How to change from ide to sata hdds

I run Vista Ultimate 32. No problem - until:

I upgraded my mobo, cpu and memory. Had to reinstal Vista. Oh ,well---

Here is my question:

My new mobo does sata as well as ide.

My "old" hdds (ide) are filled up. I would like to replace them with sata hdds.

I can make an image of my system with TI Home 11 from the old ide hdds to an external usb drive.

Will I be able to put this image on new sata hdds?

Will Vista be bent out of shape over this like it was with the new mobo, cpu and memory?

Thanks,

WLW

 

As long as Acronis can see the drives with the restore disk, it doesn't care if they are ide or sata. I don't know how Vista will react to the change, but a phone call will fix it if it does. Good luck.

 

Just adding to Wandering2's reply, Vista almost certainly will consider it itself on a new computer - it should just allow re-activation over the 'net' and then perhaps will require human intervention to confirm, that this is a genuine upgrade.

Oops just reread, as you've already installed Vista on your revamped system, then just changing the drive shouldn't require re-activation, though the drive ID may still cause Vista to hiccup.


As far as TI is concerned, I suggest making a Rescue CD and see if it can recognise the SATA drives on booting. If not then you have two options -either make a VistaPE boot disk or ask Acronis to make a special rescue CD all for your lonesome.

I'd make the rescue CD and check it out as you'll need some method of booting for the day your system idles up the creek without it's paddle.

As far as commissioning your SATA drives, I'd be inclined to do this via the cloning method, so you'd have your old IDE drive and your new SATA drive connected at the same time. However make sure, that the IDE drive is not attached when it comes time to reboot. Also be ready for Vista to have a hissy fit at this stage as the drive ID number will be not the same as that which is in registry. This would be solved by beg, borrowing or using a Vista install DVD which will allow you to run a Vista repair.

If you have an OEM machine that has Vista install files on a hidden partition, you won't be able to use this version of Vista to run the repair, as I'm pretty sure, they leave out the repair option. Fiddling with the Vista ID text file may or may not solve that problem, but it is a bunch of messing about and burning DVD's and possibly even if that worked, would then sulk at your product key number. I've only just bitten the bullet on Vista and haven't experimented fully as yet.

Colin

 

OK. I managed to install sata drives and restore my TI Home backup on them.

Vista went along with it.

One problem, the partitions were restored in their original sizes and I am left with a large amount of "unallocated" space.

How can I make all of my original partitions bigger, in order to use up the " unallocated" space?

WLW

 

Hmm there should have been an option during restoration that will ask you if you want to keep the partition sizes or increase them proportionately.... oh well

You will need a partition manager program that will resize your current partitions to use up the unallocated space. There are free ones and paid ones. I have personally used GParted which is an open-source partition manager that does the job very well.

 

wwalick,
You can repeat the restore using the procedure listed in my guides available on line 3 of my signature below. This will enable you to change the sizes of your partitions. Diagnostic partitons should be kept the same size. Check the Windows Disk Management display. Whatever partition is shown first in the display should be the first restored using TrueImage.