Are these the proper steps to take to replace my laptop's hard drive?

[edddddddddddddddddd]

I will not be using a hard drive enclosure.

1. Backup system image file of original drive to external drive (using the dedicated microsoft program)
2. Download CloneZilla into a USB via UNetbootin
3. Swap old drive with new one
4. Boot laptop from USB
5. Follow CloneZilla steps to extract image file from external drive <--- is this last part correct?

Thanks!

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

If you create an image file with built-in Windows "Backup & Restore", you can't use CloneZilla to write that image to a new hard drive because CloneZilla won't recognise that image format.

1. Create an image file on external hard drive using Windows Backup & Restore.
2. Create a "System repair disc" with Windows Backup & Restore.
3. Swap old hard drive with new one.
4. Boot your laptop from the System repair disc.
5. Write image file to the new hard drive.

So basically, whatever software you use to create the hard disk image, you must use a boot disc created with that same software to restore that image.

 

[edddddddddddddddddd]

If you create an image file with built-in Windows "Backup & Restore", you can't use CloneZilla to write that image to a new hard drive because CloneZilla won't recognise that image format.

1. Create an image file on external hard drive using Windows Backup & Restore.
2. Create a "System repair disc" with Windows Backup & Restore.
3. Swap old hard drive with new one.
4. Boot your laptop from the System repair disc.
5. Write image file to the new hard drive.

So basically, whatever software you use to create the hard disk image, you must use a boot disc created with that same software to restore that image.

Thanks for the clarification. And by doing this, I won't have to reinstall Windows will I?

Edit: Actually Windows 8.1 doesn't support the System Repair Disc tool anymore.

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

No you won't have to reinstall Windows as the installation is already contained in the image file. That's the whole point of creating a disk image, it avoids having to reinstall Windows which takes much longer than restoring with a disk image. The disk image method also avoids having to re-activate Windows because the image of Windows is already activated.

Windows 8.1 does have the equivalent of Windows 7's Backup & Restore, it's just not in the same place, and instead of booting from a System repair disc to restore the image to a hard drive, you boot your PC from the Windows 8.1 install disc.
https://www.winhelp.us/system-image-backup-in-windows-8-1.html

If that sounds a bit complicated you can use third-party disk-imaging software instead:
http://www.easeus.com/backup-software/tb-free.html