Backing Up hdd and restoring to ssd drive

I have a 1TB hdd which contains 400GB of files
Is it possible to back up and restore the larger hdd and restore the hdd and restore it to the smaller ssd?

"back up and restore the larger hdd and restore the hdd and restore it to the smaller ssd"................


Can you rewrite your question so we better understand you?

Thanks for your message
What I'd like to do is back up a 1TB ssd and restore the image to a 500GB smaller SSD
The data and OS on the hdd are about 400GB

provlima said:

Thanks for your message
What I'd like to do is back up a 1TB ssd and restore the image to a 500GB smaller SSD
The data and OS on the hdd are about 400GB

Should be relatively easy.

Use Macrium Reflect Free Edition; tutorial on this site and all over youtube and elsewhere.

It will create a single MRIMG file, about half the size of your existing installation; so about 200 GB, give or take.

Save the 200 GB on some other drive, probably external, could be internal;

Then use Macrium to "restore" to the 500 GB SSD.

I'd remove the larger SSD after I made the image, install the smaller SSD; and then do the restore using Macrium menus.

You'll need a Macrium recovery disk to boot the PC. Make that within Macrium as soon as you install it. Make sure it will boot the PC.

Most likely you'd tell Macrium to include ALL partitions on the large SSD in that one image file.

Do you have any complicating factors like dual boot, multiple operating systems, etc?

Thank you for your help
Want to correct something-
What I meant to say is back up a 1TB hdd to a smaller 500 GB ssd

provlima said:

Thank you for your help
Want to correct something-
What I meant to say is back up a 1TB hdd to a smaller 500 GB ssd

Shouldn't make the slightest bit of difference.

What matters is if the SSD is large enough. You say there is only 400 occupied on the HDD, so it should fit on the 500 GB SSD.

You need to make sure that you select ALL partitions on the HDD to make sure they are all contained within that single MRIMG file.

When you open Macrium, it should show you ALL of those partitions on the HDD. Make sure you select ALL of them, including your data partition.

Look at this pic:

The top drive is my SSD. It shows 4 partitions. Notice the checkmark next to all 4. That's what you need to confirm.

They may be checked by default. Or you can just poke "image this disk".

The next screens will ask you what to name it. Use the default.

Then choose where to save it.

Make that recovery disk and confirm it will boot the PC.

Attachment 153919

RolandJS said:

If I understand the situation, and if my home experience with MR6 & MR7 applies, I think MR needs to be "told" the size of the target device, else, there might be a 400GB+- partition and an un-allocated area on the target SSD once the restore operation is finished.

That is not the case as original partition is shrunk to fit.

Your case would only apply if original C drive partition was less than 500 GB. Even then it is a simple matter to resize C drive anyway.

Use Macrium Reflect Free Edition