[SOLVED] Windows 11 from one SSD to another

[LeviTech]

Hi all.
I've got my windows 11 in a SSD and I bought another one that I want to make it the principal disk drive of the computer.
There's a way to install Windows on this new drive from the actual windows instalation so after that I can format the old ssd?

Regards,
João Pinto

 

[USAFRet]

Hi all.
I've got my windows 11 in a SSD and I bought another one that I want to make it the principal disk drive of the computer.
There's a way to install Windows on this new drive from the actual windows instalation so after that I can format the old ssd?

Regards,
João Pinto

Cloning. (details to follow, if conditions are appropriate)

Give us some details about the system, and the drives in question.

 

[LeviTech]

From a Sata SSD to a nvme, and I don't want to clone, I want to make a new install of windows if possible.

 

[USAFRet]

From a Sata SSD to a nvme, and I don't want to clone, I want to make a new install of windows if possible.

OK, then no.
You can't "install Windows on this new drive from the actual windows instalation "

You create a bootable USB to install with.
Boot from that, and install on the new drive. And with ONLY the new drive connected.
Reconnect other drives later.

This is for WIn 10, but almost identical:

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

For the Win 11 MediaCreation tool:
https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

 

[LeviTech]

And clone is it possible? Any freeware?

 

[USAFRet]

And clone is it possible? Any freeware?

If you wish to clone, sure.

But, as requested above, details are needed.

 

[LeviTech]

What info you need?

 

[USAFRet]

What info you need?

Details on the whole system.
Especially the drives involved, and the actual consumed space on the current C drive.

 

[LeviTech]

It's a Ryzen 5 3600 with 32Gb Ram, and I only have a sata ssd samsung evo 256gb, and I will set on it a nvme 512gb.

 

[Lafong]

And clone is it possible? Any freeware?

Yes, most likely Macrium Reflect.

Two methods can work: cloning or imaging. Macrium can do both.

How much space is occupied on the Samsung Evo 256?

 

[LeviTech]

132gb occupied

 

[Lafong]

And clone is it possible? Any freeware?

Yes, most likely Macrium Reflect.

132gb occupied

Shouldn't be any problems then.

Try cloning with Macrium.

If that fails, try imaging.

Imaging would be 2 steps: make an image file of the current drive. That file will be maybe 80 GB in size. Save it on some other drive. Then restore that image file to the new drive.

Cloning is one step. Probably easier, but it can fail...in which case try imaging.

Shouldn't take over an hour, but you might get confused at some point. Success rate in the high 90 percentile.

 

[LeviTech]

Yes, most likely Macrium Reflect.




Shouldn't be any problems then.

Try cloning with Macrium.

If that fails, try imaging.

Imaging would be 2 steps: make an image file of the current drive. That file will be maybe 80 GB in size. Save it on some other drive. Then restore that image file to the new drive.

Cloning is one step. Probably easier, but it can fail...in which case try imaging.

Shouldn't take over an hour, but you might get confused at some point. Success rate in the high 90 percentile.

Will try cloning and if fail, imaging. Thank you.

 

[USAFRet]

As mentioned above, specific procedures...

-----------------------------
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
Both drives must be the same partitioning scheme, either MBR or GPT
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung target SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, you may need to install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up

Verify the system boots with ONLY the current "C drive" connected.
If not, we have to fix that first.

Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

[Ignore this section if using the SDM. It does this automatically]
If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specify the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing
[/end ignore]

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD. This is not optional.
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD

(swapping cables is irrelevant with NVMe drives, but DO disconnect the old drive for this next part)
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.
-----------------------------

 

[LeviTech]

As mentioned above, specific procedures...

-----------------------------
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
Both drives must be the same partitioning scheme, either MBR or GPT
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung target SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, you may need to install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up

Verify the system boots with ONLY the current "C drive" connected.
If not, we have to fix that first.

Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

[Ignore this section if using the SDM. It does this automatically]
If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specify the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing
[/end ignore]

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD. This is not optional.
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD

(swapping cables is irrelevant with NVMe drives, but DO disconnect the old drive for this next part)
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.
-----------------------------

I cant find the option "Cloned Partition Properties"

I'm getting the following message:

 

[USAFRet]

You can't see it, because "Incompatible disk selected"

Disk 3 is to be the target drive?
Give us some details on it.

 

[LeviTech]

You can't see it, because "Incompatible disk selected"

Disk 3 is to be the target drive?
Give us some details on it.

Yes, I'm copying from a sata ssd 256gb to a NVME 500gb

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, I'm copying from a sata ssd 256gb to a NVME 500gb

"incompatible sector size"

Details, please.

 

[LeviTech]

"incompatible sector size"

Details, please.

What details you want? I don't know what to say more

 

[USAFRet]

What details you want? I don't know what to say more

Make/model.
How is it connected.
How is it formatted.

"Incompatible sector size" is the problem Macrium is having.

 

[LeviTech]

Make/model.
How is it connected.
How is it formatted.

"Incompatible sector size" is the problem Macrium is having.

nvme in a the only place my mobo has to this kind of disks - Crucial P2
Sata SSD connected in a sata port - Samsung Evo 850

Both in NTFS

 

[USAFRet]

nvme in a the only place my mobo has to this kind of disks - Crucial P2
Sata SSD connected in a sata port - Samsung Evo 850

Both in NTFS

Please show us your Disk Management window.

 

[LeviTech]

Here it's.

 

[LeviTech]

In another program I'm getting the message:
"The Source hard drive / target drive have unequal bytes per sector"

 

[USAFRet]

In another program I'm getting the message:
"The Source hard drive / target drive have unequal bytes per sector"

Basically the same as what Macrium is saying.

Delete the Volume, create new Volume, reformat.