Question Bootable clone ?

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Artisanico

Jan 27, 2025
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Hi,
Just a few questions:
1) Can you make a bootable clone to external SSD from HDD?
2) Can a simple amateur like me easily connect an SSD to use as an internal C_drive (and is it advisable?)?
3) Can I expect any complications when Win 10 become unsupported or will everything update automatically?

TIA.
 
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Artisanico said:
Hi,
Just a few questions:
1) Can you make a bootable clone to external SSD from HDD?
2) Can a simple amateur like me easily connect an SSD to use as an internal C_drive (and is it advisable?)?
3) Can I expect any complications when Win 10 become unsupported or will everything update automatically?

TIA.
Click to expand...
1. Go back about 10 steps, and tell us what you're actually wanting to do.

2. Yes.

3. It will (probably) stop getting updates.
 
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USAFRet said:
1. Go back about 10 steps, and tell us what you're actually wanting to do.

2. Yes.

3. It will (probably) stop getting updates.
Click to expand...
I want - in the future, not now - to be able to make a clone of my internal C-Drive without faffing around with HDD's or having to do too much inside my PC. The best medium it seems, on the face of it, is SSD, so that's why I wondered if I could boot from an external SSD ?
 
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TerryLaze said:
Yeah because somebody that is forced to use a 20 year old office PC has money for that.
Or they want it for retro gaming in which case they need the space for the GPU and soundcard.
Click to expand...
Retro *programmes* (I don't do games), maybe. I am too much of a (not-very-rich) computer moron to get into the 2020's without succumbing to the compatibility stumbling blocks. For example, I used to enjoy using Microsoft ICE. Then I stopped using graphics programmes for a few years, and I had to do a complete system reinstall after a C-drive failure. When I then came back to graphics, ICE was no longer supported and I had to try to use alternative programmes that seemed a far cry from ICE and nothing but a struggle to me. Thankfully, after hunting around the 'net, I managed to get ICE reinstalled but I had to do some fancy things like tracking down an old version of Visual Basic and installing it, and after that amendment, having to use Pictureflect instead of the MS standard as my image viewer.
 
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Artisanico said:
Retro *programmes* (I don't do games), maybe. I am too much of a (not-very-rich) computer moron to get into the 2020's without succumbing to the compatibility stumbling blocks. For example, I used to enjoy using Microsoft ICE. Then I stopped using graphics programmes for a few years, and I had to do a complete system reinstall after a C-drive failure. When I then came back to graphics, ICE was no longer supported and I had to try to use alternative programmes that seemed a far cry from ICE and nothing but a struggle to me. Thankfully, after hunting around the 'net, I managed to get ICE reinstalled but I had to do some fancy things like tracking down an old version of Visual Basic and installing it, and after that amendment, having to use Pictureflect instead of the MS standard as my image viewer.
Click to expand...
What OS is on this system now?
 
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TerryLaze said:
Yeah because somebody that is forced to use a 20 year old office PC has money for that.
Or they want it for retro gaming in which case they need the space for the GPU and soundcard.
Click to expand...
BTW I'd be glad if anyone could advise me on what to do as regards my issues with Microsoft ICE because doubtless it will become an issue to me once more when I have to upgrade to Win 11.
 
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USAFRet said:
What is your overall budget?
Going to Win 11 WILL mean a whole new system.
Click to expand...
Microsoft ICE was free so tbh I would rather not pay. But I'd try to keep it below £40. However my biggest issue is the nature of the programme. I knew how to use MS ICE but these other ones I was forced to use, like Gimp, just had me stuck because I am not the fast learner I used to be and I also thought they lacked much of the functionality I was used to (probably my naivety).
 
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Artisanico said:
Microsoft ICE was free so tbh I would rather not pay. But I'd try to keep it below £40. However my biggest issue is the nature of the programme. I knew how to use MS ICE but these other ones I was forced to use, like Gimp, just had me stuck because I am not the fast learner I used to be and I also thought they lacked much of the functionality I was used to (probably my naivety).
Click to expand...
There are multiple other applications, free or cheap.
MS ICE is not really the deciding point of new PC or not, or SSD or not.

"£40" is just barely enough to get you into a reasonable SSD.
It is NOT nearly enough to get you into a Win 11 capable PC.
 
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Artisanico said:
Thanks - I have just bought the last one.
Click to expand...
OK, see this.....

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Both drives must be the same partitioning scheme, either MBR or GPT
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Magician (which includes Data Migration), if a Samsung target SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, you may need to install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up

Verify the system boots with ONLY the current "C drive" connected.
If not, we have to fix that first.

Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

[Ignore this section if using the SDM. It does this automatically]
If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specify the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing
[/end ignore]

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD. This is not optional.
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD

(swapping cables is irrelevant with NVMe drives, but DO disconnect the old drive for this next part)
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------
 
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USAFRet said:
Not really, no.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-PLUS-Sata-Inch-Internal/dp/B01F9G46Q8
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Intelligent-Magician-Software-Internal/dp/B08PC43D78
Click to expand...

I have had really bad experiences with HDDs popping on me, three or four of them in the space of a week when there is a heatwave (hence I nearly lost ALL my data for good) and that's why, in the current one we're having in the UK, I have my fan blowing constantly at my open PC. How do SSD's bear up in heatwaves?
 
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