Question How To | Cloning & Replacing current SSD

[Sri_8_]

Hello,

My current system/C drive has a capacity of 2TB and is using 701GB of space.

I purchased a new Kingston A400 960GB SSD and a San Disk Ultra 3D 2TB SSD.

I want to clone/migrate my current SSD/OS to one of my new SSD's. I'm considering transferring my current system to the 960GB SSD and using the 2TB SSD for extra storage. 1.) Is this a good idea or should I transfer my current system to my new 2TB SSD?

2.) How do I copy/migrate my current SSD to one of my new ones? Should I use Macrium Reflect to clone it? Do I need to install the new SSD before I start the migration? I would assume YES.

3.) Once the migration is complete, what then? Do I then turn off my computer, uninstall my old SSD and then put my new SSD into the port where my old SSD and connect it to the chords/wires that my old SSD was connected to?

4.) Do I have to go into BIOS and change the boot order so that my computer now boots from the new SSD? Is this necessary; I ask because if I remove my old SSD and connect my new SSD into the space where the old one was with the cables my old one was connected to, wouldn't my computer automatically know to boot from the new SSD?

5.) If simply inserting my new SSD into the space where my old one was isn't enough to get my system to boot from the new SSD, what do I need to do and how do I do it (i.e. how do I change the boot order - I plan to throw out my old SSD by the way)?

Thank you for your help. I'm a total novice and know very little about computers, so your help is greatly appreciated. Please be as clear and simple with your instructions as possible so that I can follow them easily.

Dell PC | Windows 8.1

 

[jay32267]

"
Is this a good idea or should I transfer my current system to my new 2TB SSD?
"
Sure as long as you don't go much above 80% of the 960 GB. If you are going to.....use the 2TB.

"Should I use Macrium Reflect to clone it? Do I need to install the new SSD before I start the migration? "
Macrium should work. I use Aoemi Backupper.....it's free. The SSD needs to be installed.

" Once the migration is complete, what then? Do I then turn off my computer, uninstall my old SSD and then put my new SSD into the port where my old SSD and connect it to the chords/wires that my old SSD was connected to? "

Once the clone is complete I would power down....remove the source drive....power up....go to the BIOS....make sure the new drive is recognized.....set the BIOS to boot from it.....SAVE the BIOS exit....and it should boot from it.

 

[jay32267]

Then if all this goes well....you should be able to power down and add your other drives.

 

[Sri_8_]

"....go to the BIOS....make sure the new drive is recognized...." If it's not recognized and I've already removed the source drive, what do I do?

".....set the BIOS to boot from it.....SAVE the BIOS exit....and it should boot from it. " So I do not have to connect the new drive to the anything in particular?

 

[Sri_8_]

bump

 

[Sri_8_]

Intel Rapid Storage was predicting a failure because of caching, so I've cloned my computer onto an SSD. What do I do now? I'm meant to start using my system that's on the SSD, so what do I do with my old one? Can I remove it? I actually looks like it's an HDD. Is that possible? Well, what do I do with it? And how do I get my computer to start/boot from the new (cloned) system?

 

[rgd1101]

remove the old 2TB drive.