Move Boot Partition to Another Disk in Windows 7 | 3 Ways
Quick Navigation:
- How to Move Windows 7 Boot Partition?
- 3 Ways to Move Boot Partition in Windows 7
- Best Way to Avoid System Partition and Boot Partition on Different Drives
- Write in the End
How to Move Windows 7 Boot Partition?
You're trying to move your boot partition from a hard drive to an SSD in your Windows 7 computer, but Windows 7 doesn't allow you to move the system boot partition. There are alternative software options that can help you achieve this. One such software is EaseUS Todo Backup, which allows you to clone or move your system partition to the SSD. Another option is Acronis True Image, which can also help you move your system partition to the SSD. Both of these software options can help you move your boot partition to the SSD without reinstalling Windows 7. Would you like me to provide more details on how to use these software options?
If you're experiencing issues with your system partition and boot partition, don't worry - there are multiple solutions depending on the specific setup of your drives. You can try fixing the system partition and boot partition on different drives by using various methods, such as reinstalling the operating system, using a live CD or USB, or running a system repair tool.
3 Ways to Move Boot Partition in Windows 7
To fix the issue where the system partition and boot partition are on different disks in Windows 7, there are three possible solutions. One is to change the system disk to the correct disk, which can be done by following the steps to change the system disk in Windows 7.
- Use System File Checker tool
- Rebuild MBR, Boot Sector & BCD
- Clone the boot partition and Set it as Active.
Way 1. System File Checker (SFC)
1. If you have the Windows 7 installation disc, please boot from the disc, and then choose the option to "Repair your computer".
2. To repair Windows 7, choose the operating system to repair and click Next.
3. Click Commmand Prompt In the System Recovery Options.
4. Run the command: `sfc /scannow` (to scan all protected system files, and replace the corrupted files)
Way 2. Rebuild MBR, Boot Sector & BCD
1. If you have a Windows 7 installation disc, boot from it and choose the option to repair your computer.
2. Select the Windows 7 operating system to repair and click on the "Next" button.
3. Click Commmand Prompt In the System Recovery Options.
4. Run these commands:
- bootrec /fixmbr
- bootrec /fixboot
- drive:\boot\Bootsect.exe /NT60 All The drive where the Windows 7 installation disc is located should be specified, as the installation process may not be able to detect the disc if it's not on the correct drive.
Way 3. Clone boot partition and set as Active
If you don't have a Windows installation disc, you can clone the boot partition and set it as active by following these steps: clone the boot partition, set it as active, and then use the cloned partition as the new boot partition. This allows you to bypass the need for a Windows installation disc.
1. Download and launch Qiling Disk Master Professional 30-day free trial to try the cloning software. Prepare a new empty partition on the same disk as the system partition to save the boot partition. Note that the Clone feature in the free trial can only be demonstrated, so be sure to pgrade to enjoy the full functionality.upgrade to enjoy the full functionality.
2. Select Partition Clone under Clone tab.
3. Choose the boot partition as source.
4. Select the new empty partition as the destination to save the copy of the boot partition.
5. Press Proceed to clone boot partition in Windows 7.
6. Hit Finish while cloned successfully.
Then use diskpart set the cloned boot partition as Active:
1. To resolve the issue, boot your Windows 7 computer with the Windows bootable media, which will bring up the Qiling Disk Master interface. From there, navigate to Tools and select Windows Shell Command.
2. Type diskpart and hit Enter.
3. Run the following commands one by one:
- list disk
- select disk m
- list partition
- select partition n
- active
Best Way to Avoid System Partition and Boot Partition on Different Drives
Reinstalling Windows 7 can cause the system and boot partitions to be on different drives, but cloning the operating system can prevent this issue. This can be achieved by using a disk cloning software like Qiling Disk Master Professional, which can migrate Windows 7 to another disk, including all partitions associated with system files and boot files, such as the boot partition and system partition.
Here is how to move Windows 7 boot partition and system partition from HDD to SSD easily:
1. Launch Qiling Disk Master Professional, Choose Clone > System Clone.
2. To save the Windows 7 boot partition and system partition, choose the SSD as the destination. This will ensure that the boot process is directed to the SSD, allowing for faster boot times and improved overall system performance.
★Tips:
✍The boot partition and system partitions will be automatically selected, eliminating the need for manual selection.
✍The destination partition will be completely erased, so please make sure to backup any important data on that drive beforehand.
3. To move boot partitions in Windows 7, tick the SSD Alignment option and press Proceed. This allows for easy and safe relocation of boot partitions.
★Tips:
✍Cloning all sectors, including bad ones, can be time-consuming, but it ensures a complete copy. If you uncheck this option, the cloning process will skip bad sectors by default.
✍SSD Alignment: If your destination hard drive is a Solid State Drive (SSD), select this option to accelerate the reading and writing speed for the SSD drive.
After a while, the boot partition and system partition will be moved to another SSD or HDD. This will then allow the original hard drive to be replaced with the cloned SSD, after which the system will be able to boot from the new drive.
To set up the cloned SSD as the first boot device, enter the BIOS, select the cloned SSD as the first boot device, and save the changes. Once saved, the computer will boot from the cloned SSD.
Write in the End
Moving the boot partition in Windows 7/8/10 can be done with ease using Qiling Disk Master Professional. There are three ways to fix the system and boot partitions on different disks, making the process manageable.
Besides, you can move the Windows boot partition to another drive without reinstalling, restore your computer to an earlier date for Windows 7/8/10 if it fails to boot, use tools like universal restore, command line utility, merge backup images, and PXE boot tool.
For Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019 (including R2), SBS 2003, 2008, 2011, try Qiling Disk Master Server to enjoy more.
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