# Problems moving HDD to SSD in an Acer Laptop



## DrumSergio (Mar 5, 2013)

Hello!

I've been trying to move all my HDD to the SSD for the past 2 days. I tried almost everything, but it does't work.
In my HHD there are 3 partitions:
-PQSERVICE, (the one Acer put to reinstall everything, used to install windows 7 from here
-Another of 100MB used by windows 7
-C:\... where I have all the stuff y want to move

I copied it to my SSD, although my HDD is 500GB and my SSD 250GB. I resized all the partitions of the HDD to fit in the SSD. Then I copied it partition by partition with EASEUS.

But here's the problem: when I switch on my laptop with the SSD, it just simply doesn't load windows. It says Acer and then... all black, with a flicking white bar.

I tried to restore the MBR with the windows disk (when I did this, my laptop continued switching on and off all alone), I tried with HBCD to boot, and it almost runs, it logs me into the eRecovery Management from Acer, and I formatted the disk, as I wanted to do. but finally it boots me into the same black screen.

Can you help me please? I don't really know what to do... I'm thinking of erasing everything, installing windows 8, but I don't like the idea, because I want the PQSERVICE partition in my laptop, it works really well when it attaches to windows and knows the configuration and everything of the computer. I installed a windows 7 pro to try it for this laptop some time ago, but it's just all messed up without that Acer software.

Thank you.


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## Geofrancis (Mar 9, 2013)

put your old hard drive in a usb case then do a fresh install to your ssd and make a image and save it to the hard drive so you can restore it whenever you want.


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## n0tiert (Mar 9, 2013)

use some like Acronis True Image

Acronis True Image
of "OLD" drive with your system partition, create an Image of "System Partition  & Another of 100MB used by windows 7" and store it on  external USB HDD, 
also create a Backup of "ACER" partition to keepe your win7 lic & stuff.
make shure u enabled USB specific functions in Bios so its recognized on Boot.....
create a Rescue CD/DVD/USB bootable media (Acronis), now change HDD -> SSD, boot from Rescue media, recover Image from USB HDD Device (Image) -> SSD


Image should not be bigger as SSD Size

Acronis HowTo


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## digibucc (Mar 9, 2013)

it's generally not a good idea to move an install from an hdd to an ssd. moving files is fine but you should reinstall windows. there are settings it needs to change when it partitions the drive and installs that make a big difference for ssds. if you just copy an installation you are not getting the benefit your ssd offers.


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## n0tiert (Mar 9, 2013)

digibucc said:


> it's generally not a good idea to move an install from an hdd to an ssd. moving files is fine but you should reinstall windows. there are settings it needs to change when it partitions the drive and installs that make a big difference for ssds. if you just copy an installation you are not getting the benefit your ssd offers.



i have done that without any problems and Performance issues, only if drives are in Raid config Acronis had problems to restore.......
or atleast use Acronis to backup your "ACER" partition and reinstall Windows new..... 
if you copy files (which is none of my approaches) makes you keep of trash, viruses, trojans same on the Image

so you better go on a clean install may using AHCI (get drivers first)


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## digibucc (Mar 9, 2013)

n0tiert said:


> i have done that without any problems and Performance issues



I didn't say there would be problems, there shouldn't be if you do it right. I said you are not getting the full performance of the drive. the allocation unit size should be different on an ssd for one, and that is done at the time of partition/formatting, which is done when restoring an image. if you give it the allocation unit size meant for platter drives you are wasting life and performance that you could be taking advantage of by using the smaller unit size.

it's not about yours or my own personal experience. I have done it as well, but that completely misses the point I was making.


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## n0tiert (Mar 9, 2013)

well the Default 4KB allocation unit size should work, aslong you didn´t change some to personal needs, since you still got that Acer Part. on the HDD i would say all is fine so far by the size......

but u can check it to make shure:

cmd -> chkdsk volumeletter:
(takes a while)

or 

NTFS Info

nice tool


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