[SOLVED] Clone HDD to SSD

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ibrahim2630

Jun 13, 2020
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I bought a SSD and want to clone my HDD to the SSD and make SSD as primary boot drive.
I just want a short and easy step by step guide before i start.
What i know so far is - you clone the HDD to the SSD then restart your PC and open up for the BIOS and make the SSD as primary boot up. And then formating HDD? But I read something about disconnect HDD, when do i have to do that?
And another thing is i just opened my BIOS settings up for know how it looks like and to know the key. But it doesnt show up the SSD in the priority list, how to fix that?
I have formated my SSD after installing. It is totally empty inside, not even one file is inside it.

Here is how it looks like (My BIOS):
https://ibb.co/t8C47Yd

And this is how it should be like, right?
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JaHLyppI1s
 
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geofelt

geofelt

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First of all, the new ssd should be able to hold what is on the current boot hdd.

The clone utility you need will depend on the brand of ssd you bought. Most will have a proprietary utility. Or, there is a more general utility like macrium reflect.

The process is to install your new ssd and run the clone utility to copy all you need to the ssd.
It may take an hour or more.
Once done simply remove or disconnect the hdd and connect the new ssd in it's place. When you boot, you should be on the ssd. This proves that the clone process worked properly.

Later, you can reattach the HDD and do what you will with it.
Files will be available, or, you can even reformat the HDD.
I would put the hdd in an external usb enclosure and use it for external backup.
 
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ibrahim2630

Jun 13, 2020
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My SSD shows 931/930GB, so it should get the entire HDD into it?
Okay so after i have cloned it and disconnect the HDD i dont even need to go to BIOS and do all that stuff from there, it will automatically do it when i just move the cable of the drives, huh?
And last thing is, if i dont format the HDD how will my PC handle it, like two exactly same disk, both have Windows installed on it etc. isnt a problem? (i will format the HDD, it was just a curiosity)
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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ibrahim2630 said:
My SSD shows 931/930GB, so it should get the entire HDD into it?
Okay so after i have cloned it and disconnect the HDD i dont even need to go to BIOS and do all that stuff from there, it will automatically do it when i just move the cable of the drives, huh?
And last thing is, if i dont format the HDD how will my PC handle it, like two exactly same disk, both have Windows installed on it etc. isnt a problem? (i will format the HDD, it was just a curiosity)
Click to expand...
Slow down.

To migrate into a "1TB SSD", your actual consumed space must be below 800GB.
So, answer to the above question will let us determine how to proceed.
 
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ibrahim2630

Jun 13, 2020
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USAFRet said:
Slow down.

To migrate into a "1TB SSD", your actual consumed space must be below 800GB.
So, answer to the above question will let us determine how to proceed.
Click to expand...
But i will move a lot of it back to the HDD. I will only have programs, games etc. i use daily and often and the rest will be moved back to the HDD.
 
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geofelt

geofelt

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With 930gb used, you are very close to not being able to clone.
I hope your new ssd is 2tb. A almost filled ssd will perform poorly since it has few available free nand blocks for updates.
If you can pare down that 930gb then, perhaps.
If your new ssd is samsung, then their migration app lets you not move large file folders. When you reconnect the HDD, those folders will still be available.
The reconnected HDD will simply be a D drive with some windows folders on it which you can delete if you wish.
 
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ibrahim2630

Jun 13, 2020
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geofelt said:
With 930gb used, you are very close to not being able to clone.
I hope your new ssd is 2tb. A almost filled ssd will perform poorly since it has few available free nand blocks for updates.
If you can pare down that 930gb then, perhaps.
If your new ssd is samsung, then their migration app lets you not move large file folders. When you reconnect the HDD, those folders will still be available.
The reconnected HDD will simply be a D drive with some windows folders on it which you can delete if you wish.
Click to expand...
My SSD is 1TB and WD blue, i wrote it further up in the beginning.
I will start removing and deleting till i'm below 800GB and as i said i will move the half of the disk maybe more or less back to the HDD after cloning so it would be around 400GB on it, so it is very fine isnt it?
 
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ibrahim2630

Jun 13, 2020
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Okay, i'm back. I have copied some files to my flash drive and in online storage, such as dropbox, Mega, etc. Now my HDD storage is 915/139GB = 776GB, right? Now we can clone it?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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ibrahim2630 said:
Can we please continue...
Click to expand...
Yes, sorry. I had a major lightning induced outage, and did not have access to my main system.

here ya go:

-----------------------------
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
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
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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ibrahim2630

Jun 13, 2020
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First of all, hope nothing seriously happened about the lightning. Thanks for be back :)

I have installed the Marcium reflect on my system for like a week ago so i dont need to power off i think?
So now the only thing i have to do is start the clone process till it's done and then disconnect the HDD and swap the SATA cable so i use the HDD on the SSD.
Power on verify the BIOS boot order. Do i need to open up the BIOS settings, or does it automatically?
Then see if everything is good after the BIOS boot order and the PC running normal, then i can power off reconnect the HDD and format it and DONE?
 
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ibrahim2630

Jun 13, 2020
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USAFRet said:
Those steps above...;)

BIOS, you need to verify manually. It does not change that by itself.
Click to expand...
SOMETHING WEIRD HAPPENED. I cloned and shutted my pc down then i switch the SATA cable from the HDD to SSD when i turn my pc on tried to open BIOS instead of giving me the options to choice in BIOS it just showed a box of my system like which CPU i have etc. And press a key to continue then i did that and would try to reboot it to enter the BIOS again but everything works fine it just opened my PC and everything looks as before like before i installed the SSD and only had the HDD. The only thing is my mouse isnt showing on my screen i will try to reboot it to see if any issues should pop up.
 
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ibrahim2630

Jun 13, 2020
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USAFRet said:
When you booted up the first time, was the HDD physically disconnected?
Click to expand...
Yeah, i took both cables off it and replaced it with the SSD. And the mouse is back now. I replugged it and then worked (actually did that like 2 or 3 times and didnt work :D)
Now i will try to reboot it and just open my pc directly without trying to enter the BIOS and see if everything is good.
 
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