[Neid]

Hi everyone, I really need help with this...
Last week my win 8.1 came up with a message my hdd dying, I had it replaced from with brand new one at one of the shops, guy has installed win 8.1 on it everything works, apart from me knowing it ain't the original win that came with laptop that I bought. There's no recovery particion, and if it gets corrupted I can't just reinstall Windows, or fix it using Microsoft preinstalled software.
Question is, I have my old hdd and I got caddy for it to connect to my laptop, I would really appreciate if anyone can tell me how to boot recovery and reinstall Windows completely from old drive to new one so it's all as it was when I got the laptop. There ain't no files I need so it's not about copying them, I just want same win with same settings I had before new hdd was installed.
Thank you everyone in advance

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Hi ,

 

What you want to do is cloning the old drive to the new one if the new HDD is same size of bigger.

 

The problem doing that is that the old drive can die during the process and you end up by losing everything! How about creating a full backup image now that the system is working so you can restore the system state if something go wrong.

[SleepyDude]

Hi ,

 

What you want to do is cloning the old drive to the new one if the new HDD is same size of bigger.

 

The problem doing that is that the old drive can die during the process and you end up by losing everything! How about creating a full backup image now that the system is working so you can restore the system state if something go wrong.

[Neid]

The old hdd is empty, there no files I need, all I really wanted is to get the original win that came with the laptop, rather ones installed by the person in shop who changed hdd...
So, best way. If I have old hdd connected to laptop, I can boot Windows from it right? Instead of booting from one inside laptop now? I mean, am I confused or it is possible to load old win on laptop, then create clone version and install it on the new hdd? Super confused ...

[SleepyDude]

The old hdd is empty, there no files I need, all I really wanted is to get the original win that came with the laptop, rather ones installed by the person in shop who changed hdd...

If Windows is activated with all the needed drivers and everything working the "bits are the same" in fact many prefer to have that type of installation because it doesn't include all the crap the manufacture installs and make the machine slower when the time passes.
 

So, best way. If I have old hdd connected to laptop, I can boot Windows from it right? Instead of booting from one inside laptop now?

 

If the old HDD isn't empty and have Windows installed to boot from it successfully you need to swap the new drive with the old one to put the old HDD inside the laptop.

[Neid]

Roger that, so having it connected by usb to the laptop, and starting up laptop from it for cloning won't work unless it's connected where the new hdd is?

[SleepyDude]

Roger that, so having it connected by usb to the laptop, and starting up laptop from it for cloning won't work unless it's connected where the new hdd is?

 

Not exactly, your new question is different... To boot from Windows installed on the old hdd it only works if the disk is installed on the laptop.

 

If you allow me let's follow a safe plan to transfer the old hdd contents to the new one. Ok?

[Neid]

Ok... Let's follow, what shall I do?

[SleepyDude]

Ok... Let's follow, what shall I do?

 

Ok, first I need to know the brand and model of the two HDD's you have.

 

 

Edit: Do you have another external USB Hard drive with plenty of free space?

Edited by SleepyDude, 26 June 2016 - 05:41 AM.

[Neid]

That's the old hdd, and inside one as I was told.

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[Neid]

the one inside right now HDST hts725050a7e630  If that helps, but guy told me its exactly same one, maybe diff brand thought. 

i do have a back up usb hd that has my files i back up on....it has 25GB free

Edited by Neid, 26 June 2016 - 05:50 AM.

[Neid]

Hope u haven't abandoned me here

[SleepyDude]

Hope u haven't abandoned me here

 

Well you need to have some patience we are not always here.

 

Ok so both drives have the same size 500GB. Do you have a empty flash drive with at least 1GB in size?

 

The plan:

- on Windows that is running on the new HDD install Macrium Reflect free

- create a Macrium Rescue disk on the flash drive

- boot the computer using the Macrium Rescue Disk, when the system start loading connect the USB external hard drive

- test if Macrium can see the internal hard drive and the external (USB) drive.

[Neid]

Thank u I will do that, and yes I know you guys are buys. Just stressing, apologies... ))

[SleepyDude]

Thank u I will do that, and yes I know you guys are buys. Just stressing, apologies... ))

 

Let me know if you have troubles following any of those steps.

 

The last test part is very important before we can move on with the actual process.

[Neid]

on it now, will update as soon as its all good  ))