Hi all. This is probably a newbie type question, but as much as I've worked with computers over the years, I've just never done this. Plus I'm wondering if Windows 7 has capabilities that might make this easier.
I recently home-built a new computer for my parents (Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, integrated video/audio mobo, TV tuner card) and installed Windows 7 x-64 (7260) and a few applications (MS Office, Skype, etc) on an old 200GB drive I had laying around. (The 1TB drive that I ordered with the rest of the parts was defective and I didn't want to wait for the replacement.) Now I've returned home to visit them and want to replace the 200GB drive with the replacement 1TB drive without doing a clean install and reinstalling everything from scratch. I would think I need to install the 1TB SATA drive (in addition to the already installed 200GB drive) and use something like Acronis True Image to "clone" the 200GB image to the 1TB drive. Then I should be able to remove the 200GB drive and set the new 1TB drive as the boot drive.
Am I on the right track? Is Acronis the best software for this in ease of use and leading me through the steps to make it understandable since it's my first time? Am I overlooking any steps or are there any pitfalls to be aware of? A web site that explains how to do this step-by-step?
Finally, does Windows 7 have capabilities previous Windows versions did not have that allows me to so this entirely with a Windows 7 DVD (No Acronis)?
Thanks for any advice as I prepare for this endeavor.
I recently home-built a new computer for my parents (Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, integrated video/audio mobo, TV tuner card) and installed Windows 7 x-64 (7260) and a few applications (MS Office, Skype, etc) on an old 200GB drive I had laying around. (The 1TB drive that I ordered with the rest of the parts was defective and I didn't want to wait for the replacement.) Now I've returned home to visit them and want to replace the 200GB drive with the replacement 1TB drive without doing a clean install and reinstalling everything from scratch. I would think I need to install the 1TB SATA drive (in addition to the already installed 200GB drive) and use something like Acronis True Image to "clone" the 200GB image to the 1TB drive. Then I should be able to remove the 200GB drive and set the new 1TB drive as the boot drive.
Am I on the right track? Is Acronis the best software for this in ease of use and leading me through the steps to make it understandable since it's my first time? Am I overlooking any steps or are there any pitfalls to be aware of? A web site that explains how to do this step-by-step?
Finally, does Windows 7 have capabilities previous Windows versions did not have that allows me to so this entirely with a Windows 7 DVD (No Acronis)?
Thanks for any advice as I prepare for this endeavor.
