[SOLVED] Clone OS to new drive(partition)

[ValhallaOutcast]

I currently have Windows 10 on a 256GB SATA SSD(C:\), I have a 2TB NVME M.2 drive with some games on it (G:\)

I kind of want to elimate sata to reduces cables etc

Can I create a partition on G:\ to clone the C:\ drive to it ?

Do I need the partition to be the full 256GB of C:\ even if only 100GB is being used? or can I make it 128GB?

Would I leave the partition unallocated so the cloning software ( Acronis True Image) can give it the C:\ drive letter?

Is there a better way to do this?

 

[USAFRet]

Trying to clone "the OS" into a specific partition on a different drive?
SATA -> NVMe?
That pathway is full of fail.

How to?
Copy ALL data off that 2TB NVMe, to somewhere else.
Clone into that drive.
Assuming it works, then you can maybe manage partitions, etc, and copy the data back into a different partition.

Do NOT try to do this all at once.

 

[TerryLaze]

Can I create a partition on G:\ to clone the C:\ drive to it ?

You have or well rather you should make two new partitions one for windows and one as the efi system partition (boot partition)

Do I need the partition to be the full 256GB of C:\ even if only 100GB is being used? or can I make it 128GB?

You can use file based cloning that would only need as much free space as you have files to clone over so 100Gb would be ok but keep in mind that windows increases in size over time.

Would I leave the partition unallocated so the cloning software ( Acronis True Image) can give it the C:\ drive letter?

You don't need to give it a drive name and drive letter is irrelevant anyway since the drive the OS is booting from will be named C: always.The real name of a partition is the disk uuid which is a long hexadecimal string.

Start with making the efi partition and use easybcd to give it some boot options.
Plug out the ssd to see if the nvme drive shows you the boot menu.
Then clone over windows to a different partition and check again if the nvme boots to windows now.

Yes you should backup all your important files from the nvme drive because things can easily go very wrong.

 

[DV4PER]

You have or well rather you should make two new partitions one for windows and one as the efi system partition (boot partition)

You can use file based cloning that would only need as much free space as you have files to clone over so 100Gb would be ok but keep in mind that windows increases in size over time.

You don't need to give it a drive name and drive letter is irrelevant anyway since the drive the OS is booting from will be named C: always.The real name of a partition is the disk uuid which is a long hexadecimal string.

Start with making the efi partition and use easybcd to give it some boot options.
Plug out the ssd to see if the nvme drive shows you the boot menu.
Then clone over windows to a different partition and check again if the nvme boots to windows now.

Yes you should backup all your important files from the nvme drive because things can easily go very wrong.

I've got a similar issue, except that my OS and Program Files are on separate Partitions, both of which I'm wanting to clone onto a larger HDD.

Do I follow the same steps you've outlined above? Do I just use easybcd to do this, or do I need any other programs?

 

[USAFRet]

I've got a similar issue, except that my OS and Program Files are on separate Partitions, both of which I'm wanting to clone onto a larger HDD.

Do I follow the same steps you've outlined above? Do I just use easybcd to do this, or do I need any other programs?

Please show us a screencap of your Disk Management window.
What is the source drive?
The target drive? Make/model/size?

Cloning steps, in detail, to follow.

 

[DV4PER]

Please show us a screencap of your Disk Management window.
What is the source drive?
The target drive? Make/model/size?

Cloning steps, in detail, to follow.

My source drive is a Seagate Hybrid 4TB that wasn't formatted using GPT (that's why there's the extra 2 TB there at the end). :/ My target drive is a Seagate Exos 8TB.

Any other info needed?

 

[USAFRet]

Any other info needed?

OK...this is a relatively complex operation.

I recommend you start a new thread for this scenario.
New one, in the Storage Forum, and PM me the link.

Storage

forums.tomshardware.com

Next request for a Disk Management window will be with ONLY the source drive connected.
All others disconnected.
Makes it much easier to read.