[SOLVED] Cloning local disk C drive (SSD)to E drive (SSD), then moving or making E drive (SSD) to become local disk C drive?

[shorty_10]

I have my local disk C Drive running out of space so I got a bigger SSD drive, so that I can clone and move everything over without having to re download the OS and my programs, files etc. But its going to go over to E drive SSD. In general Some programs will only run on local disk C drive though. When I've cloned, Is there a way to designate E Drive SSD to become the local disk C drive? Can I simply disconnect the cables to my C drive SSD and hook them up to my E drive SSD? I'm on windows 7 64bit Dell Optiplex 7010. Thanks

 

[RealBeast]

It is a pretty easy process, I use Macrium Reflect and they have a free version.

Remember to expand the C drive to the maximum available space when selecting in Macrium. Just select no drive letter for the clone in Macrium, then disconnect the old OS drive and connect the new drive to that port, power up and you are good to go.

Before you start though, with W7 it is best to make a system repair disc -- just type that in the run box and follow the wizard, you will need one blank CD or DVD. This is needed sometimes to fix the bootloader looking for the old drive and is also handy just to have.

 

[USAFRet]

How much space is consumed on your current C drive?
What size/make/model is the new SSD?



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

 

[shorty_10]

It is a pretty easy process, I use Macrium Reflect and they have a free version.

Remember to expand the C drive to the maximum available space when selecting in Macrium. Just select no drive letter for the clone in Macrium, then disconnect the old OS drive and connect the new drive to that port, power up and you are good to go.

Before you start though, with W7 it is best to make a system repair disc -- just type that in the run box and follow the wizard, you will need one blank CD or DVD. This is needed sometimes to fix the bootloader looking for the old drive and is also handy just to have.

Thanks for the reply. How do I select no drive letter for the clone in Macrium? Macrium already reads the drives you have hooked up and initialized correct? Its identified my two drives I have hooked up, my C and E drives. I don't see an option to select no drive letter for the clone in Macrium.. I have the free version.

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks for the reply. How do I select no drive letter for the clone in Macrium? Macrium already reads the drives you have hooked up and initialized correct? Its identified my two drives I have hooked up, my C and E drives. I don't see an option to select no drive letter for the clone in Macrium.. I have the free version.

You don't tell Macrium to give it "no drive letter".
You just tell it which drives you're working with, and don't try to apply a specific drive letter tot he target drive.
At the end of the process, you power OFF, physically disconnect teh old drive, and power up. Let the system try to boot from the new drive by itself.

See the full procedure above.

 

[shorty_10]

How much space is consumed on your current C drive?
What size/make/model is the new SSD?



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

Thanks for the reply. I have 47 GB free of 238 GB on my SSD C drive. I want to clone that to a new WD Blue 2TB SSD, which I have hooked up to E Drive. But once I do that I need to have the computer recognize the new 2TB drive as the local disk C Drive. thanks

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks for the reply. I have 47 GB free of 238 GB on my SSD C drive. I want to clone that to a new WD Blue 2TB SSD, which I have hooked up to E Drive. But once I do that I need to have the computer recognize the new 2TB drive as the local disk C Drive. thanks

The steps above do exactly that.
You do not need to manually manipulate the drive letter for the new drive.

 

[shorty_10]

The steps above do exactly that.
You do not need to manually manipulate the drive letter for the new drive.

Ok thank you I will try that.

 

[shorty_10]

Ok thank you I will try that.

Ok sweet! It worked without a hiccup. Just cloned to my new drive, powered the computer off, switched cables so the new drive is now hooked up where old Drive was connected to C drive. Booted windows and everything is perfect. I didn't have to reinstall my DAW and all my VST's where all in place as well! thanks a ton!