Image Windows partition to SSD - Reinstall all programs?

[Ike0069]

I have a HDD partitioned into C and D, with C for Windows and user files, and everything else on D.

If I add a SSD and copy my current C drive image, do I have to reinstall all programs? Adding the SSD and making it C would push HDD partitions to D and E, so I'm not sure how this would affect programs currently on D.

 

[Bubbaleone]

What hardware and OS are you running?

 

[Ike0069]

Windows 7
Samsung 830 128 GB

 

[Bubbaleone]

Just so I'm on the same page; the OS and Program Files are currently on C:\ partition and D:\ partition is just data? And if Program Files are on D:\ partition, how did you edit the registry to accomplish that? The reason I ask is due to the new symbolic link directory structure that Windows 7 uses.

 

[Ike0069]

Just so I'm on the same page; the OS and Program Files are currently on C:\ partition and D:\ partition is just data? And if Program Files are on D:\ partition, how did you edit the registry to accomplish that? The reason I ask is due to the new symbolic link directory structure that Windows 7 uses.

Example: I have BF3 installed in D/Program Files. Will I have to reinstall BF3?

 

[Bubbaleone]

If you haven't changed the default "C:\Program Files" location through a symbolic link or registry edit, and you simply installed BF3 to directory on D:\ that you named "Program Files", then yes you will have to reinstall it.

 

[Ike0069]

If you haven't changed the default "C:\Program Files" location through a symbolic link or registry edit, and you simply installed BF3 to directory on D:\ that you named "Program Files", then yes you will have to reinstall it.

I'll try to keep from sounding dumb here, but I'm not completely following you. I'm not familar with "symbolic link".

Here's what I did:
Put in BF3 DVD and click custom install
Change the C: to D: and the rest of the path is the same, then install. It installs everything on the D drive including Origin.

Here is a copy/paste of my BF3 destop shortcut:
"D:\Program Files (x86)\Battlefield 3\bf3.exe"

 

[corkyg]

Why make things so complicated? Just clone your existing HDD to the SSD, boot and be done with it. It will all be the same only faster. I did it with C, a D partition, and a J partition. Never a problem. Didn't reinstall anything.

 

[Ike0069]

Why make things so complicated? Just clone your existing HDD to the SSD, boot and be done with it. It will all be the same only faster.

That's what I want to do, but the SSD is only 128GB, so I can only clone the Windows partition. That leads to the problem described above.

 

[corkyg]

OK - you didn't say how big the HDD was. Iuse Acronis TrueImage, and create bootable media. I then boot to that, and select the clone operation, manual, and if the drives are different size, proportional cloning. I never clone from within Windows, and always stay in manual control. I don't yet understand why only the Windows partition.

BTW, I have programs on C, D, and J partitions. Not a problem.

 

[Ike0069]

HDD is 750 GB.
C is 75 GB
D is ~ 650 GB

 

[corkyg]

OK - how full is D? That is the determiner. How much is programs and how much is data? Data can be removed and stored separately.

 

[Ike0069]

Probably about 100 GB of games/programs. Some are games I no longer play, so I've just decided to do a fresh install and reload the programs I will be using.