Cloning windows from ssd to m.2

[Theodwros Tenizis]

So, i bought a 960pro m.2 ssd, and i would like to keep everything i have on my ssd. Basically i want my pc to remain as it is. I want to keep my updates, my programms, my games, my wallpapers, screensaver etc, exactly the same with the difference that they will be on the m.2 I know about cloning but i am not sure how to do this. I want to boot my pc from the m.2, move my data on the m.2 so i can format the ssd. Any help on how i do this will be appreciated. Videos and " how to " are welcome also.

 

[Chaos2Theory]

Best disk cloning solution i know f that is free is Macrium Reflect. Just install the free edition, and then open it in windows with both ssds installed. It will show you all of your disks, click the one you want to clone and hit the clone button. Then select the destination drive, and it should be automatic past that. Afterwards, be sure to boot from the m.2 from your bios instead of your ssd because both will be the same exact drive/both will be bootable, but once you are booting from the m.2 ssd just format the sata one. let me know if anything is unclear about that.

 

[Theodwros Tenizis]

Best disk cloning solution i know f that is free is Macrium Reflect. Just install the free edition, and then open it in windows with both ssds installed. It will show you all of your disks, click the one you want to clone and hit the clone button. Then select the destination drive, and it should be automatic past that. Afterwards, be sure to boot from the m.2 from your bios instead of your ssd because both will be the same exact drive/both will be bootable, but once you are booting from the m.2 ssd just format the sata one. let me know if anything is unclear about that.

Thanks, i will try it out tomorrow morning and i will let you know of whats happening.!!

 

[USAFRet]

So, i bought a 960pro m.2 ssd, and i would like to keep everything i have on my ssd. Basically i want my pc to remain as it is. I want to keep my updates, my programms, my games, my wallpapers, screensaver etc, exactly the same with the difference that they will be on the m.2 I know about cloning but i am not sure how to do this. I want to boot my pc from the m.2, move my data on the m.2 so i can format the ssd. Any help on how i do this will be appreciated. Videos and " how to " are welcome also.

What is the sizes of the two drives?
How much total data is consumed on your current OS drive?

Steps for a successful clone operation.
(adjust steps for m.2 vs 'new SSD')
-----------------------------
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)
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
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new 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 as necessary.
Delete the original boot partitions, here:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/4f1b84ac-b193-40e3-943a-f45d52e23685/cant-delete-extra-healthy-recovery-partitions-and-healthy-efi-system-partition?forum=w8itproinstall
-----------------------------

 

[Theodwros Tenizis]

So, i bought a 960pro m.2 ssd, and i would like to keep everything i have on my ssd. Basically i want my pc to remain as it is. I want to keep my updates, my programms, my games, my wallpapers, screensaver etc, exactly the same with the difference that they will be on the m.2 I know about cloning but i am not sure how to do this. I want to boot my pc from the m.2, move my data on the m.2 so i can format the ssd. Any help on how i do this will be appreciated. Videos and " how to " are welcome also.

What is the sizes of the two drives?
How much total data is consumed on your current OS drive?

Steps for a successful clone operation.
(adjust steps for m.2 vs 'new SSD')
-----------------------------
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)
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
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new 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 as necessary.
Delete the original boot partitions, here:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/4f1b84ac-b193-40e3-943a-f45d52e23685/cant-delete-extra-healthy-recovery-partitions-and-healthy-efi-system-partition?forum=w8itproinstall
-----------------------------

The Samsung 850 Pro SSD (currently my windows boot) is 256GB but after installing BF1 (appr. 70GB) i am left with 7GB free. The Samsung 960 Pro M.2 SSD is 512GB. I have 2 more HDD's, WD Red 2TB and WD Red 3TB but they are used only for storage data. Should i disconnect them?

 

[USAFRet]

The Samsung 850 Pro SSD (currently my windows boot) is 256GB but after installing BF1 (appr. 70GB) i am left with 7GB free. The Samsung 960 Pro M.2 SSD is 512GB. I have 2 more HDD's, WD Red 2TB and WD Red 3TB but they are used only for storage data. Should i disconnect them?

Yes.
As noted above, disconnect ALL other drives.

At the end of teh cloning process, power off.
Disconnect the original SSD.
Power up, and allow the system to try to boot from the new drive.

 

[Calvin7]

NVME SSDs do not appear within the BIOS until Windows creates the system partition with the EFI Boot Sector. Your M.2 SSD contains UEFI driver information within the firmware. By disabling the CSM module Windows will read and utilize the M.2-specific UEFI driver.

The above process is not part of your cloned SSD so I believe your cloning plan will not be successful.

 

[USAFRet]

NVME SSDs do not appear within the BIOS until Windows creates the system partition with the EFI Boot Sector. Your M.2 SSD contains UEFI driver information within the firmware. By disabling the CSM module Windows will read and utilize the M.2-specific UEFI driver.

The above process is not part of your cloned SSD so I believe your cloning plan will not be successful.

Ah yes.
hmm....adjustments to that process needed for NVMe drives.

Good catch.

 

[USAFRet]

NVME SSDs do not appear within the BIOS until Windows creates the system partition with the EFI Boot Sector. Your M.2 SSD contains UEFI driver information within the firmware. By disabling the CSM module Windows will read and utilize the M.2-specific UEFI driver.

The above process is not part of your cloned SSD so I believe your cloning plan will not be successful.

If you want to write up the steps for that, we can include that in those copy/paste steps, for future readers with this same question.
I don't have an NVMe drive, so I'm not up an the current procedures.

 

[Theodwros Tenizis]

Yes please, guide as much as possible so no mistakes will appear..