So the Windows 8 Consumer Preview was released yesterday. I was most likely one of the first on the East Coast to grab it (the second the link went live, I got it thanks to CNET). So I'm ready to install Windows 8 on my SSD. During the Developer Preview, Windows 7 was on my SSD. Now, I'm willing to kick Windows 7 off my SSD and put it on my 1.5tb HDD, or at the least make Windows 7 as small as I can.
What are some steps that I can take to make Windows 7 as small as I can? I'm willing to reinstall Windows, if nothing else will make it small enough.
EDIT:
Okay, so I tried to make a system image using XXClone, but I accidentally replaced ALL {read: worse than house on fire} my data with a copy of my SSD. So I used XXClone to make Windows 7 {the cloned version} boot, but my hard drive was corrupted. So I now have no working Windows 7 partition and 2 corrupted Windows 7 partitions. Also, all my data is gone off my main drive.
EDIT2:
Thank goodness for the cloud. All my data was synchronized to my laptop before my desktop had this meltdown. I fixed my MBR on Windows 7's new partition on the WD Green drive, but Windows 7 on my SSD is dead. Thanks for all your help; I think I'll accept the answer that told me to image my drive, as that ended up working {even though I had some troubles in between}.
EDIT3:
Okay, I finally installed it. All is good - except I now have to press a funky series of keystrokes to boot. I'll fix that tomorrow. Thanks to all.
P.S. Stop downvoting music2myear's answer. It was helpful. It worked. So instead of downvoting, upvote the answer. And my question :).