Image for Windows/DOS - Transfer to SSD

I just purchased a new Crucial 128 GB M4 SSD and would like to transfer my Windows XP Pro 32 bit System Partition to the new SSD using Image for Windows/Image for DOS. For simplicity, I would like to keep the Partition size the same (~70 GB) and later make an extended Partition with the remaining disk space.

Do these steps sound OK? Comments?

1. Make a new Image for DOS CD with the Global Align 2kib Option enabled.
2. Make an Image of my existing hard drive's Windows XP Pro 32 bit System Partition using the "Default" Image for Windows Settings.
3. Install the New SSD on SATA0.
4. Boot the Image for DOS CD.
5. Select "set active" and "restore first track" or "install standard mbr code" and "aligned restore". Do a normal restore, not automatic restore.

Thanks in Advance.

 

TheKid7,

You don't need a new IFD CD. Use your old one.
When you install the SSD, remove the WinXP HD from your computer. Leave the SSD as unallocated space. No partitions.

In IFD use the F6 Geometry option to select the following four..
Validate MBR Geometry
Use 2048 Sector Alignment
Align MBR Ending HS
Align MBR Ending HS when Truncated

In Options select...
Set Active
Restore First Track (Auto sectors)

That's it. Easy. The WinXP partition on the SSD will be the same size as the original.

 

Thanks.

I was looking through the IFD manual (edit: IFW manual). On Page 47 (IFW manual), It appears that I would need to enable "Use MBR Geometry" in order to enable "Validate MBR Geometry". Do I need to enable "Use MBR Geometry"?

 

Interesting as that info is on page 52 in my manual. I was using the non GUI IFD version and the choices appear slightly different from the GUI version. For the GUI version you would remove the tick for Align on End and tick
Use 2048 Sector Alignment
Align MBR Ending HS
Align MBR Ending HS when Truncated

Validate MBR Geometry is greyed out. See below.

If you make a custom CD with the Align Partitions at 2KiB choice, the ticks are as I described initially. So to do it manually (without having selected Align Partitions at 2KiB) with the GUI CD you have to select both Use MBR Geometry and Validate MBR geometry and then deselect Use MBR Geometry.

 

I have done it without do anything. Just automatic or regular restore. The SSD should be bigger in size than the Disk/Partition on which the image was taken.

If the Disk/Partition is bigger than SSD, reduce the partition lower in size than SSD and re-image.

Best regards,

KOR!

P.S. Have done 3 SSDs. To IFW an SSD is an ordinary HD, no difference.

 

KOR,

Which OS were you using?

 

So the Geometry Setting should be like the following before I click on OK and continue(?):

Geometry Settings (Press F6 to get this menu.):

Use MBR Geometry - NOT "Ticked"
Validate MBR Geometry - "Ticked" and "Greyed Out"
Use Original Geometry - NOT "Ticked"

Align on End - NOT "Ticked"
Align End by Resizing - NOT "Ticked"

Use 2048 Sector Alignment - "Ticked"
Align MBR Ending HS - "Ticked"
Align MBR Ending HS when Truncated - "Ticked"

Use Global Settings - NOT "Ticked"
Save - "Ticked"

In Options Select:

Set Active
Restore First Track (Auto sectors)

 

Correct.

Even if you make a mistake you can correct the alignment with BIBM. But you won't make a mistake.

 

Thank You.

On future Images that I make of the Windows System Partition of the SSD, do I use the "Default" IFW settings just as I did with a regular hard drive? When I restore these Images would I also use the Options given in Post #7 above?

 

Just treat your SSD as you did with the previous HD. Same options.

When you restore an image of the SSD partition you probably won't have to choose the geometry options as IFW should get it right. You were going from cylinder aligned to 2048 sector aligned. In the future you will be going from 2048 sector aligned to 2048 sector aligned. Easier for IFD. But check with F6 to make sure. If restoring to the same SSD there is no need to even check geometry as you are just pouring milk into the milk bottle. The milk bottle is the partition. It's already there and doesn't get deleted and recreated. The milk is the sectors in use.

 

Thank You.

 

If my SSD drive should ever fail and I want to temporarily go back to a normal hard drive. What IFD settings would I use to Restore a SSD Image to a normal hard drive?

 

Same as restoring to another SSD. You can leave the alignment at 2048 sectors.

 

Thank You.

 

Hi Brian,

Windows 7 x64 on all three computers.

Best regards,

KOR!

 

KOR,

Thanks. The ease of your restores is understandable. Unfortunately, TheKid7 was using WinXP with a legacy cylinder aligned partition. He had to restore that image so the partition would be 2048 sector aligned to enable best SSD performance. Hence the geometry settings.

 

Does IFW record this in the SSD Image so that I can do an "Automatic" Restore or do I have to "Tick" the same options in IFD when I moved from a normal hard drive to an SSD?

 

A couple of months ago I purchased the Windows 7 Home Premium 3 PC Upgrade. I just haven't yet bothered to upgrade.

When I eventually upgrade to Windows 7, it looks like I would have no problems moving Images between either normal hard drives or SSD's. Is that correct?

Thanks in Advance.

 

I would upgrade to Windows 7 and then move to SSD.

Best regards,

KOR!

 

I guess you should make a CD with "Use 2048 Sector Alignment" selected. That is best if you are using 2048 all the time.

 

Today, I successfully transferred my Windows System Partition to the new SSD without any issues.

However, I installed the SSD in my oldest PC (New in Late 2006). The speed improvement is only slight (~25% to 30%) over my previous hard drive (Samsung 2TB 5400 RPM).

 

TK, there are a lot of issues with successfully using an SSD at its best. With the older machines, the needed ACHI (Advanced Computer Host Interface) is usually not available with older hardware, and as a result, neither TRIM or parallel queuing will be available. Plus, there's a good chance the SSD is running using the older IDE driver in Windows, even though it's a SATA disk. If it's a nVisia chipset on your mainboard, even if you have a good SATA mode, nVidia does not support TRIM in any of their drivers.

There are a lot if issues...

 

This is the Motherboard:

http://usa.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM2/M2NE/#specifications

 

My newest PC has an Asus M3N78 PRO Motherboard (The PC was built in the second half of '2008'). The Motherboard manual states that SATA Ports 5 & 6 support AHCI. Later, I 'may' move the SSD over to my newest PC.

 

Would purchasing and installing a SATA III PCIe-X1 Controller card, like the following one, solve my low performance problem?

http://www.sybausa.com/productInfo.php?iid=1104