Imaging and restoring Windows 7 on an SSD?

What is the best software and/or process to image and restore a Windows 7 installation on an SSD? I hear it can be problematic, and with Microsoft reducing the number of available keys to technet subscribers I'd like to be able to restore an activated image of Windows 7 back on the same PC.

 

Windows Backup and Restore works great, I've used it many times.

 

Even for a fresh install? Restore back to a fresh machine off DVD? This would also mean you need Win 7 Pro or Ultimate correct since Windows Backup and Restore doesn't come with Home Premium?

 

I have backup and restore on my home pre. It is in the control panel.

 

Even for a fresh install, yes. You do your fresh install, get the drivers up and running and stuff, then make your backup system image to a 2ndary or external HDD. You'll no longer need to fresh install to start things over.

I have a system image for my Clean Install on my VAIO F as a backup. I also make regular system images of my current, evolving setup from which I restore when necessary.

 

I'll have to give it a shot. I also have Windows Home Server which should allow you to do a system restore from a fresh install, but haven't used it yet so not sure.

But do you use this with your SSD?

 

I did. It worked just fine.

 

I've always used a drive imaging tool. These days, I use Acronis True Image. You can download a 30-day trial off their website.

Your machine will see your SSD just like any other drive, so you don't need to do anything "special" to image to/from that drive.

 

I just want to ensure that drive alignment is maintained. That's my biggest issue. I have Acronis True Image 11 but it has some issues with recognizing drives in AHCI when it has to boot to a PE (DOS-like) environment.

 

Everything I've read so far points to alignment not being maintained by any cloning software.

I think the exception is when you're cloning to/from the exact same drive (with Acronis?).

Even then, I don't think cloning is worth the effort anymore: almost all programs will need to be 'activated' again anyways and the huge impact it will have on an SSD if drive alignment is not maintained is not worth risking (imo).

If you're constantly needing to 'restore' to a previous time point I suggest you need to be running a VM to do your 'testing' in.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "activated"? I load mainly freeware apps and utilities that were already activated before I did the image. I do plan on using the image on the same SSD. I never image to a new hard drive anyhow, typically use it as an opportunity for a fresh install.

Any testing I do is on another PC used mainly just for that.

My biggest beef I have is with the Microsoft TechNet where they dropped keys from 10 to 5 for Pro subscription, and 10 to 2 for Standard subscription. I had Pro previously and switched to standard because it saved me $100 and still gave you access to 10 keys for each product, just not enterprise or volume licensing which I really don't need anyhow. So now with the just recent change, I have only two keys to use that have been activated proabably 5-6 times each, and will have to pony up another $250 for another Pro subscription for 5 additional keys or $150 for another Standard for 2 additional keys once all keys reach 10 activations.