Question HDD to SSD cloning question

[stingray230sx]

I'm trying to clone a laptop hdd [160gb win10] to newer ssd [500gb]. I ran into the different sector size issues [512kb versus 4096kb], and searching indicates it's not possible, but one post says Casper software will do it.
this is of course using a usb bridge to dock the new ssd while cloning, I have used this successfully in the past, but I guess this 500gb Micron drive is too new, as I have both a windows7 500 gb Crucial ssd, and the win10 160gb hdd for this laptop. just wanted the win10 on a faster drive, the laptop is a Panasonic toughbook used for car diagnostic software so wanted a win7 drive for compatibility, but some of the software does run under win10 just fine
I tried it as DiskGenius, EaseUS disk copy, Aomei backerupper wouldnt do it. the Casper software indicated it was a success but the drive would not boot.
read on here that Macrium Reflect could make a rescue usb, then restore it to the new ssd once installed but the free version does not supply that function, I i got all the way to the rescue boot, but then was denied the restore to the new drive, oh well.
So my real question is HOW TO FIND A SSD WITH THE 512kb SECTOR SIZE? , I tried to search that but I couldn't get thru the weeds of the 512gb hits

thanks
Douglas Hunt

 

[MWink64]

What exact drive did you get? I'm not sure sector size is the problem. Most modern consumer SSDs (and HDs) are at least 512e, which emulates 512 byte sectors. Some are even native 512 byte sectors. I know there are some drives that can be switched between 512e and 4Kn, using a utility from the manufacturer.

I can tell you that the Crucial MX500 (along with most other SSDs I've seen) uses 512 byte (emulated or native) sectors.

On second thought, I wonder if the issue is the USB bridge.

 

[USAFRet]

Try an Image with Macrium Reflect, rather than a direct clone.

Assuming you have another drive (any type of drive) with sufficient free space to hold the entirety of your current m.2 drive:

1. Download and install Macrium Reflect
2. Run that, and create a Rescue CD or USB (you'll use this later). "Other Tasks". Create this on a small USB flash drive or DVD.
3. In the Macrium client, create an Image to some other drive. External USB HDD, maybe. Select all partitions. This results in a file of xxxx.mrimage
4. When done, power OFF.
5. Swap the 2 drives
6. Boot up from the Rescue USB you created earlier.
7. Restore (on the toolbar), and tell it where the Image is that you created in step 3, and which drive to apply it to...the new SSD
8. Go, and wait until it finishes.
9. That's all...this should work.

 

[hotaru.hino]

Check if the HDD is even misaligned first:

1. Press “Windows + R”.
2. In the popup box, type “msinfo32” and click on “OK”.
3. Locate “System Summary” on the upper left and double-click on “Components” below it.
4. In the dropdown menu, select “Storage” and select “Disks”.
5. Spot the item “Partition Starting Offset” and check whether the value is divisible by 4096. If so, the hard drive is perfectly 4K aligned. Otherwise, it’s not aligned correctly.

If it isn't, then there's nothing to worry about here.

Also some cloning tools like Macrium Reflect may have an option to force 4K alignment on the destination drive anyway.