[SOLVED] I need to get a new SSD, want to keep win7 pro64, but want encryption. Help?

[disasterman5]

UPDATE - Thanks to all that responded. Your suggestions were a huge help, and I have seen the light. My path was not a good one.

All of your suggestions were appreciated, and all of your comments as to the advisability of my planned course were right. As I posted to the responses: What was I thinking? I suffer from Parkinson's and looking at this post again today, it makes no sense.

Last night I realized that probably my best move is an entirely different direction. Having tried W10, and not being at all impressed with it, and not wanting to go through another decade long battle MS, over bugs, security flaws, patches, and windows aggravations, I'm thinking that the best Idea is to start fresh. I would have to anyway to migrate to W10.

I ordered a new 2TB SSD. I'm going to install Linux on it, probably Mint or Zorin, install peripheral software I'll need to replace the old Windows slaved softwares like Libre Office, build a new file structure from scratch, forget about encrypting the drive (makes no sense when the only time it is at risk it isn't because it's in a safe . . . duh!)

The Linux distros are in continuous development and free, meaning no more worrying about counterfeit product keys and "Your copy of windows is not valid" or paying out the nose only to have the eventual death notice of support.

I realize I will have a learning curve, but I also had one going from Dos to W3.1, W3.1 to W98 to W2000 to WXP, etc.... So I appreciate all the help and suggestions from all, and will be deleting the post.


Thanks again for all your suggestions and help! I love this place.

 

[Ketchup79]

So you want to encrypt your personal data and put it in a safe, but you are ok staying with Windows 7, which will lose all security updates in less than a moth (and therefore open to all new vulnerabilities)?

Think about it.

 

[USAFRet]

1. Migrate/clone to the new drive first. Samsung Data Migration or Macrium Reflect. (details below)
2. Win 7 Ultimate for $42 is obviously not a valid license.
3. Then do whatever encryption you feel you need.
4. Seriously rethink the Win 10 thing. Win 7 support ends in less than a month.

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------

 

[jimmysmitty]

1. If you use Windows built in Bitlocker you do it while in Windows.

2. You would need Enterprise or Ultimate to use Bitlocker.

3. I am not sure I would have to dig into them to see if they are trust worthy.

4. As said in 1 with Windows Bitlocker you install Windows then encrypt the drive.

5. Yes but before encryption. Once encrypted cloning will be much harder and in some cases impossible. Kind of the point of encryption, that the drive cannot be read outside of its system.

6. The help we will offer you will most likely refuse but ok. I will break it down.

I highly doubt your motherboard has a TPM. Its extremely old. So old that their site only has drivers for XP and 7. I also went through the manual and no mention of TPM or Trusted Platform Module anywhere. This will hinder your ability to use Bitlocker.

Sticking with Windows 7 is also a mistake. You are basically going to stay with an unsupported OS that will no longer ecieve any patches for vulnerabilities, bugs or errors found. Device manufactures will also stop releasing new and updated drivers for their products for Windows 7 as there will be no market for it. The only ones who will continue to use 7 are stubborn companies or defense contractors who will pay Microsoft to continue to provide patches just for them at quite a high cost.

The best solution is to move to Windows 10 but to also move to new hardware to ensure bitlocker works properly and to its best ability.

 

[disasterman5]

So you want to encrypt your personal data and put it in a safe, but you are ok staying with Windows 7, which will lose all security updates in less than a moth (and therefore open to all new vulnerabilities)?

Think about it.

You're absolutely right. What was I thinking? I suffer from Parkinson's and looking at this post again today, it makes no sense.

Last night I realized that probably my best move is an entirely different direction. Having tried W10, and not being at all impressed with it, and not wanting to go through another years long battle with bugs and windows aggravations, I'm thinking that the following is the new plan:

I'm ordering a new drive. I'm going to install Linux Mint or Zorin on it, rebuild a new file structure from scratch, forget about encrypting the drive (makes no sense when the only time it is at risk it isn't because it's in a safe) and the Linux distros are in continuous development and free, meaning no more worrying about counterfeit product keys and "Your copy of windows is not valid."

I realize I will have a learning curve, but I also had one going from Dos to W3.1, W3.1 to w2000 to WXP, etc....

So I appreciate all the help and suggestions from all, and will be deleting the post.

 

[disasterman5]

1. If you use Windows built in Bitlocker you do it while in Windows.

2. You would need Enterprise or Ultimate to use Bitlocker.

3. I am not sure I would have to dig into them to see if they are trust worthy.

4. As said in 1 with Windows Bitlocker you install Windows then encrypt the drive.

5. Yes but before encryption. Once encrypted cloning will be much harder and in some cases impossible. Kind of the point of encryption, that the drive cannot be read outside of its system.

6. The help we will offer you will most likely refuse but ok. I will break it down.

I highly doubt your motherboard has a TPM. Its extremely old. So old that their site only has drivers for XP and 7. I also went through the manual and no mention of TPM or Trusted Platform Module anywhere. This will hinder your ability to use Bitlocker.

