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Windows 10 cloning ssd to ssd and hdd to ssd RRS feed

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    Hello,

    This is a two part question, I am currently running Windows 10, I wish to put a new SSD in my computer going from a 128gb to 240gb(minimum) I am looking for the best way to do this with Windows 10.

    I then wish to put the old SSD into my girlfriends PC to help hers speed up. They are both running Windows 10 and I don't know if windows 10 has built in function or whether there's easy to use software for this.

    Thanks in advance.

    Scott

    Wednesday, September 9, 2015 1:29 PM

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    I don't know of any feature built in to Windows 10 that will do what you want (there may be, but I haven't stumbled across it yet).  You do have several options though:

    The manufacturer of your SSD may offer a free utility to do the cloning.  Some do, some don't.

    Any newer disk cloning software will do what you want.  I used the retail version of Acronis to do just this a couple of weeks ago; I upgraded the SSD in my laptop (Lenovo T430) from a 240GB SSD to a 500GB SSD; I then put the 240GB SSD in my wife's T400 replacing the old 160GB HD that was in it.  Both machines were already running Windows 10.  I had zero issues.

    If you have a USB drive dock and an old WD or Seagate drive lying around, both of those companies offer a free version of Acronis that works well, the only caveat is that one of their drives has be be recognized on the PC in order to install their software.  That drive doesn't have to be the source or the target of the clone, it just has to be present.

    • Proposed as answer by Karen Hu Thursday, September 10, 2015 6:55 AM
    • Marked as answer by Bruce Wooding Wednesday, September 23, 2015 12:17 AM
    Thursday, September 10, 2015 12:24 AM
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    If I'm following you correctly, you want to: 1) clone from your old SSD to a new SSD in system 1, then 2) clone from a HD to your old SSD in system 2

    Hey, that sounds perfectly doable... and something that I've done several times.   I use a 3rd party software from Acronis.  It is primarily an image-based backup program, but it can also do a "disk to disk" clone operation.

    It is smart enough to resize the partitions to fill the new larger SSD (or perhaps in reverse... from the HD to your old SSD).

    It also has a way to clone the original disk hardware signatures so that you won't trip the activation trigger.

    Acronis True Image Home is not free... but it is reasonably priced.

    Thursday, September 10, 2015 2:24 AM

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    I don't know of any feature built in to Windows 10 that will do what you want (there may be, but I haven't stumbled across it yet).  You do have several options though:

    The manufacturer of your SSD may offer a free utility to do the cloning.  Some do, some don't.

    Any newer disk cloning software will do what you want.  I used the retail version of Acronis to do just this a couple of weeks ago; I upgraded the SSD in my laptop (Lenovo T430) from a 240GB SSD to a 500GB SSD; I then put the 240GB SSD in my wife's T400 replacing the old 160GB HD that was in it.  Both machines were already running Windows 10.  I had zero issues.

    If you have a USB drive dock and an old WD or Seagate drive lying around, both of those companies offer a free version of Acronis that works well, the only caveat is that one of their drives has be be recognized on the PC in order to install their software.  That drive doesn't have to be the source or the target of the clone, it just has to be present.

    • Proposed as answer by Karen Hu Thursday, September 10, 2015 6:55 AM
    • Marked as answer by Bruce Wooding Wednesday, September 23, 2015 12:17 AM
    Thursday, September 10, 2015 12:24 AM
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    WIn 10 handles "keys" differently.  If your win 10 is activated you can clean install and simply skip the step where it asks for the key.  You cannot clone it.  You can use the easy transfer wizard to import you files and settings (but I would not)

    Regarding your old HD in your girl friends computer.  Since it is a "new" computer you will not be able to activate it.  You will have to put the original OS on then upgrade to win 10

    Win 10 is an upgrade to a pre-existing (and qualifying OS)

    Wanikiya and Dyami--Team Zigzag

    Thursday, September 10, 2015 12:50 AM
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    If I'm following you correctly, you want to: 1) clone from your old SSD to a new SSD in system 1, then 2) clone from a HD to your old SSD in system 2

    Hey, that sounds perfectly doable... and something that I've done several times.   I use a 3rd party software from Acronis.  It is primarily an image-based backup program, but it can also do a "disk to disk" clone operation.

    It is smart enough to resize the partitions to fill the new larger SSD (or perhaps in reverse... from the HD to your old SSD).

    It also has a way to clone the original disk hardware signatures so that you won't trip the activation trigger.

    Acronis True Image Home is not free... but it is reasonably priced.

    Thursday, September 10, 2015 2:24 AM
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    I don't think there is built-in function that can do this, but there is easy to use software for this. I have used freeware AOMEI Backupper Standard, which hasn't failed me till now. as long as your ssd have enough space for the data on the hdd, you can  use system clone to only migrate your operating system(OS) to the SSD.
    Friday, September 11, 2015 3:28 AM
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    Hi,

    The story below is related elsewhere, but it was recommended that I post here to see what response might occur.

    I too have a similar problem. I purchased an SSD (Crucial BX100 500GB) some on 24 Sept 2015 for either my eMachines EM250 or my HP Pavilion Netbook. Both had Windows 10 installed. I cloned the HDD on the EM250 to the SSD first using Acronis 2014 and installed it. Fantastic! It worked and boy was it fast. I then replaced the HDD in the EM250 and cloned the HP Pavilion to the SSD and replaced the HDD in the HP Pavilion (Circa 1½ hours here as the HP is not well designed for maintenance) and again, considerable improvement but not quite up to the EM250 change. The HP was newer and due to the complex nature of the change I left the SSD in the HP with the idea of upgrading the EM250 whenever possible.

    Late Novemebr I again purchased an SSD (Crucial MX200 500GB) and set about replacing the HDD in the EM250. Cloned using Acronis, successfuly it seemed, but although the system booted it then rapidly went into a very busy mode resulting in a corrupted SSD. I tried again and checked the SSD before installation in the EM250 with CHKDSK to confirm all was well. Again rapid slowdown and corruption of the SSD after trying to boot from it. Subsequent CHKDSK check on the SSD revealed that much of it was the worse for wear.

    Currently I'm trying to reset the EM250 to before a critical update on 3Dec but don't have high hopes. 

    Any ideas?

    Sorry about verbosity above but I think exact details may be important here.

    Thursday, December 3, 2015 8:56 PM
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    Hey Bob R. 

    Thank you very much for suggesting I check the OEM site of the SSD for their utility software.  Lo' and behold they had a full featured free utility that diagnoses, monitors, upgrades firmware, and CLONES their SSD!  Sweet!  Now I'm off to upgrade from my 128GB SSD to a roomier 512GB.  Soooo Happpy.

    Friday, January 26, 2018 7:06 PM
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    Hi there Scott :) Wonder if you have tried to migrate the partition in the old SSD into the new SSD? As I truly believe that Windows 10 in any edition does not have cloning feature by itself. But still, a lot of (basically most of) companies where make SSD support their own clone / migration tool to done that, and it is the most suggested way to do so for now. Just don’t forget to install SATA / AHCI controller and NVMe driver (if applicable) after migration though, lack of SATA driver or using Microsoft Standard driver may causes your SSD to work extremely slowly.
    Thursday, October 3, 2019 2:15 AM