[SOLVED] Switching files over from HDD to smaller M.2 SSD.

May 16, 2019
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I recent bought a M.2 500gb SSD and am trying to put my OS and other applications on it. The amount of storage ive used up on the HDD is more than the M.2 can hold. I've tried using Macrium Reflect to copy over the files but i dont really know what to move over and will it still work if i move them over separetly. I have an external that i have wiped and backed everything up on.

I could do this easily if i could adjust the ext Primary partition but i cannot. There's probably a good reason for that I don't know about.

Any help or advice would be awesome! :3

OS: Windows 10

different partition (Windows 10):
NTFS Primary (Recovery)
FAT32 Primary (LBA)
Unformatted Primary
NTFS Primary (C:)
Unformatted Primary
ext Primary
 
Solution
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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. For your case, only select the 3 leftmost partitions.
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...
May 16, 2019
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Ok so this is the message that i get when i try and shink the C: drive. Message

Updated DM view (so you can see the full status)

yes it boots properly if i remove disk 0.
ignore the stuff on disk 0. That was me trying to copy so of the files over but then realizing that was an easy way to mess everything up
 
May 16, 2019
16
0
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ok so i dont really have anything that is unnecessary. I removed mostly everything and wanted to transfer some stuff over to my portable HDD but it wont show up in file explorer but will show up on my partition viewer. Basically there isn't anything really on my desktop. There is only 407GB used and all the rest is free. Still wont let me shrink it.

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Again, you're not shrinking the partition, just reducing the size of the data.
Leave the partition alone.

To clone into a 500GB drive, the actual consumed space must be below 400GB.
350GB to be on the safe side.

Doesn't matter what you have is necessary or unnecessary...it must be below 400GB.
 
May 16, 2019
16
0
10
ok so im going to find a way to make my portable hard drive work and move everything i can off of the computer. Once that is done, and the actual file size is way lower (below 350gb) what steps do i take after that?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
-----------------------------
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. For your case, only select the 3 leftmost partitions.
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.
-----------------------------
 
Solution

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
May 16, 2019
16
0
10
ok so after a while of working with this i got my computer booting and running from the SSD. I have one more question and before i ask it i wanted to thank you for your help and being patient with me. Im a slow learner. My last question is whether i should take those partitions (5 and 6) off the drive or leave them. I dont want to lose anything when i wipe.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
ok so after a while of working with this i got my computer booting and running from the SSD. I have one more question and before i ask it i wanted to thank you for your help and being patient with me. Im a slow learner. My last question is whether i should take those partitions (5 and 6) off the drive or leave them. I dont want to lose anything when i wipe.
What, if anything, is on those two partitions?
Any time you mess with partitions at this level, your data needs to also exist on some other drive.
ANd if it does...then you can wipe that entire drive with impunity, then copy that data back.