# Moving to SSD. Clone or not to clone?



## nocrapman (Jan 19, 2011)

Hey guys,
  I am trying to move my OS(windows 7 OEM) install/boot drive from an aging WD 74 G Raptor SATA drive to a SSD. How do I make this transition? Will Acronis TI or clonezilla do this or should I just do a new install?
No experience with this scenario. Please help.

Thanks!


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## cadaveca (Jan 19, 2011)

If yuor drives are already in AHCI mode, then sure, you could just clone the drive, provided it will fit on the SSD. Make sure to isntall the Intel RST "driver" when it's back in the OS.

Good thing about cloning is that should something go wrong, you still have the original drive to boot from.


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## digibucc (Jan 19, 2011)

the alignment may be off that way though. that can hurt speed and space, though 
usually negligibly...

I recommend just copying your documents, etc over and reinstalling.  
there are just too many possible errors.  stability may be off as well.

though as dave says - you will still have your original drive, so i guess it's worth a shot.


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## gvblake22 (Jan 19, 2011)

digibucc said:


> the alignment may be off that way though. that can hurt speed and space, though
> usually negligibly...
> 
> I recommend just copying your documents, etc over and reinstalling.
> there are just too many possible errors.  stability may be off as well.


Agreed.  If I have the choice, I would always rather do a fresh install.  Just eases the mind knowing I've eliminated one more chance for some weird problem.  Especially with an SSD, since they do have specific requirements for alignment of the partitions and stuff to get the correct performance (which Windows 7 can do automatically when it installs its self).


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## nocrapman (Jan 19, 2011)

gvblake22 said:


> Agreed.  If I have the choice, I would always rather do a fresh install.  Just eases the mind knowing I've eliminated one more chance for some weird problem.  Especially with an SSD, since they do have specific requirements for alignment of the partitions and stuff to get the correct performance (which Windows 7 can do automatically when it installs its self).



I would love to do a fresh install too!
But with an OEM copy of 7, I will be out of $100!


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## CJCerny (Jan 19, 2011)

nocrapman said:


> I would love to do a fresh install too!
> But with an OEM copy of 7, I will be out of $100!



Swapping a hard drive on an OEM copy will not be an issue. Swapping the motherboard would be a problem.


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## digibucc (Jan 19, 2011)

CJCerny said:


> Swapping a hard drive on an OEM copy will not be an issue. Swapping the motherboard would be a problem.



it's not a question of the license having an issue, it's the hard disk.

going from platter to ssd via clone is troublesome.

however if the alternative is to buy a new copy of windows, for sure your 
first choice should be cloning.  it's at least worth trying, to save the $$$


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## cadaveca (Jan 19, 2011)

Part of how I keep my SSD fast is to clone it to a platter drive, then clone back. You just want to make sure that you are only cloning teh used space, and not the empty space.


So, again, I isntall Windows to the ssd. Clone to platter drive, then clone back.

I am not sure why, but if I do not do the clone step, the drive's speed, and windows booting, decreases substantially within a week or so.

I am using a Corsair F60 SSD and a Western Digital 500AAKS as drives, and using the free version of Acronis that WD provides, if any of that matters. I am not sure, at this point.


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## AsRock (Jan 19, 2011)

digibucc said:


> it's not a question of the license having an issue, it's the hard disk.
> 
> *going from platter to ssd via clone is troublesome.
> *
> ...



It is ?. Acronis  has NEVER gave me a issue and thats including cloning to and from SSD.


Go to the WD site and download Acronis  and clone your Raptor to the SSD and see how it goes.  At worsed a little lost time but what the hell right ?.


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 19, 2011)

I wouldn't clone. Its better IMO to do a clean install. Less of a chance of messing something up.


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## AsRock (Jan 19, 2011)

TheMailMan78 said:


> I wouldn't clone. Its better IMO to do a clean install. Less of a chance of messing something up.




A baby can do it they made it that simple lol.


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## digibucc (Jan 19, 2011)

AsRock said:


> It is ?. Acronis  has NEVER gave me a issue and thats including cloning to and from SSD.
> 
> Go to the WD site and download Acronis  and clone your Raptor to the SSD and see how it goes.  At worsed a little lost time but what the hell right ?.





AsRock said:


> A baby can do it they made it that simple lol.



i understand the process works, and works the same as cloning platter to platter. 
I know it is quite easy, first cloned a drive over a decade ago. it's only gotten easier.

but after the fact, it is often troublesome. windows in particular doesn't need much to
go wrong for the OS to fail to start.  when doing platter to ssd there is more that CAN go wrong.

the alignment, along with TRIM in 7 and more I believe (though can't recall) 
is different when using an ssd vs a platter.

though the install can work, it is not optimum.


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## cadaveca (Jan 19, 2011)

digibucc said:


> though the install can work, it is not optimum.





I kinda agree with you, but on a wholr, do not. While I have done things a bit differently than this specific situation, by installing Windows directly to the SSD, and cloning after, my testing shows that there are no issues doing this, very little that can go wrong, provided your system is stable.

There are certain features that must be disabled in this situation, like auto defrag and such, but even with a fresh install to the SSD, you need to take steps to ensure that you SSD performs properly, regardless of how the data got there.

Arming yourself with a bit of knowledge can go a long way.

Installing the latest chipset driver, and the RST Tools, will ensure optimal performance of the SSD. but rather than taking my advice, I suggest the OP takes a look here:

http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/sand...7-and-ssds-to-clone-windows-or-reinstall.aspx

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-notebook-portable,1913-3.html

Keep in mind, also, Digibucc, that many retail drives include software and such that very specifically is to be used to ttranser the OS from an existing mechanical drive to an SSD, and if there really was alot fo issues stemming from the cloning process, they would not have packages like that, simply to eliminate tech support costs. While not the optimal option, cloning is NOT a bad thing, as long as you take the nessecary steps.


