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1st cloning attempt-99% successful

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Tried my first attempt using Acronis clone feature to upgrade my Win 7 Pro 64bit system from a Hitachi Sata 2 750 GB drive to a Western Digital Sata 3 500 GB drive.

Cloning seemingly has gone flawlessly from within Windows 7 Acronis app/tools.

Now I don't remember how I setup the new drive partitions. I still have the original Hatachi drive in the box but it is not connected to a power cord. The new system booted relatively smoothly...only activity was at first boot Windows showed the installing new hardware (new Western Digital drive) icon...install successful...please restart.

Restarted and alls seems well...question is can I reconnect the power to the old "C" drive and restart ? At this point both drives are 'named' the same: "Win 7 Hitachi 750 Main Drive"...but they had the same name after the innitial clone also

Do I have to change the status/partition setup on the old C: drive prior to reconnecting it and starting the system and if so how ?

Or...will the system/bios automatically correct the start up to the new "C" drive and re-assign a drive letter to the old "C" drive ? New WD drive is now on Sata 1 MB connection

At this point I plan on reformating the old "C" drive and using it for Media Center storage.<\p>

Thanks...TRinAz

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Yes you can reconnect the power to the old drive. Just make sure that your BIOS sees the new drive as its boot drive. It should since you are already booting from it. Nothing needs to be done prior to reconnecting the old drive.

OK thanks...my concern was having 2 Windows 7 Pro 64bit "installations" in the same box ?

The bios has an option to set the boot drive...which was and is now Sata1...the new cloned drive.

No issues/problems having 2 Windows installation in the same box then ?

No. The old drive will look like another drive that you can format when ready.

Tim,
Having two identical drives is a timing issue.

When a duplicate disk is created via a restore or clone, it is important that Windows does not see the two at first boot up after the duplication. Only one disk should be attached so Windows does not have to choose which disk. The preferred connection is that the new target disk be on the same mb connectors, etc so as to help Windows to choose the correct boot disk. Even then, sometime, the user must go into the BIOS and choose the correct device--even when only one is attached.

Once Windows has booted into the new disk a few times, then when the old matching disk is attached, Windows will re-assign some settings and the disk will become just another disk. For some systems(not all) , it is possible to choose which disk to boot from and have two identical disk but this often involves hiding one disk from the other, etc and not really covered by this discussion.

If you want to keep your old disk as a boot disk, then don't attach it--simply store away.

If you want to format the disk and use for other purposes, then attach at some later time and then format when attached.