Sticking with Windows 7 is also a mistake. You are basically going to stay with an unsupported OS that will no longer ecieve any patches for vulnerabilities, bugs or errors found. Device manufactures will also stop releasing new and updated drivers for their products for Windows 7 as there will be no market for it. The only ones who will continue to use 7 are stubborn companies or defense contractors who will pay Microsoft to continue to provide patches just for them at quite a high cost.

The best solution is to move to Windows 10 but to also move to new hardware to ensure bitlocker works properly and to its best ability.

1. If you use Windows built in Bitlocker you do it while in Windows.

2. You would need Enterprise or Ultimate to use Bitlocker.

3. I am not sure I would have to dig into them to see if they are trust worthy.

4. As said in 1 with Windows Bitlocker you install Windows then encrypt the drive.

5. Yes but before encryption. Once encrypted cloning will be much harder and in some cases impossible. Kind of the point of encryption, that the drive cannot be read outside of its system.

6. The help we will offer you will most likely refuse but ok. I will break it down.

I highly doubt your motherboard has a TPM. Its extremely old. So old that their site only has drivers for XP and 7. I also went through the manual and no mention of TPM or Trusted Platform Module anywhere. This will hinder your ability to use Bitlocker.

Sticking with Windows 7 is also a mistake. You are basically going to stay with an unsupported OS that will no longer ecieve any patches for vulnerabilities, bugs or errors found. Device manufactures will also stop releasing new and updated drivers for their products for Windows 7 as there will be no market for it. The only ones who will continue to use 7 are stubborn companies or defense contractors who will pay Microsoft to continue to provide patches just for them at quite a high cost.

The best solution is to move to Windows 10 but to also move to new hardware to ensure bitlocker works properly and to its best ability.

Bahahahaha! Love the guy stepping out for some fresh air, LOL.

You're absolutely right. As I posted to another response: What was I thinking? I suffer from Parkinson's and looking at this post again today, it makes no sense.

Last night I realized that probably my best move is an entirely different direction. Having tried W10, and not being at all impressed with it, and not wanting to go through another years long battle with bugs and windows aggravations, I'm thinking that the following is the new plan:

I'm ordering a new drive. I'm going to install Linux Mint or Zorin on it, rebuild a new file structure from scratch, forget about encrypting the drive (makes no sense when the only time it is at risk it isn't because it's in a safe) and the Linux distros are in continuous development and free, meaning no more worrying about counterfeit product keys and "Your copy of windows is not valid."

I realize I will have a learning curve, but I also had one going from Dos to W3.1, W3.1 to w2000 to WXP, etc.... So I appreciate all the help and suggestions from all, and will be deleting the post.

 

[disasterman5]

1. Migrate/clone to the new drive first. Samsung Data Migration or Macrium Reflect. (details below)
2. Win 7 Ultimate for $42 is obviously not a valid license.
3. Then do whatever encryption you feel you need.
4. Seriously rethink the Win 10 thing. Win 7 support ends in less than a month.

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------

I have realized my plan was not a good one.

So as I responded to the others:

What was I thinking? I suffer from Parkinson's and looking at this post again today, it makes no sense.

Last night I realized that probably my best move is an entirely different direction. Having tried W10, and not being at all impressed with it, and not wanting to go through another years long battle with bugs and windows aggravations, I'm thinking that the following is the new plan:

I'm ordering a new drive. I'm going to install Linux Mint or Zorin on it, rebuild a new file structure from scratch, set up the software I need, and move forward with a new OS and forget about cloning or encrypting the drive (makes no sense when the only time it is at risk it isn't because it's in a safe) and the Linux distros are in continuous development and free, meaning no more worrying about counterfeit product keys and "Your copy of windows is not valid," or running on out of date software.

I may upgrade my motherboard, processor, and graphics card as well. I was more than a little irritated to find out my AMD 8 core was really only a 4 core....

I realize I will have a learning curve, but I also had one going from Dos to W3.1, W3.1 to w2000 to WXP, etc.... So I appreciate all the help and suggestions from all, and will be deleting the post.

 

[TJ Hooker]

Last night I realized that probably my best move is an entirely different direction. Having tried W10, and not being at all impressed with it, and not wanting to go through another years long battle with bugs and windows aggravations, I'm thinking that the following is the new plan:

I'm ordering a new drive. I'm going to install Linux Mint or Zorin on it, rebuild a new file structure from scratch, forget about encrypting the drive (makes no sense when the only time it is at risk it isn't because it's in a safe) and the Linux distros are in continuous development and free, meaning no more worrying about counterfeit product keys and "Your copy of windows is not valid."

I don't know what makes you think Win10 is full of 'bugs and aggravations', but the vast majority of people (including myself) are using it without issue, or at least without any significant issue.

Counterfeit product keys/"Your copy of windows is not valid" are only risks if you're buying shady grey-market keys. You can even buy your license straight from MS if you'd like. This issue is 100% avoidable. The only time you may need to call MS to sort something out is if you do a major hardware upgrade and are trying to reactive Windows, and even then I've never had an issue.

If you want to move to Linux, by all means go for it. But if you're happy with Windows as a whole I see no reason why the switch from 7 to 10 would be the reason you need to leave.