How do I transfer my operating system from a smaller to a large hard disk on the same laptop?
The laptop is a Toshiba Equium, with 2.87GB memory. The OS is Windows Vista Home Premium with Service pack 2.
The OS is installed on the C: drive, which is about 30GB in size. On the C:\ drive currently there is only 213 MB free.
The E:\ drive has 118 GB of which 110 is free.
In have the Vista installation key
The OS is installed on the C: drive, which is about 30GB in size. On the C:\ drive currently there is only 213 MB free.
The E:\ drive has 118 GB of which 110 is free.
In have the Vista installation key
You can clone in your existing hard drive to the new drive.
Free software to accomplish this is
cloning ATA/SATA/USB media with up to 600 MB/min
http://www.miray.de/products/sat.hdclone.html
Also there are some pro and cons of cloning rather than installing from scratch.
Here is a guide of moving OS from one drive to another
Free software to accomplish this is
cloning ATA/SATA/USB media with up to 600 MB/min
http://www.miray.de/products/sat.hdclone.html
Also there are some pro and cons of cloning rather than installing from scratch.
Here is a guide of moving OS from one drive to another
If you don't have an external to use, try resizing the partitions.
BootITNG/BM
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootit-bare-metal.htm
instructions
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/27070523/How-to-Re-Partition-a-Hard-Drive.html?anchorAnswerId=35878898#a35878898
Just download the demo; create a bootable CD with the included MakeDisk utility; boot to the CD; select CANCEL, then OK; then go to Partition Work.
Boot-It BM will even work with GPT disks ... its predecessor, Boot-It NG, would only work with MBR disks.
BootITNG/BM
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootit-bare-metal.htm
instructions
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/27070523/How-to-Re-Partition-a-Hard-Drive.html?anchorAnswerId=35878898#a35878898
Just download the demo; create a bootable CD with the included MakeDisk utility; boot to the CD; select CANCEL, then OK; then go to Partition Work.
Boot-It BM will even work with GPT disks ... its predecessor, Boot-It NG, would only work with MBR disks.
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I think Garrycase is correct. One disk, two partitions. I am attaching a screenshot of the management screen for verification.
With regard to making the boot disk mentioned by Garrycase and Coral47 above: I need a little help.
I downloaded the file and see in the file folder a file called makedisk. I tried running this file but a lot of options came up and I did not succeed. When I inserted it into the laptop (having changed the boot order to start with the CD/DVD option) nothing happened. I might need a little more help with this.
Screenshot.jpg
With regard to making the boot disk mentioned by Garrycase and Coral47 above: I need a little help.
I downloaded the file and see in the file folder a file called makedisk. I tried running this file but a lot of options came up and I did not succeed. When I inserted it into the laptop (having changed the boot order to start with the CD/DVD option) nothing happened. I might need a little more help with this.
Screenshot.jpg
SOLUTION
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Two thoughts ...
(1) r.e. Makedisk. You simply run Makedisk, and accept all of the default options. This should let you burn a CD that will be bootable.
To be precise, you click Next, Next, click on the "I accept the agreement button" and then Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, highlight your CD drive in the "Select Target" window and then click Finish.
Did you highlight your CD drive when you ran it??
That should easily let you do what I suggested earlier.
or
(2) As rindi noted, you could simply copy all of the data from E: to an external drive; then delete that partition; use Disk Management to Extend the C: drive as much as you want; then recreate the E: volume and copy the data back. The only potential glitch with this approach is if you have any system files that are located on E: -- or if, for example, you have your documents folder relocated there, then you'll have to redo those mappings after you recreate the partition. Also, if you chose this approach, first change the View options in Explorer so you can "see" all hidden and system folders so those will also be copied.
The safest approach in terms of retaining all current configuration options, etc. is to use Boot-It as I noted above. You ARE using a blank CD (NOT a DVD) when you try to create the disk -- right??
(1) r.e. Makedisk. You simply run Makedisk, and accept all of the default options. This should let you burn a CD that will be bootable.
To be precise, you click Next, Next, click on the "I accept the agreement button" and then Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, Next, highlight your CD drive in the "Select Target" window and then click Finish.
Did you highlight your CD drive when you ran it??
That should easily let you do what I suggested earlier.
or
(2) As rindi noted, you could simply copy all of the data from E: to an external drive; then delete that partition; use Disk Management to Extend the C: drive as much as you want; then recreate the E: volume and copy the data back. The only potential glitch with this approach is if you have any system files that are located on E: -- or if, for example, you have your documents folder relocated there, then you'll have to redo those mappings after you recreate the partition. Also, if you chose this approach, first change the View options in Explorer so you can "see" all hidden and system folders so those will also be copied.
