I've just replaced my 256Gb SSD with a 512Gb SSD after making a clone/backup of the disc with Acronis. So I now have a virgin SSD where my original smaller drive was located. I have gone into computer management and initialized the drive, given it a drive letter and it is showing as active. However, it now throws up a screen when I try to use it saying I have to format the drive??? This I am confused about as I thought SSDs shouldn't be formatted. Can anyone offer some advice before I run the risk of a major cock up! Thanks fellas...

 

BTW: This drive only has FSX, so no OS...  Also, I have Googled this query but am confused, as there are so many posts saying to format the SSD, but that goes against all the info I have read on the forum...

1.- Secure erase (optional)

2.- Quick format

Since other OS's such as Linux also use SSD,s it's entirely probable that you need to format an SSD at some point.

OK, thanks fellas, I just wanted to hear it from some of the guys on the forum. Many thanks...

Thanks for asking this question, Howard, because I tried to clone my 256GB SSD from the existing HDD where the OS is installed, and when trying to boot off it, I get taken to the Windows activation screen, which is a bit off as I've just cloned the original HDD where the OS sits, so, in theory, should not be asking for a Windows re-activation.

Hey Rick, I've managed to sort out the SSD and everything seems to be OK. But I also got got a screen saying it was an unauthorised version of Windows! I mean what the hell is all that about. It isn't even a drive associated with the OS, so why all the BS? Anyway, UI followed an option (I think) to validate Windows and I think it did so as I no longer have the validation message. Windows is a lot cleverer than it ever was and seems to detect any change of HD, meaning that the OS can't be moved from computer to computer. I suppose it only has a drive to determine any legitimacy... But I can't see how changing a secondary drive would initiate a validation message.

I'm beginning to think my backup strategy is not going to work well!  I have a 500Gb SSD w/ Win7 Pro + FSX and wanted to clone it to a 500Gb HDD so that in the event the SSD fails I can clone back to a replacement SSD from the original clone.

 

Dazz, anyone, thoughts on this concept of how to have a reliable back up solution in this context?  One of the bases for my installing Win7 Pro & FSX on one drive was to have a single drive to back up all nice integrated rather than putting FSX on one drive and OS a separate drive as i had done in the past using HDD's.  Would perhaps it be 'better' to just use a drive image to the HDD rather than a bootable clone, or would that be irrelevant to these issues?

 

One other thought I had:  I have a bunch of HDDs with lots of life in them.  I could also install a separate OS (I have a copy of Vista 64) on a 3rd drive, and simply clone my Win 7 SSD to a cloned copy HDD.   This solution, I'm thinking, would keep Paragon Disk Management 2012 suite only on the Vista drive and keep both my Win7 SSD and its HDD clone devoid of any services or what have you that Paragon or Acronis would install into my Win 7 SSD.  I really am trying to keep the sucker free of anything other than Win7, FSX & add ons.

 

Thoughts?

Howard right mouse click your computer icon - then go to properties - that will open your system window bottom it will tell you if its activated or not because you have 30 days before you cant use just because your not getting a message does not mean you are in the clear, I bought a cheaper version of windows7 and you can only use it once had to buy a full blown version from Microsoft just to make sure this does not happen again I replaced a motherboard if you do not have the right copy which I thought I had vendor said it was fine well it wasn't wasted 140 bucks fyi

Hey Rick, I've managed to sort out the SSD and everything seems to be OK. But I also got got a screen saying it was an unauthorised version of Windows! I mean what the hell is all that about. It isn't even a drive associated with the OS, so why all the BS? Anyway, UI followed an option (I think) to validate Windows and I think it did so as I no longer have the validation message. Windows is a lot cleverer than it ever was and seems to detect any change of HD, meaning that the OS can't be moved from computer to computer. I suppose it only has a drive to determine any legitimacy... But I can't see how changing a secondary drive would initiate a validation message.

Hi Howard, thanks for that re: Windows activation. I was beginning to think I was going loopy with Windows asking for a re-activation of an OS that was an exact copy of the original activated OS on the HDD. Glad to see I was not the only one. Anyway, after the PMDG 777 is released, so as not to double up on work, I'll build a new Haswell-based system and start all over again from scratch.

