If I clone my SSD onto a new one, can I just remove the old one even though it has the OS installed on it?

[andreasharford]

Question is in the title, I recieved a replacement SSD for my laptop and I need to send the old one back, if I clone my old SSD onto my new one, can I just remove the old one? Will the clone move the OS onto the new one as well?

If not how would I fix this? Help is appreciated.

 

[The Paladin]

when you clone from HDD to SSD it makes a complete copy of your HDD to the SSD. so to answer your question, yes you can disconnect the HDD.

I encourage you to keep your HDD for a month before deleting the partition, I have seen and experience cloning a drive to SSD to have the SSD fail a few days later, and because I kept my HDD I was able to get the SSD Returned for a new one, and while I waited plugged my HDD in and kept on working.

 

[USAFRet]

Question is in the title, I recieved a replacement SSD for my laptop and I need to send the old one back, if I clone my old SSD onto my new one, can I just remove the old one? Will the clone move the OS onto the new one as well?

If not how would I fix this? Help is appreciated.

That is specifically what the cloning operation does.
A full exact copy of Drive A to Drive B.

Assuming your old drive still works...(why are you replacing it?)

(adjust for being a laptop)
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
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
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the 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 450MB Recovery Partition, 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
-----------------------------

 

[andreasharford]

Hey, thanks for the answers. To clarify, I recieved a replacement SSD from dell for my laptop, because the other one was overheating and throttling. I was told I need to send the other one back via a courier who is coming to pick it up tomorrow. I have already cloned it using Macrium, and I was just wondering if I could just remove the old SSD (with my OS on it) just like that, or do I have to actually make my new SSD the drive to boot from first.

 

[USAFRet]

Hey, thanks for the answers. To clarify, I recieved a replacement SSD from dell for my laptop, because the other one was overheating and throttling. I was told I need to send the other one back via a courier who is coming to pick it up tomorrow. I have already cloned it using Macrium, and I was just wondering if I could just remove the old SSD (with my OS on it) just like that, or do I have to actually make my new SSD the drive to boot from first.

Removal/disconnection of the old drive was the first thing you were supposed to do after the clone operation was over.

Try it now, and see what happens.