HELP! New to Windows - New 1TB SSD - need to swap 256mb C drive SSD

Thecount · 08 Jul 2023

New to Windows 10 when it comes to upgrades etc. Only thing I managed to do is work out how to add an additional SSD but daisy chaining in the tower to another new SSD.

I am desperate to somehow clone my C drive 256mb SSD to a new one I have purchased. I have a caddy with USB cable but I need a newbie proof way of cloning the C drive (which runs my OS) - I don’t really want to purchase any apps for this (UNLESS) it literally will make it super easy as in.

Can anyone advise please?

Running Windows 10 version - 10.0.19045

SIW2 · 08 Jul 2023

simplest reliable way is to use diskgenius free version.
Some ssd manufacturers provide cloning software for their own brand ssd however diskgenius os migration works for all brands.

DiskGenius: Data Recovery, Partition Manager, Backup & Disk Utilities

Thecount · 08 Jul 2023

Oh great. Thankyou! - will my PC know it can boot off this automatically when I replace it physically .

SIW2 · 08 Jul 2023

click os migration in the top pane

HELP! New to Windows - New 1TB SSD - need to swap 256mb C drive SSD-os-migate.jpg

select the target disk

HELP! New to Windows - New 1TB SSD - need to swap 256mb C drive SSD-osmigrate-selct-target-disk5.jpg

It shows what the taget disk will look like. You can adjust the size of the partitions on the target disk at this point if you like. Or add extra partitions.

HELP! New to Windows - New 1TB SSD - need to swap 256mb C drive SSD-osmigrate6.jpg

click Hot Migration. Then click Start

HELP! New to Windows - New 1TB SSD - need to swap 256mb C drive SSD-osmigrate8.jpg

it will take a few minutes depending on the read and write speed of your disks.

SIW2 · 08 Jul 2023

Thecount said:

Oh great. Thankyou! - will my PC know it can boot off this automatically when I replace it physically .

If you are migrating to an ssd in a caddy, presumably you will then put the new ssd inside the machine.

If there is only the new ssd in the machine, your bios should boot to it.

If there is more than one bootable disk in your machine, then go into bios and set your preferred disk first in bios order.

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If your machine has ports for more than one disk, you do not need a caddy. Because you say you have a tower, presumably it does have several ports internally. You could attach the new sdd internally and migrate the current system to it.

In that case, you could get diskgenius to change the boot order for you. But it is very easy to do yourself.

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you didnt fill in your system specs so we dont know what machine you have.

Thecount · 08 Jul 2023

SIW2 said:

If you are migrating to an ssd in a caddy, presumably you will then put the new ssd inside the machine.

If there is only the new ssd in the machine, your bios should boot to it.

If there is more than one bootable disk in your machine, then go into bios and set your preferred disk first in bios order.

*************************************

If your machine has ports for more than one disk, you do not need a caddy. Because you say you have a tower, presumably it does have several ports internally. You could attach the new sdd internally and migrate the current system to it.

In that case, you could get diskgenius to change the boot order for you. But it is very easy to do yourself.

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you didnt fill in your system specs so we dont know what machine you have.

I'll have to look properly to see if there's a spare cable I can connect this new 1TB SSD to in the machine, otherwise I will have to USB cable it in?

Just wanted to understand when you took me through the order of the process for migrating the OS over, just checking but I want all the files from that C drive on this new one? Would that be ok? Essentially I want it to be a replacement C drive

Can I just then unplug the old C drive and replace it with this one?

Is it easy enough to get diskgenious to change the boot order?

This is the current drive list. :

SIW2 · 08 Jul 2023

I want all the files from that C drive on this new one? Would that be ok? Essentially I want it to be a replacement C drive

Yes, it migrates all the partitions required by the operating system. And everything that is on them. It automatically adjusts the bcd entry on the system partition and the osvolumevalue of the os partition on the target disk.

There is more to it than just copying your "C" drive. If you copied only that to the new disk, it wouldn't boot.

It will automatically select the required partitions and make any necessary adjustments.

dalchina · 09 Jul 2023

Just a note for clarification: assuming your Win 10 installation is UEFI, it will typically comprise 4 partitions.

If you have created additional partitions e.g. for data - then you need to consider that.

To consider: to make effective use of your larger disk, consider placing as much of your personal data on a separate partition, rather than arbitrarily extending 'C:' into unallocated space.
Why? That partition will be unaffected by O/S maintenance e.g. a clean install or restoring a disk image of your Windows partition.

Plan how you will back up. The routine and regular use of 3rd party disk imaging of at least your O/S partitions is endlessly recommended by members here. There are additional approaches from System Restore (a valuable complement to disk imaging but utterly different) to specific data backup. Do not use the built in legacy backup features

Note that there are numerous threads where people have cloned disks then found thet don't boot initially.

Thecount · 09 Jul 2023

Actually that’s a good point, I was wondering about how I should keep backing up my system and all my files 🤷🏻*♂️ and then, do I need to consider a backup drive for each of my drives?

dalchina · 09 Jul 2023

It's not necessary to do so, but it depends on your backup plan.

For example, consider disk imaging - can be any partition, but first all partitions of your O/S
Your backup drive should be (e.g.) a minimum of twice the size of the data you plan to back up- and then allow for future-proofing.

Imaging allows you to create (e.g.)
a. an initial full image (a compressed copy of the used parts of the partitions imaged
b. a number of differential images (smaller, faster to create) - say n images.
Thus you have n+1 dates to which to restore or from which to extract files.
All on one backup disk.

Now imagine you have, say, a 10Tb backup disk.
You can use the rest of that space as you wish.

But then imagine you use part of that for synched data backup of some kind- and the disk is permanently connected.
Oh- permanently connected. That puts it at risk of failure, corruption, infection..

And even theft.

So you may wish to consider how to resolve issues of backup security and the relative significance of the different things you wish to back up.

Don't over complicate though.

Some people have multiple backup plans, with drives stored secure from fire and theft.

Also consider backing up fast changing key data on partitions you image occasionally.

I have a lot of family tree data and some financial stuff. I back up those selectively using a program which runs when I plug the backup drive in.

I image my O/S periodically.

Your backup plan has to match your needs. Planning WHERE you put your data can make recovery much easier.