Bizarre Windows disk structure preventing SSD migration

StewD

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Apr 26, 2005
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I have recently upgraded a PC and a laptop to each use an SSD; I did this pretty easily by using Acronis True Image 2013 to take a backup of the entire C: Drive; disconnect the HDD drive and connect the SSD; boot with the True Image DVD and restore the backup to the SSD. Ensure BIOS set to boot from DVD, and then from the SSD. Worked perfectly.

Now, I am trying to upgrade my final (home built) Windows 8.1 PC. I ran the same process, but Windows would not start.

In the PC I have 2 identical HDDs; what I am struggling to understand is that Windows will not start unless both HDDs are connected.

When I look in Disk Managament I have:

Disk 0 - Not mounted
147.58 GB - Healthy (Primary partition)
350 MB NTFS - System Reserved - Healthy (System, Active, Primary partition)
1.12 GB - Unallocated

Disk 1 - C:
149.05 GB NTFS - (C:)- Healthy (Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump, Primary Partition)


From my little knowledge, it feels like the System Reserved 350 MB partition is on the unmounted disk, and Windows on the mounted (C:) disk. Thus, when I restore my entire HDD (C:), I don't have a "boot" partition available when I disconnect the old HDDs.

Does my theory sound right, and if so, how can I move the 350 MB partition to the c:\ drive, so that I can take a whole new backup prior to restoring to the SSD?

Or...another approach? (But very keen not to reinstall Windows!).

Thanks,

Stewart
 

StewD

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Apr 26, 2005
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[strike]Follow on question; as the 2 HDDs are identical, how do I figure out which one has windows on, and which has the boot partition?

Does the fact that Disk Management is showing the "boot" HDD as disk 0, means this is the HDD connected to SATA1?

Seems too simple!
[/strike]

Scratch that question; rebooted with only one HDD observed behaviour; rebooted with the other HDD. Behaviour quite different and makes it obvious which is Windows and which has the boot partition.

Now just need the USB stick to finish....just 3.5 hours to go!