Restoring system onto new disk breaks Windows Update

Hi, first post, so be gentle.

I ordered my m11x R2 with the standard 250GB disk and purchased a 750GB disk to install in its place. I used the Dell DataSafe utility to backup my disk. I swapped the hard drives and restored the system onto the new disk. Everything seemed to go fine, until after a few days I noticed that the Windows Update service wasn't working.

Whenever I try to run the service it tells me it can't update as the service is not running, but it is. There's a service called Windows Protection which is supposed to start automatically but doesn't appear to. I've started this service manually then run Windows Update, it just hangs for a while then dies. When I check again the Windows Protection service is stopped.

I've purchased Acronis TrueImage, put the 250GB disk back in and done a full sector by sector image of this disk. I've then restored it onto the 750GB disk (all partitions and the MBR) and it has the same problem.

Has anyone tried to do what I'm doing and got it to work? Is it an activation type issue?

I've tried Googling the error messages but nothing relevant seems to turn up. I'm a long time Mac owner so my Windows skills are a little rusty and Windows 7 experience non-existent.

I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium btw.

Many thanks in advance

Colin

 

I used the Acronis True Image Home 2010 trial to clone my stock drive to my Momentus XT. No issues with MS updates or any other services afterward. Did you use its Clone Disk tool or backup/restore? Cloning is what you want - all partitions.

If that's not it then my only other theory is that perhaps it's a GUID issue?

 

I believe I used cloning, checked all the partitions, as when it had finished my main partition was around 220GB, which makes me think it was cloned.

Strange, and annoying.

Colin

 

Something went south during the restore - I have used Dell DataSafe Local a number of times and have not had any issues. Might want to try it again...