Question Cloning Windows 10 on an SSD from a dual-boot hard drive

[Gillez]

Hi everyone. I just purchased a new Crucial SSD for an older Lenovo Laptop. The spinning hard drive is a dual-boot Linux Mint/Win10 setup. I would like to clone only the Windows10 partition to my new SSD, and be able to boot from it. The SSD is smaller than the partition that Windows 10 is installed on (thought most of it is empty space), so using the system backup image in windows 10 doesn't want to work. Thanks in advance for your advice and help.

I currently have a clone of my Win10 partition on the SSD, how do I make it bootable?

 

[Darkbreeze]

There is no way I know of to clone the Windows partitions only out of a dual boot setup other than to use Macrium reflect and manually only clone over the partitions including EFI, boot and the Windows C: partition, to the new SSD. However, since just the C: partition is already bigger than the partition windows is currently installed on, without even factoring in the other required partitions, there is no way you can do this. You would need to get the total combined capacity of all required partitions to below about 75% of the total USABLE capacity of the new SSD. That will be LESS than whatever it actually is.

Your best bet in this case is to simply do a clean install of Windows onto the new SSD and start fresh. Yeah, there will be a bit more work involved since you're going to also have to reinstall game loaders and applications, but honestly, anything else is either going to result in a problematic configuration afterwards or simply not be possible in the first place given the conditions involved. If you can reduce the size of the current Windows partition significantly, then you MIGHT be able to do it, but it would still be a much better idea to simply do a clean install and be done with it. Plus, then you'd leave behind any existing problems or wonkiness that currently exist in the registry from however long it's been in use.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[SkyNetRising]

I currently have a clone of my Win10 partition on the SSD, how do I make it bootable?

You have to create a new bootloader partition.
Can you show screenshot from Disk Management?

 

[Gillez]

Thanks for both your replies. I had already burned a Windows 10 installation disk assuming I might need to do a clean install on the new SSD.

I figured it has something to do with the bootloader since I didn't copy GRUB to the SSD, and am hoping there is some way to restore it, but in the worst case, I'll just reinstall everything and back it up. There isn't that much software installed on my windows partition, but having all the configuration carry over to the SSD would be nice.

Here's a screenshot of my disk management:

https://imgur.com/a/B2yHNh3

View: https://imgur.com/a/B2yHNh3

 

[Gillez]

Found this post elsewhere in the forums: https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...om-a-ssd-to-another-ssd-isnt-working.3280817/

Is this something that would work? Seems like a similar problem with a solution in post #7

 

[SkyNetRising]

Instructions in topic linked are for UEFI system. You have legacy boot system. So - slight alterations are necessary. Execute from elevated command prompt.

diskpart​

list disk​

select disk 1​

list partition​

select partition 1​

shrink desired=500​

create partition primary​

format fs=ntfs quick​

active​

assign letter=H​

exit​

bcdboot F:\windows /s H:​

(if any errors are encountered, then stop immediately)

After this is done, disconnect hdd and try to boot with only SSD connected.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes, as mentioned here, you must have a functional and accurate boot partition. I didn't go over that because it's pointless if the primary Windows partition can't be made to fit on the SSD anyhow. You'll be a lot happier in the long run with a clean install, I assure you. There will also be a new major update coming pretty soon, so it might make sense to wait until the ISO/image is available through the Microsoft Windows 10 media creation page before doing the clean install if you don't want to have to do a major upgrade almost immediately following the clean install of 1809, unless of course you cannot wait.