Replacing Internal HDD; How to data transfer? Need step by step instructions.

[UAHGorgix]

Using Gparted, will I need to reinstall my OS into the new HDD once cloning is complete?

 

[Yami]

Using Gparted, will I need to reinstall my OS into the new HDD once cloning is complete?

Nope. The reason you're cloning is so you don't have to reinstall the OS.

 

[UAHGorgix]

Good Deal! Hopefully this is like a 1-2 day process.

Turns out the issue I am having is there isnt enough room for my computer to backup into the D: drive. When I use Gparted, I need to copy each individual partition to the new drive separately right?

Also, in doing so my computer changes the C: and D: to some other arbitrary constants. When I remove the old HDD, will they revert?

 

[Yami]

Turns out the issue I am having is there isnt enough room for my computer to backup into the D: drive. When I use Gparted, I need to copy each individual partition to the new drive separately right?

Not 100% sure but there should be an option to clone the whole drive.

Also, in doing so my computer changes the C: and D: to some other arbitrary constants.

It does? It shouldn't. And I assume you mean consonants?

 

[UAHGorgix]

Well when I clone the whole drive, the issue of the Recovery drive still takes place. I dont think I can alter a factor default partition for recovery. So I guess I need to clone, delete recovery, make a new partition, and then force a backup and chance recovery save location.

 

[PcDad]

When I upgraded the HD on my laptop, I created an image of the drive using tools already contained in WIN7. I didn't care about the recovery partion so I only imaged the C: drive. That worked great. Can't UAHGorgix simply do this? Of course the new HD must be equal or larger in size than the original.

 

[Geff-]

you could use a utilitty to resize partitions as thats all you really need, dont try to do that from windows but use a utillity again like "hirens boot" or any other partition resizer and transfer some room to the recovery partition, this used to be a VERY common issue on old laptops with vista.

 

[UAHGorgix]

Its not a laptop, its a desktop and I am running Win7 upgraded from WinVista. I forced a backup and it turns out I do not have enough size to backup the image on Win7. Gateway assembled my computer and placed a factory sized 10GB Recover partition which was enough for WinVista, but not enough for Win7. I just need to upgrade. Ill make a restore disk just in case and then install the new HDD and clone to to it. Then ill delete the Recovery, create a new partition that is larger, and set my computer to recover to that new partition.

 

[MindoverMaster]

The recovery partition is sorely used to set your system back to factory settings, not to backup your own data.

 

[UAHGorgix]

I know. The backup to factory settings is apparently too large for the current partition. Wasnt this way when I had Vista.

Yami,

Would you kindly give a more detailed instruction on the use of GParted? I have the HDD in hand that I wish to use and I just need to make sure I get everything correct. I don't want anything to get blown up when I do this so the more detailed information I get, the better.

Thanks!