Replacing your system disk in Windows 7 with an SSD

[jdawson]

Hi all...

I am a IT Security consultant in Canada who has been working with PCs for over twenty years but I am ashamed to say that I don't know an easy way to replace a Windows 7 System disk.

I currently have a system with a 1TB C: drive running windows 7 64 bit. The drive is about half full and for performance reasons I would like to switch out the OS and swap files to a SSD. The problem is I don't really want to re-install everything.

Is there any simple way, utility or trick I can use to separate my installed programs from my OS on my C: drive. I really don't want to do a full re-install for what will likely be a marginal performance enhancement.

All the best,

Joe Dawson

[masterq]

Hi all...

I am a IT Security consultant in Canada who has been working with PCs for over twenty years but I am ashamed to say that I don't know an easy way to replace a Windows 7 System disk.

I currently have a system with a 1TB C: drive running windows 7 64 bit. The drive is about half full and for performance reasons I would like to switch out the OS and swap files to a SSD. The problem is I don't really want to re-install everything.

Is there any simple way, utility or trick I can use to separate my installed programs from my OS on my C: drive. I really don't want to do a full re-install for what will likely be a marginal performance enhancement.

All the best,

Joe Dawson

There is no easy way that I know of. "Hard coded" paths in app settings and registry prevent this. AFAIK you'll have to reinstall everything.

[nav13eh]

There is a way to put the swap file on a different drive, but no way to move the programs to the other drive. To move your swap to the SSD, go to the control panel, click on system and for Vista and Windows 7 click on advanced system settings. in XP click on the advance tab. once there, under the heading performance click settings. then click the advance tab, and under virtual memory click change. in this window you can change the size and placement of the swap file.

http://revision3.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1248&stc=1&d=1257109134

http://revision3.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1249&stc=1&d=1257109154

http://revision3.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1250&stc=1&d=1257109187

http://revision3.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1251&stc=1&d=1257109198

The only way to get the programs on the SSD, is to install the entire OS on the SSD. then it would be even faster, and you have a terebyte to all your files.

[psychosis]

Move the stuff from the system drive to another drive that you dont want on your SSD. For example, uninstall programs and reinstall them on another drive. Then clone your C: to the SSD, and swap it.

You can also do this through partitioning your system drive into C: and D:, then after cloning C: to the SSD, delete C: and extend the D: drive backwards. You'll need a tool like GParted to extend a partition towards the start of the drive, though.