partition(s) you want to restore manually with DISKPART:
- boot on the Windows installation DVD, choose install, repair, command prompt
- DISKPART
- LIST DISK
- SELECT DISK X (where X is the number for your SSD- you could leave only one disk in the computer to avoid any error)
- CLEAN
- CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY OFFSET=1024 [SIZE= Y in MB]
- LIST PARTITION
- SELECT PARTITION Z (where Z is the partition to which you will restore)
- ASSIGN LETTER = C (for example this is for the C:\System partition- do not assign any letter to any hidden partition you have to restore)
- EXIT
No, it has to be 1MB exactly or a multiple of it. If you cannot (not the case with 2011), then create the partition(s) you want to restore manually with DISKPART:
- boot on the Windows installation DVD, choose install, repair, command prompt
- DISKPART
- LIST DISK
- SELECT DISK X (where X is the number for your SSD- you could leave only one disk in the computer to avoid any error)
- CLEAN
- CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY OFFSET=1024 [SIZE= Y in MB]
- LIST PARTITION
- SELECT PARTITION Z (where Z is the partition to which you will restore)
- ASSIGN LETTER = C (for example this is for the C:\System partition- do not assign any letter to any hidden partition you have to restore)
- EXIT
The procedure worked well and was able to restore with leading 1MB free. Thanks.
Still hanging up. Might be that my mirror backup contains a split installation of windows 7 with main installation on C: and some critical files moved to F. I think F: may be reserved for the CD drive in the current configuration. When acronis 2010 restores the F partition it shows F>G.
If this may be the problem, how can I get the CD drive on another drive letter and put F: back where it is expected?
Moving the files back from F: to C: on my original installation will not be easy at this time as the installation was on RAID 0 and I have removed the dirves and copied other files to them.
When you use the CD, the drive letters are not the same as in windows. Don't worry about it. Just make sure you restore the right partition onto the right partition by looking at the partition labels, sizes, etc.
Don't forget to restore the partition that was active as the active partition.
Thanks, was not expecting a response this weekend. My mirror install works to HDD non-RAID disk when AHCI is switched back to RAID in bios. Would SSD not run porperly as non-RAID disk when RAID is turned on in the bios? See prepared remarks below:
The latest update. Not that any one wants to know but maybe will help someone figure out what is happening with this system.
No one to talk to this weekend so thought I would try putting my old 500GB drives back in (I had tried to restore the desired config to HDD for the SSD set up that I wanted hoping to transfer it to the SSD later, could never get the drive to boot, had the same error the SSD was giving).
Put the old drives back in and changed the bios back to RAID form AHCI. My old system came back up just like that. Message said must restart to save these changes (not sure what changes). Choose restart later and explored the system. Intel Storage Manager said that the two old drives that had been in RAID 0 were now non-RAID drives on the system.
So how can I save a mirror that will boot up in AHCI on the SSD? I have a USB/eSATA portable storage container the SSD fits in, have been able to save files to the SSD with eSATA or USB hook ups. Can I use Intel migration software to migrate to SSD through eSATA or USB hook ups?
If you controller accepts a RAID for a single disk, you are perfectly fine running your SSD in RAID although it is not alone. Restoring a RAID image to a non-RAID image doesn't work easily because the drivers don't match.
You could try to restore your RAID image to your SSD in AHCI and reinstall Win7. This is a pretty quick process and might just solve your issue.
Or you leave the SSD in AHCI.
Once the SSD is restore, don't forget to optimize windows for the SSD.
If you controller accepts a RAID for a single disk, you are perfectly fine running your SSD in RAID although it is not alone. Restoring a RAID image to a non-RAID image doesn't work easily because the drivers don't match.
You could try to restore your RAID image to your SSD in AHCI and reinstall Win7. This is a pretty quick process and might just solve your issue.
Or you leave the SSD in RAID.
Once the SSD is restored, don't forget to optimize windows for the SSD.
My controler does support nonRAID disk along with disk in RAID array. Tried to reinstall windows 7 over RAID immage in AHCI but my disk seemed to only allow fresh install or install with windows.old file but no curent settings. May only have upgrade copy and not full copy of windows 7 disk.
Thikn I wil go with SSD installed under RAID controler as nonRaid disk if there is no down side to performance and life of disk. I will do all the windows 7 checks for TRIM and no defrag..... Thanks again.