If you simply copy data to an SSD formated in Win7 there's no problemThe problem is when you restore the image of a mechanical drive into an SSD, formated or not, with Acronis (Typical procedure for system/OS recovery)When you backup a disk with windows installed, you have the C: (or whatever) partition itself, a small System Reserved NTFS partition, and the Master Boot Record (MBR)The procedure in more detail:1.- Create two NTFS partions in the SSD, one of 100MB more or less for the System Reserved NTFS, and the rest for C:. Both primary partitions. Set the system reserved partition as Active2.- Clone the C: partition to the large partiotion in the SSD:3.- Clone the system reserved (Reservado para sistema in spanish in the pic above) to the small partition you created before4.- move the MBR to the SSD, also with acronis (change the default location to the SSD)You don't really need to move the MBR if you are going to keep the old disk, but it's preferable to have the MBR in the OS disk, cause otherwise you'll need both disks to boot into Windows, and if you format the old disk with the MBR, it won't boot anymore

OK, you really do make it sound complicated. Say, what do people do who install W7 new onto SSD? They don't have such options, nor I believe W7 creates two partitions... besides, I remember reading somewhere that under no circumstance one should create partitions on the SSD?? Since I didn't want that my old disk gets ruined - I didn't clone the disk - I created a backup copy of my C drive (approx. 80GB of data), and then restored it onto SSD in the 2nd step. I also asked me to restore MBR and I simply selected it all. I don't know, but it worked just as it would work with mechanical...But anyway, thanks for the clarification...

OK, you really do make it sound complicated.

Come on man, it's only copying two old partitions to two new partitions. You press "new location" to change the partition destination, so if you have a 120GB SSD, you would have patitioned it in a small 100MB partition for the System Reserved, and the rest of the disc for C:/Move the C: partition and under Partition Type -> change default, you check Primary for both the large C partition and the small System Reserved, but aditionally, you check the "mark as active option" for the syste reserved partition.Then you run Acronis again and move the MBR to the SSD. Just select MBR and track 0 in the first screen and the next one will ask you which disk you want it copied to. Pick the SSD The trick is to do it in 3 those different stages, not restoring the whole disk image, so you run Acronis 3 times, one for C, once completed, again for the System Reserved partition, and once that's finished too, to move the Master Boot Record

Say, what do people do who install W7 new onto SSD? They don't have such options, nor I believe W7 creates two partitions...

If you don't have Acronis, you can easily clone it using the built-in Win 7 image utility. Simply create a system image with Win 7. Format the SSD and intall windows. Then use a Win 7 restore CD and select "restore from system image" and use the image previously created. That will keep the allignment.I just told you how to do it with Acronis since you obviously use it and you had an image made with Acronis already.

besides, I remember reading somewhere that under no circumstance one should create partitions on the SSD??

Never heard that

I created a backup copy of my C drive (approx. 80GB of data), and then restored it onto SSD in the 2nd step. I also asked me to restore MBR and I simply selected it all. I don't know, but it worked just as it would work with mechanical...

I'm pretty sure that screwed the partition alligment

That pretty much sums up what I was imagining to do with my system. Bert, may I ask what SSD you are using?Thanks much,Greg

I got the least expensive Kingston SSD.http://www.kingston.com/ssd/v100.aspYou are not writing to this drive, only reading, so write performance reallydoes not matter. (Unless you decide to put the OS on there as well!)

I just switched from my HDD to my 64gb Kingston SSD and I have noticed Faster Loading times overall and also for the scenery. Maybe its a placebo effect but My FSX runs Noticeably smoother with better Framerates. Like I said it might just but me but things have definetley improved!

Dario, thanks for your detailed reply. If I get time, I'll try it out. I already refunded the SSD from Amazon, but I still have it here...But what I wanted to know: if you were doing a new reinstall of windows, what would you do? You would simply format the SSD to NTFS and install windows on it. Why is that different?PS. I just searched some explanations about SSD alignment. Interesting reads. Probably got bad and that is why it was so apparently slow with W7. I don't care much about that though... it was purely a test, so even if failed, doesn't matter. And also thing with W7 clarified - one doesn't have to worry about alignment when installing new.

I just switched from my HDD to my 64gb Kingston SSD and I have noticed Faster Loading times overall and also for the scenery. Maybe its a placebo effect but My FSX runs Noticeably smoother with better Framerates. Like I said it might just but me but things have definetley improved!

You're not dreaming, what you're seeing is real. I have 2 old VRaps. I have copied FSX's folder to one of the Vraps as a back-up. I've renamed the Vrap drive just to see if my new SSD was really giving me faster loading times and smoother flight.It took twice as long to load a flight and I noticed micro stutters and even texture lag when flying fast close to the ground.I'm so glad I've got an SSD drive for FSX. The only problem is that I'm already running out of space and the Revo drives have not gone down in price.