[SOLVED] How do I clone OS to a partition on a larger HDD?

[DV4PER]

This is moved over from a different thread on the advice of USAFRet.

I have a HDD that is encountering errors so I am wanting to clone the OS and the accompanying System Partitions to a larger HDD (8TB).
(The M: Partition will not be cloned along with C: D: and N: as it doesn't contain any system files. I know these three partitions look like a mess. It happened years ago when I cloned them from a drive that I had partitioned that way...and couldn't figure out how to clone to a larger drive without ending up with a bunch of unusable space. :/

So, how do I do this?

 

[USAFRet]

If the drive is having "issues", cloning is probably not the path you want to take.
You may just be moving the problem to a different drive.

And given that it is currently a very weird setup, this might be the time for a clean break.

Fresh install on a new drive, set up how you want it.
Not simply moving the mess to a newer larger drive.

 

[DV4PER]

If the drive is having "issues", cloning is probably not the path you want to take.
You may just be moving the problem to a different drive.

And given that it is currently a very weird setup, this might be the time for a clean break.

Fresh install on a new drive, set up how you want it.
Not simply moving the mess to a newer larger drive.

Hard Disk Sentinel reports over 300 errors have occurred during data transfer along with 8 weak sectors on the disk's surface. That sounds like a HDD problem, not a data problem. The drive is a Seagate Hybrid 4TB. I believe this model was discontinued shortly after I purchased it. You linked me to a site which shows stats of drives. The Seagate Hybrid had a very high rate of failure. I'd like to get my OS off of it.

I know that a fresh install would be the best option, but TBH, I don't have the energy to do it. I'm still running Win 7. If I were to install a new OS, it would be Win 10. I've been avoiding doing that for all sorts of reasons, least of all finding new versions of my programs. The thought of also installing Win 10 on my father's computer and teaching it to him fills me with a nameless dread.

 

[USAFRet]

I've found no applications from my Win 7 days that fail to run in Win 10.

Cloning from a failing drive is fraught with peril. Likely the process will not complete.

It is time to do a new install on a new drive. With whatever OS you desire.

 

[DV4PER]

If the drive is having "issues", cloning is probably not the path you want to take.
You may just be moving the problem to a different drive.

And given that it is currently a very weird setup, this might be the time for a clean break.

Fresh install on a new drive, set up how you want it.
Not simply moving the mess to a newer larger drive.

Hard Disk Sentinel reports over 300 errors have occurred during data transfer along with 8 weak sectors on the disk's surface. That sounds like a HDD problem, not a data problem. The drive is a Seagate Hybrid 4TB. I believe this model was discontinued shortly after I purchased it. You linked me to a site which shows stats of drives. The Seagate Hybrid had a very high rate of failure. I'd like to get my OS off of it.

I know that a fresh install would be the best option, but TBH, I don't have the energy to do it. I'm still running Win 7. If I were to install a new OS, it would be Win 10. I've been avoiding doing that for all sorts of reasons, least of all finding new versions of all of my programs. The thought of also installing Win 10 on my father's computer and teaching it to him fills me with a nameless dread.

I've found no applications from my Win 7 days that fail to run in Win 10.

Cloning from a failing drive is fraught with peril. Likely the process will not complete.

It is time to do a new install on a new drive. With whatever OS you desire.

If it doesn't complete, what's the worst that can happen, the new drive won't boot, right? I don't want to install a new OS now, no matter the version.

Could you please tell me what I need to do to clone those three partitions on a new drive? If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but it won't be for lack of trying.

 

[USAFRet]

Try this:

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new drive
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 drive
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive, except those which you do not want to migrate.

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 specify 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 drive
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the drive
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.
-----------------------------

 

[DV4PER]

Try this:

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new drive
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 drive
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive, except those which you do not want to migrate.

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 specify 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 drive
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the drive
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.
-----------------------------

The only part I didn't understand was the special instructions regarding wiping the drive. Wouldn't a regular wipe program like the one that comes with Acronis' True Image or even Macrocrit's Partition Expert work?

 

[USAFRet]

The only part I didn't understand was the special instructions regarding wiping the drive. Wouldn't a regular wipe program like the one that comes with Acronis' True Image or even Macrocrit's Partition Expert work?

Yes, probably.
Just be sure you delete ALL partitions on the old drive.

I mentioned the clean command, because that is a one step thing to do the whole drive.
Just be sure you're working with the correct drive.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Could you please tell me what I need to do to clone those three partitions on a new drive?

You are aware, that booting from drive larger than 2TB and using full drive capacity requires

drive to be partitioned in GPT and​

system to be able to boot into UEFI mode?​

​

Have you noticed, that only 2TB are available on your 4TB drive? Rest of it can not be used. You can't create a partition in remaining 1678GB of space.
Same thing will happen on your 8TB drive.

What are full specs of your system?
Are you sure, it can boot into UEFI? I'm asking this, because you're using windows 7 and your system probably is quite old.

I'd suggest you getting smaller drive for your OS. Let's say 500GB SSD.
Clone C: and bootloader partitions to it.
Clone rest of your data to 8TB drive (GPT partitioned).

I don't quite understand function of those

ST-Hybrid-System (D)​

ST-Hybrid-SystemDrive (N)​

What is on them?
How exactly did you manage to make logical drive active? Only primary partitions can be active.