Upgrading a Dynamic HDD to SSD

[Bob599]

I have a laptop that came with Windows 7 and I upgraded recently to Windows 8. The laptop has a dynamic HDD. I am trying to upgrade to a SSD, but no matter what I do, the various cloning software either doesn't work with the SSD, or Windows doesn't like that I have the upgrade only version of Windows 8 if install a new copy on the SSD (even though I did upgrade from a valid Windows 7) because I only used the product key that came with Windows 8 upgrade (and I didn't get a Windows 7 CD with the computer). If you have a Windows 8 upgrade version and a dynamic drive does that mean it is impossible to add a SSD?

Specs: I bought the Crucial SSD over the phone, but they accidentally sent the desktop cloning kit, so I am using a Kingston cloning kit (SNA-DC/U) that came with my wife's SSD we bought locally. I have a Compaq Presario CQ62. the Crucial is a M500 280GB and the HDD is slightly smaller ~240GB. I tried two versions of Acronis, but neither can use dynamic drives, I tried EaseUS, but it does not seem to recognize the USB connected drive (I installed it on the old HDD and the SSD trying both ways).

 

[siddharthmukul007]

for windows locking you need to speak with microsoft customer care....as for the cloning part, use the software of your ssd manufacturer....that surely will work

 

[Jeff Bronson]

Have you tried using Acronis? It's usually the software i run to clone disks, haven't had an issue cloning with it from a dynamic to ssd. I believe they have a trial at www.acronis.com for personal use. However, I am unsure if it lets you create a bootdisk or not. I've always used it as a bootdisk but I bought a copy of the software. Hopefully the trial isn't limited in such a way that you cannot. Either way... might be worth a shot. As far as cloning in windows goes though, i rarely have success, ive always had to create a bootdisk with most of any of the software out there for it to work correctly.

If acronis doesn't do it for you, i know UBCD4Win also has disk cloning software, could give it a shot as well. You can download the ISO for free at their mainsite, http://www.ubcd4win.com/index.htm

 

[Bob599]

Have you tried using Acronis? It's usually the software i run to clone disks, haven't had an issue cloning with it from a dynamic to ssd. I believe they have a trial at www.acronis.com for personal use. However, I am unsure if it lets you create a bootdisk or not. I've always used it as a bootdisk but I bought a copy of the software. Hopefully the trial isn't limited in such a way that you cannot. Either way... might be worth a shot. As far as cloning in windows goes though, i rarely have success, ive always had to create a bootdisk with most of any of the software out there for it to work correctly.

If acronis doesn't do it for you, i know UBCD4Win also has disk cloning software, could give it a shot as well. You can download the ISO for free at their mainsite, http://www.ubcd4win.com/index.htm

Acronis True Image does not clone dynamic disks. It appears from the web that dynamic disk owners can't upgrade to an ssd unless they do it one program at a time using the original disks.

 

[Jeff Bronson]

Have you tried using Acronis? It's usually the software i run to clone disks, haven't had an issue cloning with it from a dynamic to ssd. I believe they have a trial at www.acronis.com for personal use. However, I am unsure if it lets you create a bootdisk or not. I've always used it as a bootdisk but I bought a copy of the software. Hopefully the trial isn't limited in such a way that you cannot. Either way... might be worth a shot. As far as cloning in windows goes though, i rarely have success, ive always had to create a bootdisk with most of any of the software out there for it to work correctly.

If acronis doesn't do it for you, i know UBCD4Win also has disk cloning software, could give it a shot as well. You can download the ISO for free at their mainsite, http://www.ubcd4win.com/index.htm

Acronis True Image does not clone dynamic disks. It appears from the web that dynamic disk owners can't upgrade to an ssd unless they do it one program at a time using the original disks.

Incorrect according to their knowledge base *shrugs*

http://kb.acronis.com/content/2699

 

[Simon-Pierre]

I had the same problem and I wanted to change my HDD from Dynamic to basic so that I could clone my HDD to my new SSD. I tried a couple of softwares but I finally found the one that worked. AOMEI Dynamic Disk Converter.
http://www.disk-partition.com/help/convert-dynamic-disk-to-basic.html

It was converted without losing data and it took about 10 seconds to do so.