I currently have a PC running Vista HP. The existing HDD is about 160Gb, but there is a recovery partition (Not visible), so only 140Gb is available.

I have ordered a new SATA 750Gb Hard drive, and preordered a copy of Windows 7. I also have a copy of Acronis.

This is what I'd LIKE to do...

1. Partition the new 750Gb drive into 2 x 200Gb, 2 x 100Gb Chunks & 1 at 150Gb!
A. How do I partition this drive?
2. Clone ALL my existing drive (including the recovery bit) to one of the new Partitions (150Gb)
3. Load Windows 7 onto one of the new Partitions (100Gb)
4. Create a Dual Boot so I can choose which OS I can boot to.


I really don't know if any or all off this is possible, but I really need some SIMPLE step by step instructions... PLEASE

Thanks - Dave

This should cover all you need Dave:

http://www.techspot.com/guides/143-dual-boot-windows7/

Quick way to get to Disk Management is to right-click on My Computer and then select Manage.
Once in Disk Management, it's easy to create partitions and format them on a new drive.

What I think you need to do is to install the new drive and use Vista's Disk management ("Start > Run", type diskmgmt.msc and click OK) to create a single partition of 150GB. Then clone your existing hard drive into that partition so that it is in the first partition on the disk.

You then need to make that disk the one from which Vista boots. Unfortunately, I have no experience of SATA drives - with IDE drives, you'd swap them over, but I don't know what you do with SATA ones, you may have to alter the boot sequence in the BIOS, unless you're physically removing the current drive.

Once you are running the new drive, you'll have a 150GB partition and the rest is "Unallocated Space". Run the installation of Windows 7 into the Unallocated Space, setting its partition size to 100GB as you do it. It will recognise that Vista is already installed and create the necessary boot menu.

Once Windows 7 is installed, you can use Disk Management (in either OS) to create an "Extended Partition" of 500GB within the remaining Unallocated Space and, in the Extended Partition, create Logical Drives of 200GB, 200GB & 100GB.

I've just tried the "Clone" option in Acronis and it seems to want to delete all existing partitions on the destination disk. You may have to go along with this and then look at creating the partition structure you want after completing the clone procedure.

It won't appear in "Computer" if it hasn't been Partitioned and given a Drive Letter (it doesn't need to be formatted).

If you go into Disk Management ("Start > Run", type diskmgmt.msc and click OK), the drive should appear and right clicking it will show the available options.

However, rather than Vista seeing it, can Acronis see the "raw" drive, because that's all you actually need.

Select the "Clone Disk" option rather than "Add New Disk" and it should create an exact copy of the existing disk, including its partition structure with the hidden recovery partition. In doing this, it would delete any partitions that you had created, so you are as well to leave the drive unpartitioned.

Sorry it's a quicky, but you need to "Initialize" the disc first, as mentioned on the CA site (with tutorial)

As the cloning procedure will remove any existing partition structure on the destination drive, I don't understand the need to "initialise" the drive before proceeding, although this should be done if restoring an Acronis backup to a new drive as opposed to "cloning".

At what point have you come unstuck?

Our messages "crossed in the post"!

The diagram shows that, after cloning, you will have the hidden partition and your "C" drive partition on the new drive. The remaining space on the drive is Unallocated and can be partitioned later using Windows' Disk Management.

Hi Mike,
I came unstuck on initialising as per OF's link -
http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php?topic=5708.0#new

However, Acronis seems to have it in hand.

Now you have re-assured me re the unallocated issue, I'll go ahead and clone to see what happens...

Dave