Clone NP8760 320gb HD to 128gb SSD drive?

I have a Crucial 128GB SSD on the way that I'd like to make my C drive on my Sager NP8760. I been reading a lot on the interwebz and finding some conflicting info. What has been coming up is that the free software like Clonezilla cannot clone the data from a larger drive to a smaller drive. Other forums had info on using Windows Disk Manager and Windows Imager to backup and restore a disk image.

So, for all you tech mavens out there, If you had a NP8760 with 2 x 320GB hardrives, (non RAID and both with less than 80 gig used) a 500GB USB Seagate FreeAgent drive with 160 GB free, a 128GB SSD, and a powered USB to SATA adapter cable, how would you go about cloning the current C drive to the SSD?

 

Which version of windows are you running? Each one has some form of backup and recovery but they vary greatly in method and features.

I've never heard of clonezlla but according to their site the limitation is not drive size, it's partition size. You can shrink your partition, if you are using windows 7, through disk management to below 128GB and then clone using clonezilla.

Please make sure to have a full backup of all your important data before you begin. Hate to look like him -> or him -> if something goes wrong.

 

Put the SSD in the USB enclosure and use Acronis True Image. Just download the trial version.

 

It's best to do a clean install on the SSD, since windows will set things up differently. And the drive will be properly aligned.

 

Actually, a clean install would be my preference too. Unfortunately, I do not have a windows disk. Sager says I got one with the machine but I'm pretty certain I did not. (I assumed the recovery disk was on a partition like my old Gateway) Sager wants $15 for the disk and $15 shipping. I'd like to figure out how to get windows on the SSD without breaking down and grudgingly give them the $30.

 

You have to be careful to maintain the sector alignment, google and read up on that issue. It makes a big difference in the speed of your drive if it's not aligned. (In a negative slow down impact)

Also you may need to resize your partition you want to clone to something smaller than the size of your new drive. I can't recommend any software at this point, I am not aware of any cloning software that is SSD aware to help make the process easier.

The easiest thing to do is just clean install.

 

I recommend a clean install, if you don't like it giving you headaches.

I had a Gateway M6816 laptop with 160GB 54k rpm and replaced it with a 160GB Intel G2 SSD. It just made my SSD sloppy.

 

DO you have a COA on your laptop? If so, simply download windows legally, and burn it to a DVD. Then use your product key to install ans activate it.

 

Thanks for this info. However, I'm not sure of the meaning of COA. I have a legal version of Win 7 Pro 64 that came on the machine.

What I would like to do is slowly recreate the hard drive on the SSD. However, I work every day on this machine and I cannot risk screwing up the HD and my programs.I will probably swapping drives till it is done.

Is this a workable plan? I want to load windows on the SSD using an iso built from the links you provided. Over a few days I'll load my AutoCAD and other software one at a time so I can test. However, I swap drives back and forth until it is done so I can keep working. Always putting the original drive back in the machine. (This laptop is my Bread and Butter I have to have it working.)When I'm sure that everything is running correctly on the SSD, I transfer the Win 7 registration to the new drive.

Suggestions?

 

COA stands for certficate of authenticity. It's the sticker with the Windows Key on it. Remember to download and install the drivers after installing windows.

It is a workable plan but wouldn't it be easier to move the data from the data 320GB drive to the O/S 320GB drive. Remove the data drive, install the SSD in that slot and setup a second installation of windows 7 there? That way you can boot into the SSD and set it up how you like. And as an added bonus you have access to all your files.

If you don't want to move the data out of the data drive, you can always plug that one using the SATA to USB adapter.

 

A COA (Certificate of Authenticity) is a sticker on the bottom of the laptop with your Windows product key; which is needed for activating the Windows installation.

Like the one below:


If you don't have one of those, I've heard there are programs that will show you your key.

Here's a guide for that:
How To Find the Windows 7 Product Key Code

 

Thanks, yes that sounds ok. More importantly, I have a USB enclosure for 3.5 drive that was afreebe from Newegg.

I guess I just wasn't sure. The last machine I built was a few years ago.
So I would just need to access the bios and tell it which drive to boot from? The real question now is, can I put windows on the SSD without Authenticating it right away? I know it will take me at least a week--or more, to set up AutoCAD, Sketchup, CorelDraw, not to mention Firefox and Thunderbird. I have lots of plugins for all this software that has to be reloaded one by one to sort out the kinks. Both AutoCAD and Sketuchup can be finicky depending on which nVidia driver is used.

It took me 3 weeks to switch from my Gateway to my Sager and I wasn't Swapping the OS.

Yes. I do have COA under the machine.

 

If you are able to set it up as a multiboot you will be given the option of which o/s to boot from. If you setup the SSD without the 320GB O/S drive in the machine, then you will have to pick which drive to boot from in the BIOS. Instead of doing it that way just try the instructions here
Install more than one operating system (multiboot)
Make sure to pick the SSD as the destination drive in step 6.
After installation Windows 7 will try to activate itself once you have internet connectivity. It should be fine though, since it is activating the same key on the same hardware and you are not running both copies at the same time. It should not effect the copy on your 320GB.

 

Thanks for this info. Expect the SSD on Friday. Will post how this all went when its done.

 

Got the SSD yesterday. Can I do the dualboot windows setup with the SSD in an enclosure? (I have one free from Newegg.) That way I don't have to take apart the machine until the drive is complete?

 

Hi Nicholas,

I don't recommend trying it. First off it's a hassle getting windows 7 installed to a USB hard drive. Let me know if you have found an easy solution for this. Secondly, The O/S may not "like" you moving that hard drive to a sata controller. Also, you will have to modify the bootloader after the switch. The startup repair utility might fix this for you, but worse case it can be done manually.
All this tosay, it is probably easier to just pop the drive into the SATA bay to begin with.

 

Ok, got the SSD installed. Still in the process of matching my applications to the current working drive.

Thanks again to all who responded, and especially NovaH. The links provided and information made the process go much easier.

 

Glad to help.