[Phlegmbot]

Looking for advice on best way to duplicate my drive OR my info & settings onto a new SSD:

 

B/C of an error that's showing on my current SSD and b/c I'm still under Warranty, Dell sent me what was SUPPOSED to be a blank replacement SSD (w/Windows 10 software on a separate Flash Drive included).

 

Well, I put the NEW SSD into an external enclosure, and it turns out the NEW SSD does indeed have W10 loaded onto it (the Flash Drive does have W10 on it, but I won't need that now).

 

Since this new SSD isn't blank:  What's the best way to duplicate all my files, settings, and user info? Do I use some kind of mirroring software? Do I insert the NEW drive, set up my profile and just merge the files, putting the OLD drive into the enclosure? I DO have a lot of custom settings set in Windows, so it'd be great to get all my settings merged over. I just don't know the best next steps.

 

Advice (& links to best freeware😉) for this appreciated! Thank you in advance (but I'm sure I'll TY again)!!!

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Hi,

 

If your current Windows 10 works ok on the problematic SSD I would try to clone the drive to the new SSD overwriting everything on the drive, to do that you can use a program like Macrium Reflect Free,

Aomei Backupper Standard to do the job. Personally I prefer to do the cloning outside Windows by booting the system using the Rescue Disk created by those programs...

 

 

I don't think there is a 100% reliable way to merge things from the old Windows 10 installation to the new one specially if you did customization's to the OS.

[SleepyDude]

Hi,

 

If your current Windows 10 works ok on the problematic SSD I would try to clone the drive to the new SSD overwriting everything on the drive, to do that you can use a program like Macrium Reflect Free,

Aomei Backupper Standard to do the job. Personally I prefer to do the cloning outside Windows by booting the system using the Rescue Disk created by those programs...

 

 

I don't think there is a 100% reliable way to merge things from the old Windows 10 installation to the new one specially if you did customization's to the OS.

[Phlegmbot]

Thank you! I'll try Macrium first & keep my fingers crossed!

 

I used to have Seagate's cloning program, but I can't seem to locate the mini-CD it came on.

[SleepyDude]

Hi,

 

If you mean the limited edition of Acronis True Image that can be used for free by those with HDD's from Seagate, Maxtor, Samsung its called Seagate DiscWizard available from

https://www.seagate....ads/discwizard/

[Phlegmbot]

And thank you for that as well!

 

Out of all of these, is there one you recommend above the others? Oh, and btw, will these apps automatically overwrite the SDD I was sent, or do I need to reformat first?

[SleepyDude]

Out of all of these, is there one you recommend above the others? Oh, and btw, will these apps automatically overwrite the SDD I was sent, or do I need to reformat first?

 

I also like Seagate DiscWizard but because its a limited product, presently Macrium Reflect its a better option because the free version for Home Use have all the features available that are normally need.

 

During the clone operation the copy is done at the sector level not at file level so you don't need to format or create any partitions on the destination drive, if they exist the tool will ask for confirmation to overwrite the existing data on the destination.

[Phlegmbot]

OK, thanks for that too. I'm not going to mark this as resolved just yet -- haven't had a chance to do the cloning, so if I end up having questions I'd like to be able to reply again.

[Phlegmbot]

Finally got to clone and insert the newSSD. Seems to have gone off without a hitch! Thank you once more for the guidance.

 

Now, it seems that Dell doesn't care if I return the OLD drive, because it had some kind of internal damage. Is there some way to determine that damage, possibly isolate it, and then use that drive as backup? Or should I start a new thread on this question?

 

Thanks yet again!!

[SleepyDude]

Hi,

 

Fortunately I don't have experience with bad SSD's but I don't think that you can isolate the problem.

 

Something that I wouldn't do is to use the SSD as backup because if it fails you could loose access to the data, in some cases the drive becomes only read-only and its possible to transfer the data but not all.

[Phlegmbot]

Best Answer

Gotcha. Thx for that!