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 19, 2011)

AsRock said:


> A baby can do it they made it that simple lol.



I don't doubt you. But my OCD wouldn't allow me to.


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## AsRock (Jan 20, 2011)

digibucc said:


> i understand the process works, and works the same as cloning platter to platter.
> I know it is quite easy, first cloned a drive over a decade ago. it's only gotten easier.
> 
> but after the fact, it is often troublesome. windows in particular doesn't need much to
> ...



Never had alignment issue's with cloning with that program.  But yes shit does happen just saying all the times i have used it since WD gave it away for free had 0 issue's.




TheMailMan78 said:


> I don't doubt you. But my OCD wouldn't allow me to.



lol..


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## panchoman (Jan 20, 2011)

i would start fresh.. you get that fresh feeling and it will be faster then with the clone, as fragmentation and other things start to degrade your windows install as time proceeds.. but a fresh install will make it feel a lot faster and cleaner... 

use ninite.com to get your new install going within minutes  

oh and don't forget to align the ssd and what not..


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## sneekypeet (Jan 20, 2011)

Personally I just took a 5200 RPM Hitachi drive from my lappy and cloned it to my Intel SSD. I had more issues finding a version of Acronis that worked with both drives than any issues I have run into from the clone. Testing repeatedly on the SSD isn't good for it, but my speeds are at spec the last i looked

Edit...upon fist boot with the SSD, get RST installed, and check to be sure Trim is enabled. Turn off the defrag and you should be good to go.


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## nocrapman (Jan 20, 2011)

panchoman said:


> i would start fresh.. you get that fresh feeling and it will be faster then with the clone, as fragmentation and other things start to degrade your windows install as time proceeds.. but a fresh install will make it feel a lot faster and cleaner...
> 
> use ninite.com to get your new install going within minutes
> 
> oh and don't forget to align the ssd and what not..



Ninite: what an awesome tool!
Didnt know about this. Does this work well?

*Align the SSD* ... another chunk of knowledge to stuff into my overstuffed, information overloaded brain! Alright another night of reading before I touch that inviting SSD sitting on my desk.


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## digibucc (Jan 20, 2011)

nocrapman said:


> Ninite: what an awesome tool!
> Didnt know about this. Does this work well?
> 
> *Align the SSD* ... another chunk of knowledge to stuff into my overstuffed, information overloaded brain! Alright another night of reading before I touch that inviting SSD sitting on my desk.



if you are using windows 7, and doing a fresh install:

make sure there are NO partitions on the drive. this should be the case if it is new.  
if there are, delete them.  then restart or close the setup, and go into setup again. i know, just do it.

then select the "unallocated space" for your drive, and click next.

windows will automatically align it properly, but it will only do so if it is using blank space and not a pre-existing partition.


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## nocrapman (Jan 20, 2011)

I have decided to do a fresh install!
The drive is NIB.
Thanks for the quick run through!


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## RAJOD (Jan 30, 2013)

I realize this thread is old but my answer applies to people with this same question.

I had a 500 gig 7200 rpm HD as my boot drive along with a mirror 1 on another partition.   The system is working fine but wanted more speed on boot up.   

In my case my drive has 2 hidden Alienware partitions that contain an image of windows 7.   I have no install disks for windows 7.   

I could make them and do a fresh OS install.   But that would take major time.
1.  Would need to reinstall SP1 for win7 - long time
2.  Would need to redownload like 1000+ windows 7 updates 
3.  would need to reinstall word, skyp, and like 1000 apps that i have.
4.  would need to update all the pointers to my mapped network drives etc.
5.  printer drivers, video drivers etc.

I really had no issues so starting fresh was the last thing I wanted to do.

Here is what I did. (and glad i did)

1.  put 500 gig samsung 840 SSD in computer not formatted.

2.  Used samsung utility to update firmware.  and also turn off OS features not needed w a SSD.  

3.  Downloaded a free cloning application called  EaseUS Disk Copy Home.  The copy of norton 15 failed to clone, and it came w drive. lol

4.  Ran EaseUS clone which gave options to set up bootable CD or USB.   I plugged in a USB stick and chose that option.
it formatted and made a bootable USB stick.

5.  I rebooted the PC and pressed F12 while it was loading.   On my pc that is the option to select which drive to boot from.   I selected the USB stick and clicked enter.

6.  PC booted from USB stick into EASEUS Clone.   

7.  I selected source partition (that contained both hidden partitions and the main C windows partition.   and selected the Samsung 840 SSD as the destination.   I clicked GO!

8.  It started cloning the old SATA drive at 5 gigs/min or around 90megabyte/sec speed.   This took like 1 hour as the drive had 400 gigs on it.

9.  When it finished I now had two identicle drives in my system set to boot.    Can't boot from both so I disabled one of them via bios.   It did recommend taking new SSD and plugging it into the the same SATA port as the old drive.

10.  I ignored that advice and just booted into my bios and set the old SATA HD to disabled, saved bios and then rebooted, hitting F12 and selecting the new SSD drive as boot.

11.  It booted into windows as if nothing had changed from my old system.  It just booted much faster from SSD.

Entired process took around 1 hr 30 minutes.

Doing it from fresh install would have been 2 day project to and I probably would still not have my system back the way it was.


So if its not broken don't fix it.  You don't have to start fresh like 99 percent of the people will advise you.

They do not factor in the time that it takes to reinstall all the updates, programs, drivers etc.

Good luck hope this helps someone.


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