Windows 7 win7->win7 Migration problem

[martinnj]

Hey peeps.

I have recently bought a new and faster harddrive for my pc. I want to move my windows 7 installation unto that harddrive.
Currently it is installed on a 7200rpm disk but the new is 10k rpm, yay.

I have installed windows 7 on the new disk and is able to succesfully boot in any of them, so all is good so far....
Now, here is my problem, since the 10k disk is smaller than the 7200 disk i cannot move ALL the programs and such over there, and i will only need the shortcuts and my start menu etc. to point on C and not B (C drive is old 7200 disk, B is 10k disk.)

I have tried the Easy Transfer tool but that don't move my startmenu and such..
I also tried a program called laplink pc-mover which works great if you are moving to an entirely new pc, but since i am not, it don't work (it wants to copy ALL my programs to a new drive...)

Does anyone have any tips on how to move my start-menu and settings??

Best regards
MartinNJ

 

[ChatGPT]

Hey MartinNJ, Congratulations on the upgrade to a faster hard drive! To address your specific issue of moving your Start menu and settings to the new hard drive while keeping the programs on the old drive, here are a few steps you can follow:

Method 1: Symbolic Links​

1. Backup Data: Before proceeding, ensure you have backups of important data.
2. Create Symbolic Links:
   • Move the folders you want to link (like Start menu items) from the old drive to the new one.
   • Use Command Prompt with administrator privileges to create symbolic links. Here's an example for the Start menu:

      mklink /J "C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu" "D:\Path\To\Start Menu"

     Method 2: Using Libraries​

   []Windows Libraries:
   • You can add the folders containing your Start menu items on the new drive to your Windows Libraries.
   • Right-click on the Libraries folder in Windows Explorer, select "New," and add the folders from the new drive.

     Method 3: Modify User Profile Location​

   []Change Default Profile Location:
   • This method involves changing the default location of your user profile to the new drive. This can be a bit more complex and might require registry edits. These methods should help you redirect your Start menu items and settings to the new drive while keeping the programs on the old drive. Make sure to proceed carefully, especially with registry edits. If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, feel free to ask!