I'm beginning to think my backup strategy is not going to work well!  I have a 500Gb SSD w/ Win7 Pro + FSX and wanted to clone it to a 500Gb HDD so that in the event the SSD fails I can clone back to a replacement SSD from the original clone.

 

Dazz, anyone, thoughts on this concept of how to have a reliable back up solution in this context?  One of the bases for my installing Win7 Pro & FSX on one drive was to have a single drive to back up all nice integrated rather than putting FSX on one drive and OS a separate drive as i had done in the past using HDD's.  Would perhaps it be 'better' to just use a drive image to the HDD rather than a bootable clone, or would that be irrelevant to these issues?

 

One other thought I had:  I have a bunch of HDDs with lots of life in them.  I could also install a separate OS (I have a copy of Vista 64) on a 3rd drive, and simply clone my Win 7 SSD to a cloned copy HDD.   This solution, I'm thinking, would keep Paragon Disk Management 2012 suite only on the Vista drive and keep both my Win7 SSD and its HDD clone devoid of any services or what have you that Paragon or Acronis would install into my Win 7 SSD.  I really am trying to keep the sucker free of anything other than Win7, FSX & add ons.

 

Thoughts?

 

Your system backup needs to include all system drives and/or partitions. In other words, any drives/partitions that contain either the OS or programs installed in the OS you want to backup.

It doesn't need to be a bootable backup. I don't know how Paragon works, but you should have an option to create a live CD from it (or live usb) so you don't need to boot into the OS to recover a backup. That way if the OS drive craps out, you can still restore your backups to a different drive.

What many do including me is to keep data separated from system stuff (OS & programs). My drive layout is:

 

Disk 1: Win 7 + FSX + firefox ...

Disk 2: Other programs

 

Disk 3: Data (My documents, my images, my vids... were all manually set to point to this drive), app installers, %temp%, etc...

Disk 4: Backups (of course this needs to be a separate disk)

 

So to clone my system I just need to clone disks #1 & #2 and since there's no data in there, I have a 160GB clone in half an hour.

Obviously I also backup data, installers and docs to the backup disk

 

What's your drive/partition layout exactly? (drives, partitions and what's in each one of them)

Howard, I think you mean SSDs should not be defragmented, formatting is ok.

Howard right mouse click your computer icon - then go to properties - that will open your system window bottom it will tell you if its activated or not because you have 30 days before you cant use just because your not getting a message does not mean you are in the clear, I bought a cheaper version of windows7 and you can only use it once had to buy a full blown version from Microsoft just to make sure this does not happen again I replaced a motherboard if you do not have the right copy which I thought I had vendor said it was fine well it wasn't wasted 140 bucks fyi

 

 

Cheers Rich. Sorted, yes, it is showing as registered, thanks.

 

 

Howard, I think you mean SSDs should not be defragmented, formatting is ok.

 

Duuurrrggghhh! Yup, you know John, I hit the big 6 0 this year and I think stupidity is obligatory! Yes, of course I was thinking not to be defragmented... :blush:  Thanks for reminding me of my impending memory loss! 

Great Howard thanks for the info

Yes correct Howard format is fine. Did the same third Dont fragment though Wayne.

 

 

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Disk 1: Win 7 + FSX + firefox ...

Disk 2: Other programs

Disk 3: Data (My documents, my images, my vids... were all manually set to point to this drive), app installers, %temp%, etc...

Disk 4: Backups (of course this needs to be a separate disk)

 

Hello Dario,

Here is my basic layout:  

Disk1: on a single 500Gb SSD in the sole partition I have Win 7 + FSX + All other FSX add-ons of any kind + another flight simulator sometime in the future.  If that new simulator is P3D version 2 then I will likely uninstall FSX.

Disk2: If I decide to install any non-flight sim games I would create another totally separate OS install since I have a copy of Vista 64 Ultimate.

 

I use a MacBook Pro for most all other computing needs, plus have my old XP install in a different case that I still use to power Giga Studio 4.0--a dying but still useful program. 

 

I have a useable 500Gb SATA 7200 HDD that is in the box & formatted and empty.  Should I make 'an image' of my entire 500Gb Disk1 SSD to this HDD?