Moving Windows xp from Hard Drive to SSD, aligned partition
Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:22 am
This is about migrating an win xp HDD partition to a new SSD disk.
It apply to my t60(below), but I dont see any reason why it shouldnt apply to other TPs as well.
This is provided without any warranty and you are doing it on your own risk.
This is not THE ONLY approach, it is an approach that worked for me. There might be other approaches as well.
This approach involves non-free software and some hardware and it is resource intensive.
This method is quick - took me around 60 min from beggining to the end for 35 GB of data.
The setting:
Hardware:
a usb HDD for crating win xp patition image
HDD caddy for the Ultrabay.
SSD disk
Software:
Paragon Aligment Tool 2.0 (PAT)
Acronis True Image Home 2011
diskpar
The steps:
1.) Defrag your current Windows xp installation.
2.) Check BIOS to make sure that AHCI is enabled.
3.) Install Acronis TI 2011
4.) Install PAT
5.) Attach the usb HDD
6.) Create and image of your win xp partition using ATI 2011. Save it on the USB HDD. Nothing special here just use the defaults.
7.) Install the SSD in the caddy and insert it in the ultrabay. It should be recognised by windows and visible as a new disk in disk management.
8.) Go to disk management and create a new partition on the SSD. Delete any old if present. Select NTFS and 4096 for block size. Check 'quick format'. You shoudl see the new NTFS partiton now.
9.) Open PAT, select the above partition only and click align.
10.) Switch to command prompt and run diskpar -i N, where N is the number of your SSD.You can find this in disk management. The new partition is aligned to 2097152 bytes offset.
11.) Install the SSD in your primary hard disk bay and the HDD in the caddy. Turn off the PC, remove the battery. Swap the drives.
12.) Turn on the PC, and enter BIOS.
13.) In boot order, select the HDD in the caddy to be on top of the list. Restart and boot from the caddy.
14.) Start ATI 2011 and restore the image from the usb HDD. Be careful to select the SSD as destination and also select MBR and trac 0 to be restored on SSD.
15.) Open PAT, make sure SSD partition is still aligned.
16.) Switch to command prompt and run diskpar -i N, where N is the number of your SSD.You can find this in disk management. The new partition is aligned to 1048576 bytes offset. This is not a typo. It seems ATI 2011 moves it a bit, but still aligned.
17.) Restart and enter the BIOS.
18.) Select the SSD in the main bay to be on top of the list.
19.) Restart
20.) The PC should now boot from the SSD. Congrats.
It apply to my t60(below), but I dont see any reason why it shouldnt apply to other TPs as well.
This is provided without any warranty and you are doing it on your own risk.
This is not THE ONLY approach, it is an approach that worked for me. There might be other approaches as well.
This approach involves non-free software and some hardware and it is resource intensive.
This method is quick - took me around 60 min from beggining to the end for 35 GB of data.
The setting:
Hardware:
a usb HDD for crating win xp patition image
HDD caddy for the Ultrabay.
SSD disk
Software:
Paragon Aligment Tool 2.0 (PAT)
Acronis True Image Home 2011
diskpar
The steps:
1.) Defrag your current Windows xp installation.
2.) Check BIOS to make sure that AHCI is enabled.
3.) Install Acronis TI 2011
4.) Install PAT
5.) Attach the usb HDD
6.) Create and image of your win xp partition using ATI 2011. Save it on the USB HDD. Nothing special here just use the defaults.
7.) Install the SSD in the caddy and insert it in the ultrabay. It should be recognised by windows and visible as a new disk in disk management.
8.) Go to disk management and create a new partition on the SSD. Delete any old if present. Select NTFS and 4096 for block size. Check 'quick format'. You shoudl see the new NTFS partiton now.
9.) Open PAT, select the above partition only and click align.
10.) Switch to command prompt and run diskpar -i N, where N is the number of your SSD.You can find this in disk management. The new partition is aligned to 2097152 bytes offset.
11.) Install the SSD in your primary hard disk bay and the HDD in the caddy. Turn off the PC, remove the battery. Swap the drives.
12.) Turn on the PC, and enter BIOS.
13.) In boot order, select the HDD in the caddy to be on top of the list. Restart and boot from the caddy.
14.) Start ATI 2011 and restore the image from the usb HDD. Be careful to select the SSD as destination and also select MBR and trac 0 to be restored on SSD.
15.) Open PAT, make sure SSD partition is still aligned.
16.) Switch to command prompt and run diskpar -i N, where N is the number of your SSD.You can find this in disk management. The new partition is aligned to 1048576 bytes offset. This is not a typo. It seems ATI 2011 moves it a bit, but still aligned.
17.) Restart and enter the BIOS.
18.) Select the SSD in the main bay to be on top of the list.
19.) Restart
20.) The PC should now boot from the SSD. Congrats.