Cloning Hard-drive to SSD

[monki32]

Hi guys, I was wondering how you would go about making a clone of your hard-drive and putting it on an SSD?

I would be doing this on my laptop, if anyone has a link to a good guide or can provide some insight that'd be much appreciated.

The only I/O I have are USB 2.0 so would be easiest to do it that way, but I could take it out and connect it to a desktop.

Cheers
Simon

 

[christop]

You can use ghost to clone your main drive to the ssd. You need a usb to sata connector so you can plug your ssd into your usb port for cloning. You could plug both into your desktop and clone it that way..

 

[monki32]

You can use ghost to clone your main drive to the ssd. You need a usb to sata connector so you can plug your ssd into your usb port for cloning. You could plug both into your desktop and clone it that way..

If it clones the drive will it copy partitions?

My drive is 500 Gb but is partitioned into 2 x 224Gb, planning on using a smaller ssd, only 120Gb so would there be an issue?

 

[christop]

Yes it will copy the whole thing but it will not work as your old drive is bigger than your ssd.

 

[RetiredChief]

Cloning means EXACT copy, FOR HDs that means a sector-by-sector copy:
1) You can not clone a Given size HD to a smaller one.
2) Sectors will not normally be properly aligned for SSD
3) Cloning is often used when the term Migration should be used even by manuf..

There are several good Migration tools, some free, some cheap. What You need to look at is will the program, many of the newer ones will especially ones designed for SSDs (like Ez-Gig and Easy US):
1) Properly align the partition offsets for SSD.
2) Will it enable Trim
3) Will it resize partition(s), and if your Current OS partition is too large will it allow selection of what to migrate and what not to migrate.

My Preference is EZ-Gig @ $19 from Newegg. The price is mainly for the Sata-2-USB adaptor (got mine free with one of my SSDs). If it coms with Ez-Gig-II, just go to the website and down load the free Verision IV ISO. NOTE: the program does NOT run with a generic SATA->USB adaptor, requires the Apricorn adaptor.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812161004
Software: http://www.apricorn.com/products/software/ezgig.html

Ive' also used EasyUS which is a free program for Home use:

Caution: How was the OS installed on your HDD, Using Bios set to IDE, or AHCI. For SSDs the Bios must be set to AHCI, NOT IDE. Sata Can be used providing: A) If using older that 7 Series Intel chipset the SSD can NOT be a member drive of say Raid0.1,5,or 10. B) If 7 Series Chipset (ie IB's Z77) then you can using it can be a member drive as long as the Latest RST driver is used. This is for trim to be passed to the SSD. Not a AMD person, so if AMD chipset need to check their driver or use the default msahci usoft driver.

Bottom Line here is if the HDD was installed using Bios set to IDE, TRIM will NOT be passed and needs to be corrected either before migrating, or afterwords. Before is preferred.
How to: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

 

[RetiredChief]

Added:
While the program will re-size the partition(s), when going from a HDD->SSD I just migrate the OS and The System partition. So I normally re-size the OS partition to slightly less than the size of the SSD.

A) Remember a 128 Gig SSD is ONLY approx. 120 Gigs, and a 120 Gig SSD = 111 Gigs after formatting.
B) MUST leave approx. 20% Unused. This is to allow wear leveling, Garbage collector and TRIM to work their magic to keep the SSD performing like new. So Getting the "C" partition down to 90/95 Gigs for a 120/128 gig SSD will work fine.

To do this is rather simple. Move all data you have stored in on C drive to your 2nd HDD partition so that just the OS and programs are left - Probably down to 30->35 gigs Plus some games. (If you stored a bunch of data in "C:\user\myDocuments" Just copy the folder to your D-drive the Delete the contents (don't delete the Folder) on C-Drive.

Once you get the size down, then simply resize your C-Drive:
.. Rt click MyComputer, select manage
.. Select disk management
.. Rt click C-Drive (Probably drive 0).
.. Select shrink and shrink down to 90/95 gigs.


after Windows is installed on SSD verifying it works you can then then reformat your "OLD HDD C drive which might now be your d Drive. Your option You can delete that partition and expand your partition on the HDD to use all available space.

Double added - LOL. Forgot to mention that he Migration program must also copy the system partition to the SSD (typically this is 100->200 mb partition). Most DO.

 

[monki32]

Added:
While the program will re-size the partition(s), when going from a HDD->SSD I just migrate the OS and The System partition. So I normally re-size the OS partition to slightly less than the size of the SSD.

A) Remember a 128 Gig SSD is ONLY approx. 120 Gigs, and a 120 Gig SSD = 111 Gigs after formatting.
B) MUST leave approx. 20% Unused. This is to allow wear leveling, Garbage collector and TRIM to work their magic to keep the SSD performing like new. So Getting the "C" partition down to 90/95 Gigs for a 120/128 gig SSD will work fine.

To do this is rather simple. Move all data you have stored in on C drive to your 2nd HDD partition so that just the OS and programs are left - Probably down to 30->35 gigs Plus some games. (If you stored a bunch of data in "C:\user\myDocuments" Just copy the folder to your D-drive the Delete the contents (don't delete the Folder) on C-Drive.

Once you get the size down, then simply resize your C-Drive:
.. Rt click MyComputer, select manage
.. Select disk management
.. Rt click C-Drive (Probably drive 0).
.. Select shrink and shrink down to 90/95 gigs.


after Windows is installed on SSD verifying it works you can then then reformat your "OLD HDD C drive which might now be your d Drive. Your option You can delete that partition and expand your partition on the HDD to use all available space.

Double added - LOL. Forgot to mention that he Migration program must also copy the system partition to the SSD (typically this is 100->200 mb partition). Most DO.

Thank you very very much, that's been a great help!
Simon

 

[RetiredChief]

Your welcome, ENJOY - personally I love My SSDs.
Currently using:
.. Samsung laptop - One 256 gig Crucial M4 and one 256 gig Samsung 840 Pro w/Windows 8, Have a 256 gig Samsung 830 with Windows 7 on it that I can swap with the Win 8.
.. Two desktops, both with dual SSDs, Plus wife's desktop with a 128 Gig M4
.. Two laptops with single SSDs (They only have one bay).
Swapped a 120 gig Agility III (Ugh) for a Samsung 128 gig 840 Pro - Have not installed it yet whil probably put it I the i5-2500K desktop to replace the 256 Gig Samsung 830, which would then be a storage drive making that one 3 SSds + 2 HDDs.

 

[cesta]

I have just upgraded my hard drive to SSD with the clone feature of free todo backup w/o reinstalling my system and apps. I followed the step-by-step instructions here: http://www.todo-backup.com/support/tutorial/clone-hard-drive.htm