[SOLVED] Moving Windows 10 SSD to another SSD

[ArchieB]

Hi,

I currently have one SSD (C drive) and one HDD (D drive) inside my PC. The SSD is only around 60GB and holds the Windows 10 operating system and a few other small files. Unsurprisingly it is completely full and I would like to move the whole C drive to a new SSD and ultimately replace the current SSD with the new one. Ideally I would like the new SSD to be named C: as I have games on the D drive that require files in the C drive and the directory of the files is C/etc so my understanding is if the new SSD is titled C: there shouldn't be any problems once the new SSD is installed? Can someone shed some light on how I can go about transferring the whole of my SSD (which the operating system is installed on) to a new SSD?

Many Thanks,
Archie.

 

[jay32267]

I think the best way is to clone the SSD to another SSD.
It will be exactly the same as the one you have now.
The only difference is that the new one will have more space.

 

[ArchieB]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Do you know what software I can use to do that? And would cloning the SSD work if it has the operating system on? Won't the PC be confused with two SSDs plugged in both with Windows 10 on?

Regards,
Archie.

 

[jay32267]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Do you know what software I can use to do that? And would cloning the SSD work if it has the operating system on? Won't the PC be confused with two SSDs plugged in both with Windows 10 on?

Regards,
Archie.

"Do you know what software I can use to do that? "
I use Aomei Backupper. (free)
A lot of people use Macrium Reflect. (I think it's free)

"And would cloning the SSD work if it has the operating system on?"
You install the cloning software on your current drive (the one with your OS).

"Won't the PC be confused with two SSDs plugged in both with Windows 10 on?"
After you clone....you will have two SSDs with identical data on them......but....the PC will only boot from one of them. You tell it which one in the BIOS.

Now because you are going from smaller to larger in size......after you clone....the larger (new) drive will have space on it that is unused.....because the cloning software will only partition the new drive the same as the old drive.

So what you want to do is go to disk management, select the unused portion of the drive and select "expand" (I believe, or similarly worded).

 

[ArchieB]

Hi,

Okay great, thankyou for the reply. So just to be clear, I need to insert the new SSD into the PC so that I have the HDD, old SSD and new SSD inserted. Then run the clone tool. Once that's finished I will have Windows 10 and the other files on both SSDs. Turn the PC off, turn the PC back on and go into BIOS, changing the bootup device to the new SSD. Tidy up the new SSD using disk management. Turn PC off and remove old SSD? Will the new SSD still be called 'C' once it has been cloned?

Kind Regards,
Archie.

 

[jay32267]

I'd install the clone tool first.

", I need to insert the new SSD into the PC so that I have the HDD, old SSD and new SSD inserted. "
Power down.....connect the new SSD. Power up.

It should boot to your old SSD because you didn't change anything in the BIOS YET.

"Then run the clone tool. Once that's finished I will have Windows 10 and the other files on both SSDs. "

Yes....both SSDs will be identical....except the new one will be larger and have unused space.

" Turn the PC off, turn the PC back on and go into BIOS, changing the bootup device to the new SSD. "

YES

" Tidy up the new SSD using disk management. "
Yes....you can expand the main partition to take up the rest of the space.

"Turn PC off and remove old SSD? "
It's kind of up to you what to do with it. It still has the old OS and all your programs and such.
If it were me, I might format it and use it as storage or backup space.....or you can power down and remove it.

"Will the new SSD still be called 'C' once it has been cloned? "
I don't recall.....but you can change drive letters easily>>>
I would make the new one C......and I would make your HDD the same as whatever it is now....just in case you have anything referencing something on there.....and if you keep the old SSD in you can make it whatever you want.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-assign-a-drive-letter-in-windows-10/

 

[ArchieB]

Hi Jay,

Thankyou very much for your detailed step-by-step help I will go ahead and replace my current 60GB SSD with a new one in the coming weeks. Thanks!

Archie.

 

[USAFRet]

-----------------------------
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 all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------

 

[USAFRet]

"Will the new SSD still be called 'C' once it has been cloned? "
I don't recall.....but you can change drive letters easily>>>
I would make the new one C......and I would make your HDD the same as whatever it is now....just in case you have anything referencing something on there.....and if you keep the old SSD in you can make it whatever you want.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-assign-a-drive-letter-in-windows-10/

You do not have to, nor should you try to...change the 'drive letter' of the OS drive.