Question question about cloning a drive

[packersfan036]

im cloning a data hard drive with no windows on it, to a new ssd drive in my laptop. do I need to initialize, create a partition, and format the ssd drive before the cloning process??

 

[hang-the-9]

Not at all, because when you clone the drive, all your formatting, etc... will be wiped out by the image.

 

[packersfan036]

Not at all, because when you clone the drive, all your formatting, etc... will be wiped out by the image.

do I need to clone a data drive or can I just copy the files from the data drive to the new ssd drive? and change the drive letter when I install the new drive?

 

[USAFRet]

do I need to clone a data drive or can I just copy the files from the data drive to the new ssd drive? and change the drive letter when I install the new drive?

For a secondary drive, you do not need to clone it.
Simple copy/paste, and swap drive letters around.

 

[packersfan036]

For a secondary drive, you do not need to clone it.
Simple copy/paste, and swap drive letters around.

ok cool, so copy over files to new ssd, then when I finish installing the new ssd, then go into the windows drive manager and change the drive letter then that is it?

 

[USAFRet]

ok cool, so copy over files to new ssd, then when I finish installing the new ssd, then go into the windows drive manager and change the drive letter then that is it?

Is this a desktop or laptop?
How are you copying from one to another?

And its in Disk Management. Not "drive manager"

 

[popatim]

You will need to move the original Drive over to another letter so you can free it up to use with your new ssd.

 

[packersfan036]

Is this a desktop or laptop?
How are you copying from one to another?

And its in Disk Management. Not "drive manager"

laptop, and im using a docking station with usb 3.0 so ill copy and paste like you said and change the drive letter on the ssd after I boot up.

 

[packersfan036]

You will need to move the original Drive over to another letter so you can free it up to use with your new ssd.

im replacing the platter drive with the 2.5" ssd drive.

 

[popatim]

ok now I get it.
After cloning and you swap the SSD with the old HDD (laptop powered off) you shouldn't even need to change the drive letter. It should come over as part of the cloned info.