Cloning to SSD

First question here on 10 forum but used 7 forum lots. Anyway I am trying to clone the HDD? reduced partion to 450GB so as to be less than theSSD on my laptop. Trying to clone to a Samsung EVO 850 500GB. I have used the Samsung migration software and a version of EaseUS both give same error ie OS cannot be found. Now I think it is because the MBR is not being copied or if it is something is going wrong with it. This version of 10 was a free upgarde from8.1 for which I had a recovery stick but I have nothing to do the same on 10.
Am I missing something obvious here?

Thanks

Hi
I am attempting to clone the C partition only. Not sure how I can do a clean install to the SSD as it is the only drive on the laptop.

I was never successful cloning my hard drive to a new Samsung SSD. I tried both the program on the Samsung disc, my Macrium Reflect Cloning process and another cloning program. Never got it going. I finally did a "disc image" (backup) of the hard drive to the drive I used for backups. I then "restored" to the SSD and success.

We did some testing on the Win 7 forum with one of our "gurus" and the conclusion was cloning is a hit or miss. Works for some and not others.

One other thought on cloning. When You clone you copy everything, data, bad sectors and blank areas on the drive. If you do an image you only get the actual data, not bad blocks, blanks, etc.

Jack is right. Cloning is a hit and miss. It is at the physical level and not at the logical level. Use imaging and it should work.

Kyhi said:

Are you cloning the partition or the disk??

You can also just clean install windows 10 to that PC / SSD - since you already have digital entitlement..

Hi,

I am getting confused about the best way to proceed for replacing Lenovo yoga 500's HDD with a new SSD. I've thought about it and read a few forums etc, but still not sure. If I simply remove the HDD and replace it with a blank SSD, how would I get the laptop to boot? Do I perhaps download a Win 10 ISO onto a usb stick and try to install it onto the installed SSD? I had thought of cloning HDD to external SSD, then swapping, then doing clean install of windows 10. There's nothing much on the laptop so far apart from browser, so I don't mind and would prefer clean install.

Finally, the Yoga 500 was sold to me as Win 10, but it seemed like they had done the upgrade from 8.1, so there was a few driver conflicts etc therefore I did fresh Win 10 install.

Any advice or comments would be gratefully received, thanks.

You get the laptop to boot from a Windows 10 install USB flash drive or DVD. If you are going to clean install anyway, there is no reason to clone first.

Thanks for the prompt and helpful reply.

fireberd said:

I was never successful cloning my hard drive to a new Samsung SSD. I tried both the program on the Samsung disc, my Macrium Reflect Cloning process and another cloning program. Never got it going. I finally did a "disc image" (backup) of the hard drive to the drive I used for backups. I then "restored" to the SSD and success.

We did some testing on the Win 7 forum with one of our "gurus" and the conclusion was cloning is a hit or miss. Works for some and not others.

One other thought on cloning. When You clone you copy everything, data, bad sectors and blank areas on the drive. If you do an image you only get the actual data, not bad blocks, blanks, etc.

How does that work on a laptop. I have no disk to do an image too only my HDD and the SSD

NavyLCDR said:

You get the laptop to boot from a Windows 10 install USB flash drive or DVD. If you are going to clean install anyway, there is no reason to clone first.

Not sure how I get a usb sorted so as I can boot from it.