7) Plan C: (re)install windows and make it USB bootable

Plan C: (re) install windows.

New installation of windows (bootable from USB disk)

Altough my licence was accepted, I got a pop up menu in windows after 3 day's to permanently activate the licence. This happens when you choose “online registration”. If you skip this registration step you can use windows for 30 day's without a licence.

By using a particular installation program, WintoUSB, it is possible to make a USB bootable installation on a disk. Without this software, windows can only be installed at the disk in the laptop itself.

A new windows installation it self is easy; afterwards there is a lot to be done:

A new windows installation looks likes this on the new disk and consists of about 10 GB:

 And the screen looks like this: empty. No additional programs installed; no internet connection, etc.

After the new installation of windows there are 3 categories of data that must be put in place:

1. user accounts and user data (not only files but also all userid's and passwords; key for WIFI access, mail access configuration, etc);
2. hardware drivers;
3. user programs like adobe, open office, etc

There are means to make this more easy. Therefore some preperations.

Preparations:

• backup: its always sensible to make a backup in case something goes wrong. See other  page.

• Easywindows: this is a windows program that transfers the useraccounts, the user data within that accounts, settings, etc to another windows installation.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/transfer-files-settings-from-another-computer#1TC=windows-7

Execute Windows Easy Transfer on your old disk. It will make a specific file with all the data inside. After installation of windows on the new disk run Windows Easy Transfer again and it will import all the data from that file in the new windows installation;

• Drivermax: download drivermax on the old disk.

 http://download.cnet.com/DriverMax/3000-18513_4-10572602.html

Run “backup drivers” on your old disk/installation and it will make a zip file with all drivers needed. After installing windows on the new disk, run “Restore drivers from backup” and all the drivers are installed in the new windows installation. See steps below;

• connect the new drive with a USB holder or docking station to the laptop.

Steps: install windows to make a bootable (USB) disk:

1. download the general windows installation .iso file on old disk;
2. download WintoUSB on old disk;
3. run WinToUSB to install windows on new disk;
4. Run Easy Windows Transfer to transfer useraccounts and user data;
5. Run Drivermax to restore the hardware drivers;
6. shut down your laptop; disconnect power en and remove the battery pack;
7. replace the old drive with the new one;
8. place battery pack en connect power;
9. boot your computer from the new disk and follow the instructions;
10. install all other programs you need;
11. copy remaining user data not included in easy windows transfer;

Steps in detail:

1. download the general windows installation .iso file:

http://www.w7forums.com/threads/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-image-downloads.12325/

(or google for your right windows version.iso) Choose the right language and windows version. For example windows 7 64 bit Dutch.

The .iso file contains all the windows types (basis, home, home premium, professional,etc).

2. download and install WintoUSB on old disk 

http://www.easyuefi.com/wintousb/index.html

3. start WintoUSB and load the windows.iso file. WinToUSB lets you choose the windows type:

Select the disk to install on. This may be an USB disk (the SSD disk connected through USB).

The partitions will be formatted. Its possible to make the system- and boot partition in the same partition on the disk. In this case an empty disk with only one partition: I:

Now you can boot from the new disk to see if it works: shut down the laptop and during startup press the corresponding function key to choose the boot device. Otherwise it boots from the old disk in the laptop.

4) Run Easy Windows Transfer on the new disk/new windows installation. Load the Easy Windows Transfer file from the old disk;

5) Run “restore drivers from backup” within Drivermax using the backup zip file that was made during the preperations and is present on the old disk;

6) shut down your laptop; disconnect power en and remove the battery pack;

7) replace the old drive with the new one;

8) place battery pack en connect power; boot your computer from the new disk in the laptop and follow the instructions.

9) install the programs needed. The website “ninite” enables you to install a number of common used programs at once:

 https://ninite.com/

10) connect the old drive using the USB holder or docking station to the laptop;

11) copy remaining user data not included in the easy windows transfer from the old disk to the new disk.

 Note: you can't copy entire user folders or libraries from one computer to another. That won't work properly in the new installation. Windows Easy Transfer has done that job. You can only copy individual files (not system files) or partitions other than the C:system partition;.