[SOLVED] Are there good ways to transfer all data from one SSD to another?

[Ironarmygeneral]

Hi guys--I know this kind of sounds like an obvious question, just move the files from one to another.

It's kind of hard to explain but basically I have a 60GB SSD which is my boot drive (Yes, I know...) and I have a 120GB SSD. I have a couple bigger hard drives for my games, applications, long term storage, etc. Anyway, I HOPE/want to get my Windows install, entire file system, and all of its data (of the 60GB boot drive) to be transferred and working onto my 120GB SSD, and everything that is on the 120GB SSD currently (not much, maybe 40GB--this may be ironic and come as a surprise but I'm kind of a data hoarder so 40GB really isn't a lot to me in general haha) to transfer onto the 60GB SSD.

Now, if there isn't a good way to do it like that, I can easily take the files off the 120GB and put them temporarily onto one of my hard drives, and move it back and change the install locations of the applications that use those files.

But does anyone know of a decent program (hopefully that doesn't cost much or anything, I'm really just trying to put duct tape on the problem until I can save enough to get a really good and much larger NVME drive) that could do this for me, while keeping my Windows installation and all of my program installations? In a way I can keep the drive letter assigned C/ so I don't have to change application installation paths on EVERYTHING ) I tried looking myself and I wasn't really sure what to go with as I've never really used any programs like that before. Thanks!

 

[doolittle]

yes it is very painless, I use Macrium Reflect free - also mentioned in this quick guide

https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/copy-your-windows-installation-to-an-ssd

yes transfer that 40gb back to the 60gb if it will fit then run the clone to the 120gb, once that is done power down and either remove the 60gb or disable in the bios and set the 120gb as the boot drive

once the 120gb drive is fully tested and OK by you, then reenable the 60gb drive (making sure you still have the 120gb set as primary in BIOS) and you should be able to reformat the old 60gb painlessly

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

yes it is very painless, I use Macrium Reflect free - also mentioned in this quick guide

https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/copy-your-windows-installation-to-an-ssd

yes transfer that 40gb back to the 60gb if it will fit then run the clone to the 120gb, once that is done power down and either remove the 60gb or disable in the bios and set the 120gb as the boot drive

once the 120gb drive is fully tested and OK by you, then reenable the 60gb drive (making sure you still have the 120gb set as primary in BIOS) and you should be able to reformat the old 60gb painlessly

There definitely isn't enough room on the 60GB for those files so I'll move them to a different drive for now, haha.

Just another quick question or two I guess: This program just makes a clone correct? Obviously so I can still continue to use the boot drive until it's finished cloning? Seems like an obvious question just wanted to make sure. Also, I know Dban doesn't work for SSDs, I have a previous install of Windows 7 that will not for the life of me get removed (it's like it's on a hidden partition or something. Doesn't show up anywhere but I can still boot to it somehow :/ ) and I want to completely nuke the drive before I use it again... is there a good program for SSDs too? I couldn't find one either that looked decent. Thanks!

 

[Lafong]

Macrium can clone and Macrium can image.

Either process will transfer a system to a new drive, but they are different ways to accomplish the same thing.

Cloning is a one step process. Imaging has two steps: making the image and then later restoring it.

Cloning might have a higher failure rate.

I'd probably try cloning first. If it fails, I wouldn't get excited....just try imaging instead. Imaging is maybe a bit more complicated for a first time user.

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

Macrium can clone and Macrium can image.

Either process will transfer a system to a new drive, but they are different ways to accomplish the same thing.

Cloning is a one step process. Imaging has two steps: making the image and then later restoring it.

Cloning might have a higher failure rate.

I'd probably try cloning first. If it fails, I wouldn't get excited....just try imaging instead. Imaging is maybe a bit more complicated for a first time user.

I'm actually quite tech savvy personally so I think either of those options wouldn't be too bad for me to figure out on there, I'm just pretty unfamiliar with any programs like this so it will just take me some time to learn a little bit. I'll let you guys know what I figure out.

 

[Lafong]

OK; Macrium has a 400 plus page PDF manual if you want to root around for it.

But that's not typically required for a first attempt.

You can make an ordinary image of all partitions on a given drive in 6 or 8 mouse clicks using defaults. Worry about the excruciating lesser details later.

Restoration of the image is a bit more complex....you can foul up by restoring to the wrong drive for instance. So maybe try cloning first. Best idea is to disconnect all irrelevant drives.

The image typically takes up around 50 percent of the occupied space on the source partitions. You'd probably store it on an external and restore from the external back to the target drive.

Macrium is highly reliable...in the upper 90 percentile somewhere.

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

Thanks