Cloning my HDD?

[ZeroFox19]

I have just bought a 2TB Seagate SSHD, How do I clone my old HDD? i want everything to move to the SSHD (including Windows7) and then I can shift some stuff around after that. I also have Microsoft Office and was wondering if it wold cause any problems with the Product Key or anything like that... Help would be very much appreciated!


PS, Do I need to do a backup before I start or is it completely safe?

 

[USAFRet]

Always, always, always have a backup before doing something like this. Better to have it and not need it than the opposite. It is never "completely safe".

Assuming the new drive is the same size or larger than the old one, any of the well known cloning applications should work. CloneZilla, DriveimageXML, Macrium Reflect, etc.

(but I always recommend a fresh install rather than a clone)

 

[ZeroFox19]

Always, always, always have a backup before doing something like this. Better to have it and not need it than the opposite. It is never "completely safe".

Assuming the new drive is the same size or larger than the old one, any of the well known cloning applications should work. CloneZilla, DriveimageXML, Macrium Reflect, etc.

(but I always recommend a fresh install rather than a clone)

you mean reinstall Windows? Or you mean reinstall everything? And why is this better?

 

[Ubrales]

^ +1 - USAFRet!

 

[USAFRet]

Always, always, always have a backup before doing something like this. Better to have it and not need it than the opposite. It is never "completely safe".

Assuming the new drive is the same size or larger than the old one, any of the well known cloning applications should work. CloneZilla, DriveimageXML, Macrium Reflect, etc.

(but I always recommend a fresh install rather than a clone)

you mean reinstall Windows? Or you mean reinstall everything? And why is this better?

Yes, I much prefer to reinstall everything.
Just reading in here, the percentage of 'clone fail' is much higher than the percentage of 'fresh install fail'.

And depending on how 'old' the original install is...why drag along all that old crap.

But just try the clone thing. There is nothing to lose. If it fails, try again. If it fails again....step back and just do a fresh install.

Again, though...have a copy of any critical data elsewhere and offline during the process. Just in case.
OS and applications, I can find and reinstall. I can't get back a 4 year old pic of my grandson.