Windows 7 --- Copy System Partition to a SSD (on a laptop )

My experience on adding a SSD to an old laptop and copying Windows System Partition

Hardware

• Existing
• Acer 5745 with 8 Gb RAM /  DVD  /  500 Gb HDD
• Upgrade
• Bought a caddy in Ebay






Universal 12mm Laptop Optical Bay Hard Disk SATA to SATA 12.7mm HDD Caddy costing INR 750

• This product is available from seller sitetechnologies.in on ebay.in
• Bought a SSD 128 Gb from flipkart @ INR 4240

My Experience

• Backup
• Used Macrium Reflect to take an image of my C drive (System partition) which contained my Windows 7 OS on an external drive
• Choose Disk Image and then select the desired System partition
• Create the Image on the external Media
• Also created the Windows Recovery Media on a USB device
• I used a SD Card of 4 gb
• Choose Other Tasks -> Create Rescue Media -> windows PE
• Fixing the SSD
• Opened my laptop (rear 8 screws) and removed my HDD and fixed the SSD in it's place.
• Restore 
• Connect the external HDD  containing the System Image
• Connect the Windows PE media ( In case my SD Card)
• Started my laptop and choose the F2 / F12 key to start boot from my SD Card (USB)
• Windows PE rescue will start.
• Choose the Restore Image option 
• Choose the Source as  the Image from the external Drive
• Choose Target as the SSD Drive
• Complete the Restore and shutdown
• Start the Laptop and boot from Windows PE Media again
• Hit Esc to stop the Windows PE from going to the Restore Image menu
• Use Fix Windows Boot Problems on the SSD Drive
• Now it will offer to correct the SSD drive
• Write the MBR and Boot info
• You are done
• Reboot and check that the system partition successfully boots
• Fixing the Hard Drive
• Now remove the DVD drive 
• Fix the HDD in the Caddy and push it back
• Close Laptop
• Restart the system

Why did I have to shift the Hdd to the Caddy

• My laptop BIOS cannot identify the HDD connected on the DVD port
• Of course you can workaround this by using Windows Restore and create a Boot table which would show both partitions allowing you to boot from either