[SOLVED] How to clone PC to new M.2 when you only have 1 slot

[rjo98]

Bought a bigger M.2 from Crucial, came with Acronis that won't run because it doesn't detect a Crucial drive because I can't install it due to only having one slot.

What options do I have to clone my existing drive to the new bigger one when I only have one slot? Hoping to not have to spend even more money to get this going 😞

 

[USAFRet]

You will need some other drive with enough free space to hold an Image of the contents of your current drive.

But, just like this:

Assuming you have another 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"
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 m.2
8. Go, and wait until it finishes.
9. That's all...this should work.

 

[rjo98]

I do have an external big enough to back up the current M.2, giving it a shot now, thanks! Will let you know how it goes.

 

[rjo98]

That did it, and was real easy too. Thanks for the directions!