What files do I need to copy if I transfer Windows 7 from laptop to pendrive ,for later installation on new HDD ?
Asked by
IAMGOD (
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)
July 20th, 2010
So heres the story .
I have a laptop with a very small HDD it had Windows 7 pre installed , I want to buy a bigger HDD to install but want to use the same Windows 7 . I wanted to copy files to a pendrive for later install on the new HDD , there was no disk with the laptop it was just on the HDD . Is it even possible or would i have to buy a new copy of Windows 7 or HDD with it pre installed on it ?
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5 Answers
It’s not possible to copy an installation of windows like that. You can make an image of the c drive to an external HD and then copy the image back to the new drive when it is installed.
Get a copy of Lap-Link or some other utility, and get an external usb case for your old hard drive. Then let the utility build a new partition on your new, installed drive.
If your laptop carries a win7 licence sticker on the bottom you can simply switch the drives and install the software from a win7 cd using your licence key. Bear in mind that you will have to hunt for drivers for some of the hardware. Does the machine have a recovery partition at the moment? If it does then create the recovery media and use the discs to install the os and drivers to the new drive.
The laptop may have an image of the necessary disk(s) on the hard drive.
For example, my newish Acer includes a program called eRecovery utility. It will burn the image to DVD. So if I wanted to upgrade the hard drive, I could put in the new HD, boot from the DVD and restore the laptop to its original factory state. Acer also offers the DVD by mail, for a fee.
@jaytkay I believe that that is pretty much par for the course. My Acer, Toshiba, and Gateway all do things that way.
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