Windows 7 Hard drive swap, OS problem

[Mauser lover]

This is my first post on these forums, so please bear with me! I am not very technology capable, but I try to be able to follow directions and figure stuff out.

Here is the scenario. I have an HP laptop that is not doing well. The hard drive was the problem, I believe. I switched the hard drive with a similar one (same manufacturer and size). How do I get the copy of Windows 7 that was on the old hard drive onto the new one?

To make matters worse, the new hard drive was formerly used in a Dell laptop (which is no longer with us, may it rest in peace). It has a copy of Windows 7 on it already. Is there a way that I can erase that copy of Windows 7 and put the copy of Windows 7 that was originally on the HP onto it?

The Dell hard drive had Home Premium on it, the HP drive has Professional on it, if that is any help.

Thanks for any help!

 

[ussnorway]

You can make an image of the old system and then inprint that image onto the new drive... I use Acronis but there are other free options.



The other option is to just install Windows fresh and start again.

 

[Mauser lover]

Okay, sorry for the delay, I watched the video, checked the price, and found out that I will not be using Acronis! However, it seems that I will be able to use a free one, clonezilla or something like that, without problems?

Now, I am to put the new hard drive in the laptop, correct? How do I connect the old hard drive to the laptop too? Is there some sort of USB adapter?

Assuming that I can get the hard drives to both connect, am I supposed to have my cloning program on the new hard drive, or the old one?

Or am I to have the old hard drive physically in the laptop, with the new one attached externally? Either way, I guess that I will need an adaptor of some sort. Anything on the new hard drive will be totally erased and replaced with exactly what is on the old one, correct?

Thanks for the patience!

 

[ussnorway]

Now, I am to put the new hard drive in the laptop, correct? How do I connect the old hard drive to the laptop too? Is there some sort of USB adapter?

The drive needs some kind of attachment... physically is always best but in a laptop thats normally usb adapter. As long as the data gets across without dropping out thats all that matters.

However, it seems that I will be able to use a free one, clonezilla or something like that, without problems?

I don't use Clonezilla so won't comment... have a look here Windows 7 disk image