Booting with EASYBCD

zimbros12

Member
I got a SONY LAPTOP TZ SERIES with the following set-up>>

C: 64gb SSD 1.8" ZIF PATA - OS WINDOWS 7 PRO 32BIT
D: 250gb HDD 2.5" SATA - Used for storage

I want to replace the D: drive with a SSD - INTEL and boot from it

Is EASYBCD the software I need as a Boot Manager to go thru this process.
How easy is it to use or I need some kind of expertise to run it ??

Thanks
 
It's very easy :smile:

Just replace D: with the SSD.
Boot into C:
Install EasyBCD 2.0 -> BCD Backup/Repair -> Change Boot Drive and select D: at the prompt.
Go into your BIOS series and change the boot drive from C: to D:
 
Why do you want to boot from it ?
Do you mean you want to move W7 across to it ?
CG's instructions will copy the W7 boot files across and boot one HDD from the other, but why would you want to do that ?
(btw EasyBCD isn't the boot manager. It's an app which manipulates and configures the Vista/7 boot manager BCD)

If what you want is to move the OS completely, you'll need a partition management app which is W7 compatible and use it to clone the old partition across to the new SSD. Depending on how W7 compatible the app is, you might then need to repair the boot process. Then you must switch drives in the BIOS.
W7 will probably then recognize a change of environment and ask you to re-activate the OS within 30 days.
That shouldn't be a problem.
 
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Why do you want to boot from it ?
Do you mean you want to move W7 across to it ?
CG's instructions will copy the W7 boot files across and boot one HDD from the other, but why would you want to do that ?
(btw EasyBCD isn't the boot manager. It's an app which manipulates and configures the Vista/7 boot manager BCD)

If what you want is to move the OS completely, you'll need a partition management app which is W7 compatible and use it to clone the old partition across to the new SSD. Depending on how W7 compatible the app is, you might then need to repair the boot process. Then you must switch drives in the BIOS.
W7 will probably then recognize a change of environment and ask you to re-activate the OS within 30 days.
That shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks for the info.
My C: PATA 1.8" ZIF SSD is running out of space and a bigger one 128GB will cost me between $450(RUNCORE) to $600(PHOTOFAST) while a can get an INTEL 2.5" SATA G2 SSD for half of the price and performance wise
can not be compared.

I got a retail disk of WIN7 pro and plan to do a fresh install on the D:INTEL SSD leaving the C: for storage.
Hope this will work as I am not an expert on this matter
 
Easiest option is to swap the disks around, then boot from the 7 setup disc and install to the SSD.
 
Great.
That's the easy and safe option.
Type "windows easy transfer" into the "Start" > "help &support" option and you'll find how to preserve and transfer all your custom user settings across via a flash-drive or other external device should you want to.
Just take the old SSD out and put it aside as your insurance backup.
Put in the new SSD and do a normal clean install of W7 to the new device. When it asks, tell it not to activate automatically. That will preserve the legitimacy of the old copy till you're ready to switch.
I'd advise you to pre-format the SSD to your desired partition layout with your present W7 before starting the install.
If you let W7 do its own formatting, it will play "hide the boot files" in a secret extra partition, which only adds complication and is completely unnecessary unless you intend to encrypt the OS.
When you're completely happy with the state of your new W7 (within 30 days) you can activate it and format the old SSD as your data disk.
 
Personally, I use TrueCrypt for encryption and it doesn't require a standalone boot partition like Windows BitLocker does. And it works without a TPM module.
 
Great.
That's the easy and safe option.
Type "windows easy transfer" into the "Start" > "help &support" option and you'll find how to preserve and transfer all your custom user settings across via a flash-drive or other external device should you want to.
Just take the old SSD out and put it aside as your insurance backup.
Put in the new SSD and do a normal clean install of W7 to the new device. When it asks, tell it not to activate automatically. That will preserve the legitimacy of the old copy till you're ready to switch.
I'd advise you to pre-format the SSD to your desired partition layout with your present W7 before starting the install.
If you let W7 do its own formatting, it will play "hide the boot files" in a secret extra partition, which only adds complication and is completely unnecessary unless you intend to encrypt the OS.
When you're completely happy with the state of your new W7 (within 30 days) you can activate it and format the old SSD as your data disk.

Ok thanks.Please bear with me on this.
From what I understand I should go like this>

C: I have my OS WIN71.8" PATA 64gb ssd
D: I have my STORAGE 2.5' SATA HDD

So I replace the 2.5' SATA HDD > 2.5'' SATA SSD and do a fresh install of WIN 7 in it.
The only thing is that how I am gonna boot from the 2.5' SSD.Is it where EASYBCD comes into play?

Appreciate your patience .tx
 
If you install Windows to the SSD, it'll automatically make it the boot drive. You probably won't need EasyBCD.
 
Take out the original small SSD before you install W7 on the new large one.
(otherwise it will probably dual-boot the 2 installations automatically by reusing the original W7 BCD for the new install, preventing you from getting rid of the old SSD without fiddling around. - EasyBCD would help you do that, but easier if you don't let it happen in the first place)
It will also preserve your present OS intact and working, and prevent an accidental overwrite, leaving it as your emergency backup should you encounter problems. (W7 installs are quick and normally problem-free, so you shouldn't have problems, but I'm a believer in "belt and braces")

Taking out both existing storage devices, banging in a brand-new one and doing a clean install is a zero-risk option. You always have the option to resume the status-quo-ante by putting the old drives back, until such time as you're completely happy with the completeness of your new install.

Just remember to decline the automatic activation and then manually invoke activation when you're ready and slip the old SSD back in its slot and format away.
 
Thanks CG & TERRY60 for all the feedback
I PM a forum member of Laptop Reviews - Notebook Reviews and Netbook Computer News & Reviews and got this asnwer :

QUOTE

Ergf. I no longer have the laptop and it's been a while.

I had to install a 3rd-party boot loader, but I cannot recall which one I used (XOSL maybe?). Without a 3rd-party boot loader, the TZ will only ever try to boot from the PATA SSD, regardless of the BIOS boot settings.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but hopefully that points you in the right direction.
UNQUOTE

I came across your site thru this one below where EASYBCD was used however it is in Japanese and and the translation is confusing (IMO) although I keep on trying

���ˡ�������Ū�˹�����:��EasyBCD�פ����Ѥ���typeT(TZ���꡼��)��ޥ��֡��ȤǻȤäƤߤ롣
 
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Easy enough, you just need to keep a small 100mb partition on the PATA SSD as the boot partition. It won't slow your PC down any, it'll only be used to store BOOTMGR and BCD, which together add up to less than a megabyte (or so).
 
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