Upgrade to an SSD with Windows 8

I was all over this until you cited the difficulties with Win8.  My only advice would be that unless you absolutely need the new interface stuff with WIn8, go back to Win 7.

I know, not helpful at all, but that's all I've got

^^

Do you have an specific reasons?  I hear several people say "Windows 8 is the worst thing ever", but those people can never tell me exactly why.

I don't have it and I am looking for specific reasons but not getting them.

I'd be interested as well.  I had absolutely no problem picking up the quick keys necessary to use windows 8 effectively.  I don't have a touch screen, but the mouse pad drives for multi-touch for win8 work great.  It is faster and more responsive then Windows 7, and has better security. (Note, I'm a Software Developer, so I am using my machine for coding, so if I want to write win8 apps, I need to have Win8 installed.)

At this point the only reason I am having problems is most cloning software has not been written to be Win8 compliant yet.  And I am impatient in waiting to upgrade to an SSD.

Well, my understanding - admittedly limited - of Win 8 is that the only real change over Win 7 is the new interface features.  It's not that I feel Win 8 is bad, it is that I feel that aside from the potential use of touchscreen, there is absolutely zero compelling reason to move to it over Win 7.... so, if you're not using that then you have gained nothing by moving to it, but have also now introduced the above disk imaging issues.

So, if you don't need the interface changes for touchscreen use, then just revert to Win 7 and move on.

Reload from scratch isn't that painful, and it's usually cleaner assuming you can get a disk - should be free/downloadable somewhere. 

Use Belarc Advisor to inventory all programs, hardware and serial codes (I do this on every home computer)

SSD is different enough I wouldn't trust an image from a non-SSD. Things like Defrag are disabled (they hurt SSD), there's a TRIM function that needs to run and who knows what else.

I've had a 50G SSD and 2+TB data drives on my PC for over a year and it's totally worth the effort. I put a few 128s into older Dell laptops and it's like getting a new machine. All mine have been Win7 so I can't help with the source media. 

In regard to the bolded.... again, unless the things you are coding are related specifically to the new interface features of the OS, I'd imaging that with the correct .NET framework and SDK, you'd be able to code your apps just fine on Win 7.   You'd still need access to Win 8 for testing, I suppose, but I would think that you don't *HAVE* to be on it to write for it.  I see little reason that you couldn't run whatever base OS you want, then use VM's for testing.

OK, you saved yourself from my "friends don't let friends use Windows 8 rant"  That's a legit reason to run it. 

I will say that moving to an SSD is a huge plus and you won't regret it.  I also echo what's already been mentioned about re-installing from scratch.  I haven't done it personally but knowing M$ it's probably very simple and won't take but 15-20 minutes.