Oh, and the problem lies in the fact that , at least this OEM machine, uses GPT, rather than MBR.

I have read that I may be able to convert it to MBR, then install Windows 8 from a non UEFI disc. Which I have one of those.

On any drive over 2.2 TB you have to format them in GPT. So that means it can't be used as a boot drive. Just tried to install a 4 TB DeckStar HD on Win 7 and ended up taking about 3 hours of research and formatting to get it to work. You're making me think twice about upgrading to Win 8. Does that mean you can't even use Windows own Image program?

Now you understand why I posted way back when about UEFI and what a stupid POS idea it is.

It may be a POS idea but all the high end motherboards are now using UEFI so looks like were kinda stuck with it.

Upgrading to 8 is ok, if you like 8. Just do it in MBR mode and do it on your own built rig. With a normal Windows 8 disc or ISO from the MS Store.

My main rig has a UEFI BIOS but the Windows 8.1 OS on it wasn't installed in UEFI mode. So it doesn't have all these problems. I can restore a disk image backup on it fine.

The problem here is that the OEM machine I bought came preinstalled with a UEFI version of Windows 8.1 which was installed in UEFI mode.

Other words, the UEFI bios isn't the problem. It's the mode in which the OS was installed.

I have seen articles on how to make your own UEFI Windows 8 disc from your non UEFI one.

Why would you want to?

Yes Doc, it is truly a POS!

I didn't do any of this. I only formatted the recovery drive and made a storage drive from it, once I made recovery discs.

All the unallocated partitions and crap loses me...

Not necessarily.

It looks like you can use windows to do a Image backup with Powershell. Here is a link http://www.howtogeek.com/167984/how-to-create-and-restore-system-image-backups-on-windows-8.1/   So I just have to be careful when I install to make sure it isn't in UEFI. I am really debating whether to use 7 or 8 on my new rig when its finished.

I gave up on partitioning drives. I have a Huge old Raidmax case with 3 BR drives. a Vantech hot swap bay, floppy drive and 4 internal drives. Also have 4 Roswell external bays hooked up in eSATA. I use Ghost to back up images on a separate 3TB drive. Don't know why you cant install your operating system on separate drives for a dual boot then edit the MBR using easybdc to duel boot. I will experiment with that and see how it goes. Course that wont work on a laptop with 1 drive would it.

@ RND

For the record the latest versions of Easeus ToDo Backup have no trouble with GPT partitions. 

Last fall (Sept 2013) I purchased a new Toshiba notebook (Windows 8) and wanted to image the 1TB normal drive to an SSD I already had to make the SSD the boot drive and keep the 1TB regular drive for data etc.  Initially just like you I ran into some issues using an older (outdated) version of Easeus ToDo.  I contacted Easeus, upgraded to the newer version of ToDo Workstation which has no issues with GPT partitions etc. and the task was completed painlessly.

I can create an image backup just fine with my program. It's restoring it that's problematic.

Monk, thanks...looking into it! 

Any idea what I need to do to successfully create a new partition? Every time I try, the system won't boot afterward.

I tried with Disk Management in Windows 8, and I tried with Easeus Partition Master.

Here's what I did to migrate the boot partition and all pertinent data from the 1TB drive my notebook shipped with, to the SSD I already had.

1.  I upgraded to the newest Easeus ToDo Workstation software.

2.  I created a bootable CD with the ToDo software on it.

3.  Having both the 1TB regular drive and the SSD connected I booted to the ToDo backup CD.

4.  Selected the boot partition on the 1TB and cloned it to the then empty SSD.

5.  After the clone/copy job completed I turned the system off.  Disconnected the 1TB regular drive to test things and removed the ToDo backup CD.

6.  Booted the notebook.  It booted in exactly the same fashion it had when booting from the 1TB regular drive albeit now a tad faster.

I literally did not have to do anything else to get things working.

EDIT:

As has already been previously stated.  The issue is GPT.  All you need to do is make sure any imaging (backup/restore) software you wish to use properly supports GPT partitions and things will be just as painless (in terms of backup and restore) as they used to be.  

Sounds like a good option, I'll give it a try.

Except for getting the machine to boot from the DVD. It seems I have to go into BIOS and disable the UEFI Boot Options, and Secure Boot, and enable Legacy Boot Options in order to get the PC to boot from the Easeus Disc.

Enlighten me if you know an easier way.