Understand my partitions after using Samsung Migration Assistant

[Jiggytrav]

Bought a Samsung 840 Pro SSD and used the included migration software to clone my old HDD to the new SSD. Everything went fine and now I am using Windows 8 on my new SSD. After making sure everything is up and running well, I want to erase the old drive and use it for data.

However, I'm confused when looking at Windows' Disk Management tool. Disk0 is my new SSD, and Disk1 is my old 1TB HDD. Since the C: drive is on my SSD, I can confirm that my OS is indeed running off of it. However, I don't know what the "Data" partition is to the left on Disk0?

Should I now be able to delete all of the partitions on Disk1 and reformat to use as a data drive?

Here's the screenshot of my disks (I can't seem to embed the picture yet):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/w3u1fiq168ucbh5/Screenshot%20%281%29.png

 

[RetiredChief]

Could not read your link, even @ 400X

First thing is to disconnect your HDD, boot to the SSD and verufy everything is there. If so reconnect HDD and re-format it.

HOWEVER, First down load AS SSD, Run it (don't need to run Benchmark) look at the uperr left.
.. Driver - do NOT want to see pcide = BAD
.. Partition Alignment = OK

If SSD does Boot after disconnecting the HDD.
.. Could not read your link even when zooming to 400x
.. Looks like your Data partition is the first partition on the SSD, normally the System partition is first - No real problem for a SSD.
.. The perferable method of going from a HDD-> SSD is a clean install althugh a migration is acceptable. Normally I ONLY migrate the system partition.

.. You can, one you re-do your HDD is to move the contents of the SSD Data Partition to the HDD, then using windows disk manager:
.. delete the Data Partition on the SSD.
.. Then expand the System partition the fill the SSD

IF it does NOT boot to SSD with the HDD disconnected then the MBR is still on the HDD and I would recommend redoing the migration, possibly using EasyUS (Freeee, just google it).

 

[Jiggytrav]

Could not read your link, even @ 400X

First thing is to disconnect your HDD, boot to the SSD and verufy everything is there. If so reconnect HDD and re-format it.

HOWEVER, First down load AS SSD, Run it (don't need to run Benchmark) look at the uperr left.
.. Driver - do NOT want to see pcide = BAD
.. Partition Alignment = OK

If SSD does Boot after disconnecting the HDD.
.. Could not read your link even when zooming to 400x
.. Looks like your Data partition is the first partition on the SSD, normally the System partition is first - No real problem for a SSD.
.. The perferable method of going from a HDD-> SSD is a clean install althugh a migration is acceptable. Normally I ONLY migrate the system partition.

.. You can, one you re-do your HDD is to move the contents of the SSD Data Partition to the HDD, then using windows disk manager:
.. delete the Data Partition on the SSD.
.. Then expand the System partition the fill the SSD

IF it does NOT boot to SSD with the HDD disconnected then the MBR is still on the HDD and I would recommend redoing the migration, possibly using EasyUS (Freeee, just google it).

Thanks for the reply. Sorry you could not see my screenshot properly.

On my ssd, it shows 2 partitions. The one on the left is called "data" but it says it is a (system, active, primary) partition and it is only 400MB. The partition on the right is called "Wndows C:" and it says it is (boot, page file, crash dump, primary). Does this sound right?

On my old hdd, it shows 3 partitions. The one on the left is called "System E:" and it says it is (Active, Primary) and its 350MB. The partition in the middle is called "Windows F:" and it says it is (primary) and its 921GB. The partition on the right has no name but is the old Recovery partition and its 9.77GB.

So if my computer boots fine without the hdd, it's ok to delete all partitions on the hdd? And the partition called "data" on my ssd is actually the system I guess?

 

[RetiredChief]

i) Sounds like the "data" partition on the SSD is indead a System partition that holds the MBR - so an not delete it. 400 mb is a little large, normally this partition is only 100 mbs when a clean install is used.

2) If you can boot to SSD with HDD disconneced then it is safe to delete and/or reformate the partition that has windows on it - JUST remeber to save any data that you want first.

 

[Jiggytrav]

i) Sounds like the "data" partition on the SSD is indead a System partition that holds the MBR - so an not delete it. 400 mb is a little large, normally this partition is only 100 mbs when a clean install is used.

2) If you can boot to SSD with HDD disconneced then it is safe to delete and/or reformate the partition that has windows on it - JUST remeber to save any data that you want first.

Disconnected my HDD and the computer booted fine, so I was able to delete the volumes and use it for data now. I left the recovery partition, though I don't know if that is any benefit to me now that the system in on my ssd? If my SSD fails, would I be able to boot from the recovery partition that is on my old HDD before I cloned with the Samsung migration tool?

 

[RetiredChief]

Use the windows backup to create a image of your system drive, select the HDD for a location. once the image has been created you will be prompted to create a restore disk.

If you have to re-install windows on the SSD, just pop in the restore disk, select repair, then repair using image file. - 15 min later you willreboot to the exact same state that the system was when you created the image.