The safest approach in terms of retaining all current configuration options, etc. is to use Boot-It as I noted above. You ARE using a blank CD (NOT a DVD) when you try to create the disk -- right??
>> ...accept all of the default options
Yeah, I just burned a new copy to refresh my memory, and used all the default options (except I changed to 800x600 - 256 rez).
And you DO have to pick the burner drive, or it makes an .ISO in what ever folder you are running Makedisk from.
>> ...using a blank CD (NOT a DVD)
Worked fine on a DVD disc for me, though a CD is more versatile.
Yeah, I just burned a new copy to refresh my memory, and used all the default options (except I changed to 800x600 - 256 rez).
And you DO have to pick the burner drive, or it makes an .ISO in what ever folder you are running Makedisk from.
>> ...using a blank CD (NOT a DVD)
Worked fine on a DVD disc for me, though a CD is more versatile.
Good to know it will burn/boot from a blank DVD as well -- I've simply never tried that :-)
It's just a huge waste of space. If I'm not mistaken bootit-bm still fits on a floppy!
ASKER
Have transferred all material from E to an external hard disk. However I notice that there are still nearly 8 GB registering as on the disk (even though I checked the 'show hidden files and folders box'). Yet when I open the volume it says it is 'empty'.
When I opened disk management the option to 'delete the partition' was blanked out - in shadow.
I notice, on the other hand, when I left-click My Computer that the Format option is available for this partition E ?
When I opened disk management the option to 'delete the partition' was blanked out - in shadow.
I notice, on the other hand, when I left-click My Computer that the Format option is available for this partition E ?
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ASKER
It worked. I was able to delete the partititon. Now there is plenty room for the OS and I can create a partition later if I want to.
Thanks so much for your expert help in this.
Will award points tomorrow
Thanks so much for your expert help in this.
Will award points tomorrow
Glad to hear you got it. : )
>> ...If I'm not mistaken bootit-bm still fits on a floppy!
yeah, but floppy drives are getting hard to find. ; )
>> ...If I'm not mistaken bootit-bm still fits on a floppy!
yeah, but floppy drives are getting hard to find. ; )
It is too risky to do migration this way as you will end up in a partition with error which leads to a non bootable OS.
The better method is do a backup of the OS C partition (including the MBR) and the data in E drive to an external USB storage device or network drive with any clone imaging software, such as Acronis True Image Home 2011.
Then, merge the two partitions into one using the partition software or use Acronis to merge and format the HDD and restore the C partition and the MBR into the new enlarged C drive.
Reference:
http://kb.acronis.com/content/2770
In short, do a backup of the OS image to an external storage if you want to play around with the partitions.
The better method is do a backup of the OS C partition (including the MBR) and the data in E drive to an external USB storage device or network drive with any clone imaging software, such as Acronis True Image Home 2011.
Then, merge the two partitions into one using the partition software or use Acronis to merge and format the HDD and restore the C partition and the MBR into the new enlarged C drive.
Reference:
http://kb.acronis.com/content/2770
In short, do a backup of the OS image to an external storage if you want to play around with the partitions.
ASKER
Before the last post arrived i followed the advice given by Garrycase, and it seems to have worked. So far no ill-effects. But I will reopen this if there are.
One thing, I deleted the larger partition (after saving material on it to external drive). I did not create a new partition. Effectively he OS is on an un- partitioned disk? Is this alright. Am not sure of the purpose of creating partitions? If I dont need to do it I wont.
I am sorry for not awarding points yet ... but will do
One thing, I deleted the larger partition (after saving material on it to external drive). I did not create a new partition. Effectively he OS is on an un- partitioned disk? Is this alright. Am not sure of the purpose of creating partitions? If I dont need to do it I wont.
I am sorry for not awarding points yet ... but will do
No, the OS is always on a partitioned disk, but you probably currently have only one such partition. Having more than one partition helps you separate your data from the OS. That helps making backups simpler, and it is also a tidier approach.
"... Effectively he OS is on an un- partitioned disk? Is this alright ..." ==> EVERY disk is partitioned. You may only have one partition (what you've done here) ... but it's still an entry in the partition table.
But the answer is Yes, it's fine to just have one partition.
But the answer is Yes, it's fine to just have one partition.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812226048
Then connect that to your laptop. Now boot it using the PartedMagic LiveCD and use CloneZilla which is included on that CD to clone your internal disk to the external one. When done replace the internal disk with the external one you just cloned to:
http://partedmagic.com