Clone m.2 to duplicate m.2?

[Tman8816]

Hi All,

I just got a new laptop, and am upgrading it to an M.2 SSD. If possible, I want to duplicate my tower computer's OS drive (also includes some game/steam). However the caveat here is that the drive I am wanting to duplicate is exactly the same drive as the one on my tower.

Here's the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IAGSDJ0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Crucial MX300 275GB M.2 (2280) Internal Solid State Drive - CT275MX300SSD4

So, I have the obstacle of cloning m.2 to m.2, which I am doing using an m.2 to USB iii adapter. But the big part is the duplication of a drive of the same size.

Is this possible?

Also, i am a little new to the cloning world (never done it). So I have a new OS key for the new drive, but does the cloning delete the source disk's OS/invalidate that key?

This is a Windows 7 Pro OS

Another way I thought I could approach this is by backing up the source disk, install fresh Win 7 Pro onto the new drive, then restore that from the backup? (of course this would include a 3rd drive to house the backup)

Please let me know if I need to provide any more info.

Thanks!

 

[USAFRet]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you want to clone the desktop drive and put that in the laptop?

This will not work.

If I'm wrong, please clarify.

 

[tsnor]

It's hard to clone an operating system and run it in different hardware. It works some times, and not others. It depends on which drivers are on the win7 you are cloning.

A simpler way might be to just clone your STEAM folder if that is what you want to move. That's really safe and easy. Google "copy steam to another drive" or similar.

If you do want to clone your entire drive then use Crucial's free cloning software to first clone to an external USB drive and then clone the external drive to your new system. If you use a Western Digital external drive then you can use the Free WD version of Acronix True Image, which is nice to use. But once you clone there is a real chance that the right MB drivers are not on the tower win7 image to even boot on the noebook MB hardware. GL

 

[Tman8816]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you want to clone the desktop drive and put that in the laptop?

This will not work.

If I'm wrong, please clarify.

This is essentially what I'm trying to do. I have my desktop with all the settings I want and the files I want, and just want to easily replicate this on my new laptop.

why will this not work?

Thanks for the reply!

 

[USAFRet]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you want to clone the desktop drive and put that in the laptop?

This will not work.

If I'm wrong, please clarify.

This is essentially what I'm trying to do. I have my desktop with all the settings I want and the files I want, and just want to easily replicate this on my new laptop.

why will this not work?

Thanks for the reply!

Moving a drive and OS between systems often does not work. It simply fails to boot up.
Desktop to laptop is even less likely to work.

And a 'clone' is exactly like moving the physical drive.


There are many things that exist in the laptop hardware that simply do not exist in the desktop.
Cooling profile, touchpad, monitor interface, etc, etc, etc....all completely different.

And we won't even get into the whole OS licensing issue.

We'd all like things to be that easy.
But they aren't.

 

[Tman8816]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you want to clone the desktop drive and put that in the laptop?

This will not work.

If I'm wrong, please clarify.

This is essentially what I'm trying to do. I have my desktop with all the settings I want and the files I want, and just want to easily replicate this on my new laptop.

why will this not work?

Thanks for the reply!

Moving a drive and OS between systems often does not work. It simply fails to boot up.
Desktop to laptop is even less likely to work.

And a 'clone' is exactly like moving the physical drive.


There are many things that exist in the laptop hardware that simply do not exist in the desktop.
Cooling profile, touchpad, monitor interface, etc, etc, etc....all completely different.

And we won't even get into the whole OS licensing issue.

We'd all like things to be that easy.
But they aren't.

What if i go the route of installing a fresh install of Windows 7 Pro on the new drive, create a restore point of the source drive on a 3rd disk, then restore that point on the new drive with the fresh install?

Thanks for the quick responses USAFRet - very much appreciated!

 

[USAFRet]

What if i go the route of installing a fresh install of Windows 7 Pro on the new drive, create a restore point of the source drive on a 3rd disk, then restore that point on the new drive with the fresh install?

Thanks for the quick responses USAFRet - very much appreciated!

Still, that will not work.
Restoring a Restore Point is only a little different than a full clone. You're still trying to move the system files...the real critical stuff...from a Desktop to a Laptop.

Time to bite the bullet, and just build the software config on the laptop as you need it.
Bearing in mind the actual differences between a desktop and a laptop.

 

[Tman8816]

What if i go the route of installing a fresh install of Windows 7 Pro on the new drive, create a restore point of the source drive on a 3rd disk, then restore that point on the new drive with the fresh install?

Thanks for the quick responses USAFRet - very much appreciated!

Still, that will not work.
Restoring a Restore Point is only a little different than a full clone. You're still trying to move the system files...the real critical stuff...from a Desktop to a Laptop.

Time to bite the bullet, and just build the software config on the laptop as you need it.
Bearing in mind the actual differences between a desktop and a laptop.

Ok, thanks for the info.

Before i take your ultimate advice and just do it the 'normal' way, Question:

Regarding the differences between desktop and laptop hardware, can I not just do the cloning as discussed and then download any necessary drivers for the laptop?

AKA, isnt windows 7 just windows 7, regardless of the platform it is being used on? the differences being just the drivers for the hardware to interact with the OS?

thanks!

 

[USAFRet]

When the OS is installed, it configures itself for the specific hardware. This is not drivers that you and I control and install, but deeper inside the OS.

Win 7 is Win 7, but once installed, that particular install is slightly different than every other installation on the planet.

Sometimes moving a drive+OS between systems works, sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes, issues only crop up later.
I've seen Win 7 fail between two near identical laptops.
I've seen it work between two different desktops.

But Desktop to Laptop is highly unlikely to 'just work'.