[SOLVED] migrating to a new SSD, but retaining all my settings?

[yung_sushi]

I'm considering upgrading the SSD on my laptop from it's 128GB one to a newer 512GB one, but I wish to retain my OS and all my files exactly as they are right now (laptop doesn't have a second SSD slot, nor an m.2 slot).

I understand that the only (?) way to do this is to create an IMG/ISO file of the current SSD, and then unpack that file onto the newer SSD (my current SSD only has one partition - don't judge me).

Would this mean, however, that I have to have a partition on my new SSD that matches the existing SSD's partition size?

or can I unpack the IMG/ISO file onto a larger partition on the new SSD?

 

[jay32267]

I would just clone the drive over.
You will retain all your settings exactly as they are.

One thing to be aware of.....make sure you use cloning software that allows you to make the destination partition whatever size you want so you can fill up the whole 512 GB drive with the main partition of the current drive.

Some cloning software won't let you do this....so you are stuck with a partition on the destination drive the same size as the source drive and this isn't what you want.

 

[yung_sushi]

I would just clone the drive over.
You will retain all your settings exactly as they are.

One thing to be aware of.....make sure you use cloning software that allows you to make the destination partition whatever size you want so you can fill up the whole 512 GB drive with the main partition of the current drive.

Some cloning software won't let you do this....so you are stuck with a partition on the destination drive the same size as the source drive and this isn't what you want.

any particular (free) cloning software you could recommend?

 

[jay32267]

I don't know of a free version that lets you resize the destination partition.
I use AOMEI Backupper Pro which lets you but I think I paid something like $40 for two licenses. Maybe Macrium Reflect does. A lot of people use that.

 

[J_E_D_70]

Ssds from Samsung and Crucial come with cloning software - dunno about others.

Think theres a free version of Acronis. If you clone straight over and it makes the partition small, Windows disk management or EaseUS can resize it.