Worked great for windows 7 and was very simple to find, just went to the control panel and selected back-up.
uSoft in their infinite wisdom buried the tool. But not all is lost, see
http://www.itworld.com/consumerization-it/333466/create-system-image-backup-windows-8s-hidden-backup-tool

 

[Jiggytrav]

Use the windows backup to create a image of your system drive, select the HDD for a location. once the image has been created you will be prompted to create a restore disk.

If you have to re-install windows on the SSD, just pop in the restore disk, select repair, then repair using image file. - 15 min later you willreboot to the exact same state that the system was when you created the image.

Worked great for windows 7 and was very simple to find, just went to the control panel and selected back-up.
uSoft in their infinite wisdom buried the tool. But not all is lost, see
http://www.itworld.com/consumerization-it/333466/create-system-image-backup-windows-8s-hidden-backup-tool

Thanks again for all your help. I attempted (twice) to do the "Create system image backup" and both times it failed right at the end. It is attempting to back up both partitions from my ssd to the hdd, but at the end it gives me an error that says the following:

"The operation failed due to a device error encountered with either the source or the destination. If the source or the destination volume is on a disk, run CHKDSK /R on the source or destination volume, and then retry the operation. (0x8078012D)

Additional information:
The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error. (0x8007045D)"

I tried running it 3 times with the same results. I was a little worried, but my disks check out ok and I see from a Google search that this is a common problem. However, most of the problems seem to be with Windows 7 and using external drives larger than 2TB. My HDD is internal and only 1TB but is still giving me the error. I even tried creating and formatting a new partition that is smaller just for the image backup and it still failed.

Do you have any idea what would be causing? Again, I thank you for the suggestion and I definitely think have a system image backup is a good idea. I will do more research, but wanted to ask if you knew what this meant?

 

[RetiredChief]

1) Read this: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-performance/system-image-backup-failed-for-windows-8/7836bc3f-9c80-45a0-bea3-b39aa682676b
based on abov, might try putting on an external drive (Not external drive needs to be formated with ntfs NOT Fat32).

.. could also be a problem with the 400 mb system partition. I had a problem on a Windows 7 as there was a file in there that should not have been. I was able to find it and delete it. However in your case, I would be tempted to redo the migration from HDD-> SSD using EZ-GIG. Note this i not a freebee program as it cost about $20 from Newegg. I was lucky and got it free wit one of my SSDs. Your paying for the SATA -> USB adaptor as the Program is free. The program will only work with a Apricorn adaptor.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812161004
http://www.apricorn.com/products/software/ezgig.html

 

[Jiggytrav]

1) Read this: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-performance/system-image-backup-failed-for-windows-8/7836bc3f-9c80-45a0-bea3-b39aa682676b
based on abov, might try putting on an external drive (Not external drive needs to be formated with ntfs NOT Fat32).

.. could also be a problem with the 400 mb system partition. I had a problem on a Windows 7 as there was a file in there that should not have been. I was able to find it and delete it. However in your case, I would be tempted to redo the migration from HDD-> SSD using EZ-GIG. Note this i not a freebee program as it cost about $20 from Newegg. I was lucky and got it free wit one of my SSDs. Your paying for the SATA -> USB adaptor as the Program is free. The program will only work with a Apricorn adaptor.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812161004
http://www.apricorn.com/products/software/ezgig.html

I was able to do a full image backup using Paragon's Backup & Recovery 2013, which was available for free. Also created a recovery DVD with it, so I'm hopefully good to go now. With so many people having problems with Microsoft's image backup, I'm writing it off for now.

If you still engaged, I have one tangential question regarding my SSD/HDD. When I booted to Windows with just the SSD attached and the HDD unplugged, Windows booted very quickly (just a few seconds). When I reattach my HDD (to another SATA port), it takes Windows over 30 seconds to boot. I don't think it's a BIOS issue because the POST operation still finishes quickly; it's after the Windows logo appears that the boot time takes longer with the HDD attached. It's not a big deal because I rarely shut down my computer anyway, but I'm wondering why it would take considerably longer to boot with the HDD attached? Any ideas? In my BIOS, the HDD is not listed as a boot device anymore, and I do have AHCI enabled in my BIOS.

 

[godfathe12]

Can someone please help me with my issue


My computer is currently setup like so-

(C: ) - 1 TB HDD where programs are installed

(D: ) - BluRay drive

(E: ) - 2TB HDD for files

(F: ) - 100GB HDD where Win 7 is installed / system

(G: ) - 1TB HDD for files


I would like to migrate my C: and F: drives into the one 1 TB SSD I bought. When using the migration software, I was only able to figure out how to migrate my C drive and not F as well.


Can someone help me figure out how two migrate 2 HDD into 1 SSD?


Ex:

(C: ) - 1 TB SSD Win7 and programs

(D: ) - BluRay drive

(E: ) - 2TB HDD for files

(F: ) - 100GB HDD for files

(G: ) - 1TB HDD for files

(H: ) - 1TB HDD for files


email: godfathe12@yahoo.com