"andy" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 30 Jan 2010 07:49:06 -0500, "Michael"
wrote:

XPS/Dimension 630i.
This came with a 600GB HDD and I added a 1.5TB HDD. The 600 came with
Vista
and I created a 100GB partition on the 1.5TB for Windows 7. I now want to
place 7 on the 600GB and move Vista to the 100GB partition. I've imaged
both the 600GB and 100GB separately using Acronis. Can I use the Windows
7
image and restore it to the 600GB HDD and vise versa?

It can be done, but not simply as merely restoring each image on the
other drive.

Each drive has a unique disk signature located in its MBR. Each
installed operating system identifies the hard drives by their disk
signatures contained in the MountedDevices data field in the registry.
So even if the operating system is moved to the other drive, it's
still is going to think it's running on its old drive when it detects
it by the disk signature. The easiest fix for this problem is to swap
the disk signatures using a utility such as MBRWizard.

If you want to continue booting from the 600GB drive, you have to
create the BCD on it.

If you want an understanding of what's required to make this work,
Google mbr disk signature, and mounteddevices disk signature.

Thanks.
--


"Don't pick a fight with an old man.
If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."