Question Cloning boot drive to smaller drive using Macrium Reflect

[itm]

I'm trying to clone my Windows 10 boot drive (1TB, of which 450GB used) to a smaller HDD (500GB). using Macrium Reflect (free edition). The boot drive has 2 partitions:
1 - NTFS Active: (shown with usage 338.63GB / 930.99GB)
2 - NTFS Primary: (shown with usage 453.3 MB/ 536.0MB)
I've done this:

• Selected the disk in the "Create Backup" section
• Selected "Clone this disk..."
• Selected the target HDD to clone to
• Dragged the first partition from the Source to the Destination - the Destination showed this with usage 338.63GB/465.76GB)
• Tried to drag the 2nd partition from the Source drive to the Destination

I was unable to drag the 2nd partition to the Destination - the cursor changed to a red circle with a red line across it.
Any idea why I can't copy the 2nd partition/how I can clone the whole drive to the smaller drive?

 

[USAFRet]

For a 500GB target drive, the actual consumed space MUST be below 400GB.

Please show us a screencap of the working Disk Management window.

 

[USAFRet]

I'm thinking you are dragging them in the wrong order.
Pull down the NTFS Primary of 453.3 MB first, then the large one second.

 

[itm]

If I try dragging them in reverse order (pulling down the NTFS Primary of 453.3 MB first) the 2nd drag operation still fails.
Here's the disk mgt screenshot of the two drives:

https://imgur.com/TvLASpg

View: https://imgur.com/TvLASpg

 

[USAFRet]

Disk 1 is the target drive? 500GB, all of which will be wiped out in this process?

Please show what is on the other 2 drives.

 

[itm]

Yes Disk 1 is the target drive - all to be wiped. Here's the full DiskMgmt display:

https://imgur.com/RyqreDq

View: https://imgur.com/RyqreDq

 

[USAFRet]

Ok. Try it with ONLY the C partition selected for the clone. Leave the other partition off.
See what happens.

 

[itm]

Ok. Try it with ONLY the C partition selected for the clone. Leave the other partition off.
See what happens.

The C partition copies fine, but when I try to copy the 2nd partition it tells me there isn't enough space on the target.

 

[USAFRet]

The C partition copies fine, but when I try to copy the 2nd partition it tells me there isn't enough space on the target.

Right.
So do JUST the C partition, and see if the system boots up.

 

[itm]

Hmmm...after a restart of Macrium I can now drag the partitions in reverse order (i.e. smallest partition first) - the clone is now running.
When complete, how do I make the clone drive bootable? (and can it be made bootable while still in the USB enclosure?)
Is it also OK that two drives will then be listed in Disk Manager as "Boot" drives?

 

[USAFRet]

Hmmm...after a restart of Macrium I can now drag the partitions in reverse order (i.e. smallest partition first) - the clone is now running.
When complete, how do I make the clone drive bootable? (and can it be made bootable while still in the USB enclosure?)
Is it also OK that two drives will then be listed in Disk Manager as "Boot" drives?

After this clone is done:
Power OFF
Physically disconnect ALL drives
Put the new drive in the system and connect it.
Then, power up with ONLY the new drive connected.

If the clone process worked, that WILL be the boot drive.
You may have to change the boot order in the BIOS, but thats it.

Normally:
-----------------------------
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)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, 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
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

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 specifiy the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing

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.
-----------------------------

 

[itm]

Post-clone the primary partition on the SSD is shown in Disk Manager as "Healthy {Primary Partition). The original HDD's main partition is also listed as "Boot" - should the SSD be shown as a Boot partition after cloning?

 

[USAFRet]

-------------------
Power OFF
Physically disconnect ALL drives
Put the new drive in the system and connect it.
Then, power up with ONLY the new drive connected.
----------------------


Did you do this?

 

[itm]

All other drives now disconnected. SSD selected as primary boot drive. Machine not booting - not finding a boot drive
???