System Image and Boot Manager Help

[austin2118ace]

I am trying to create a full system image of my SSD onto my second hard drive. However during the process windows tells me I can not save an image onto a drive I boot from.

 

I no longer boot off of the HDD. I installed windows onto the SSD and deleted the Windows folder off the hard drive.

I can only assume that the old boot manager is still hidden on the hard drive and windows thinks I have windows installed?

 

I included two images, the first, is of my storage drive which formerly was my boot drive. The second is my SSD the current boot drive. I notice boot files on the hdd but not the sdd, and the hdd isn't selected as my boot drive in bios, the SSD is. How does this work (booting off a drive with no boot folder or file)? and is there a way to move the boot files safely to the ssd from the hdd so I can save my system image? 

 

 

 

 

Thanks

-Austin

[Samsterstorm]

Did you FORMAT the second HDD when u moved to the SSD or did u just delete everything that  u could see? (folders)

[austin2118ace]

Did you FORMAT the second HDD when u moved to the SSD or did u just delete everything that  u could see? (folders)

I did not format. My internet is awful, so I left most of my programs and my steam games installed on it to avoid months of reinstalling. Haven't had any issues with that other than this.

[Samsterstorm]

I did not format. My internet is awful, so I left most of my programs and my steam games installed on it to avoid months of reinstalling. Haven't had any issues with that other than this.

Yeah it will never be all gone unless you format it in drive manager, transfer files to another HDD such as steam games and then format it! It will be sure to work them

[austin2118ace]

Yeah it will never be all gone unless you format it in drive manager, transfer files to another HDD such as steam games and then format it! It will be sure to work them

Hmm, just need another drive now thanks for the info!

[Chilledflame]

Yo Austin

 

win + R diskmgmt.msc

 

Check if your C: drive has a "system reserved" partition. If it does map a drive letter to it and check to see your bootmgr and bcd (bcd is down a folder). 

 

To view these you need to have show hidden items and unhide protected opeerationg system files checked in the folder>view>options (assume you have done this for hidden items at least since I can see them)

 

so your current bootmgr bcd ect is probs in the system reserved partition of your C: drive

[austin2118ace]

Yo Austin

 

win + R diskmgmt.msc

 

Check if your C: drive has a "system reserved" partition. If it does map a drive letter to it and check to see your bootmgr and bcd (bcd is down a folder). 

 

To view these you need to have show hidden items and unhide protected opeerationg system files checked in the folder>view>options (assume you have done this for hidden items at least since I can see them)

 

so your current bootmgr bcd ect is probs in the system reserved partition of your C: drive

 

Yes those files are present in the main System Reserved partition on the ssd. Does this mean it is safe to delete the old system reserved and boot files off of my hard drive?

[Samsterstorm]

Hmm, just need another drive now thanks for the info!

No problem, PM me if u need me to make u a bit of a guide for you m8!

[Chilledflame]

Yeah man, if in real doubt move them to a USB if it makes you feel better and then you should be good to go.

 

When you boot you select a boot device, in this case your SSD, the partition table tells it where the partitions are and it uses the boot files it finds on this disk.

 

Those are the old boot files for your old pc. To my knowledge most bootmgr files are similar anyway.

 

Edit: Add dont remove the pagefile or hibernation file, those are removed if you turn those features off, which you can use your google-fu to solve . Remove the bootfile in the root of your old HDD and you should be able to put a system image on it

[austin2118ace]

Yeah man, if in real doubt move them to a USB if it makes you feel better and then you should be good to go.

 

When you boot you select a boot device, in this case your SSD, the partition table tells it where the partitions are and it uses the boot files it finds on this disk.

 

Those are the old boot files for your old pc. To my knowledge most bootmgr files are similar anyway.

 

Edit: Add dont remove the pagefile or hibernation file, those are removed if you turn those features off, which you can use your google-fu to solve . Remove the bootfile in the root of your old HDD and you should be able to put a system image on it

I deleted all the boot files and removed the old system reserved partition in disk manager. I tried to extend the main disk volume and it just "joined" the two together and converted the both to simple volumes. And I cant convert it to a single primary partition without deleting the volume. doh. oh well. I will buy a new hdd in the future and will deal with it then. 

Thanks,

Austin