Cloning a disk to an ssd in windows 10. Transferring the system to an SSD: instructions

An SSD solid-state drive differs in its properties and method of operation from a hard HDD drive, but the process of installing Windows 10 on it will not be much different; there is a noticeable difference only in preparing the computer.

Preparing the disk and computer for installation

Owners of SSD drives know that in previous versions of the OS, for correct, durable and full-fledged operation of the drive, it was necessary to change the system settings manually: disable defragmentation, some functions, hibernation, built-in antiviruses, the page file and change a few other parameters. But in Windows 10, the developers took these shortcomings into account; the system now performs all disk settings itself.

You especially need to focus on defragmentation: before, it greatly harmed the disk, but in the new OS it works differently, not harming the SSD, but optimizing it, so you should not disable automatic defragmentation. It's the same with other functions - in Windows 10 you don't need to configure the system's work with the disk manually, everything is already done for you.

The only thing is that when dividing a disk into partitions, it is recommended to leave 10–15% of its total volume as unallocated space. This will not increase its performance, the recording speed will remain the same, but the service life may be slightly extended. But remember, most likely, the disk will last longer than you need even without additional settings. You can free up free interest both during the installation of Windows 10 (during the process in the instructions below), and after it using system utilities or third-party programs.

Preliminary PC setup

In order to install Windows on an SSD drive, you need to switch the computer to AHCI mode and make sure that the motherboard supports the SATA 3.0 interface. Information about whether SATA 3.0 is supported or not can be found on the official website of the company that developed your motherboard, or using third-party programs such as HWINFO (http://www.hwinfo.com/download32.html).

Switching to SATA mode

1. Turn off your computer.
2. As soon as the startup process begins, press the special key on the keyboard to go to the BIOS. Typically the Delete, F2 or other hotkeys are used. Which one will be used in your case will be written in a special footnote during the inclusion process.
3. The BIOS interface will differ in different motherboard models, but the principle of switching to AHCI mode on each of them is almost identical. First, go to the Settings section. To move through blocks and items, use the mouse or arrow keys with the Enter button.
4. Go to advanced BIOS settings.
5. Go to the “Built-in peripherals” sub-item.
6. In the “SATA Configuration” block, find the port to which your SSD is connected and press Enter on the keyboard.
7. Select AHCI operating mode. It may already be selected by default, but we needed to make sure of this. Save the settings made in the BIOS and exit it, boot the computer to proceed to preparing the media with the installation file.

Preparing installation media

If you already have a ready-made installation disk, you can skip this step and immediately begin installing the OS. If you don’t have one, then you will need a USB flash drive with at least 4 GB of memory. Creating an installation program on it will look like this:

1. We insert the USB flash drive into the port and wait until the computer recognizes it. Open the explorer.
2. First of all, it is important to format it. This is done for two reasons: the memory of the flash drive must be completely empty and divided in the format we need. While on the main page of Explorer, right-click on the flash drive and select “Format” in the menu that opens.
3. We select the NTFS format mode and begin the operation, which can last up to ten minutes. Please note that all data stored on the formatted media will be permanently erased.
4. Go to the official Windows 10 page (https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/software-download/windows10) and download the installation tool.
5. Launch the downloaded program. Read and accept the license agreement.
6. Select the second option “Create installation media”, since this method of installing Windows is more reliable, because you can start all over again at any time, and also use the created installation media in the future to install the OS on other computers.
7. Select the system language, version and bit depth. You should take the version that suits you best. If you are an ordinary user, then you should not load the system with unnecessary functions that will never be useful to you; install Windows at home. The capacity depends on how many cores your processor has: one (32) or two (64). Information about the processor can be found in the computer properties or on the official website of the company that developed the processor.
8. In the media selection, select the USB device option.
9. Select the flash drive from which the installation media will be created.
10. We wait until the media creation process is completed.
11. Reboot the computer without removing the media.
12. During startup, enter the BIOS.
13. We change the boot order of the computer: your flash drive should be in first place, not the hard drive, so that when you turn on the computer, it starts booting from it and, accordingly, starts the Windows installation process.

Windows 10 installation process on SSD

1. Installation begins with choosing a language; set the Russian language in all lines.
2. Confirm that you want to start the installation.
3. Read and accept the license agreement.
4. You may be asked to enter a license key. If you have it, then enter it, if not, then skip this step for now and activate the system after installing it.
5. Proceed with manual installation as this method will allow you to configure the disk partitions.
6. A window will open with disk partition settings, click on the “Disk Settings” button.
7. If you are installing the system for the first time, then all the SSD disk memory will not be allocated. Otherwise, you need to select one of the partitions to install and format it. Divide unallocated memory or existing disks as follows: allocate more than 40 GB to the main disk on which the OS will be located, so as not to encounter it being clogged in the future, leave 10–15% of the total disk memory unallocated (if all the memory has already been allocated, delete the partitions and start forming them again), we allocate all the remaining memory for an additional partition (usually drive D) or partitions (drives E, F, G...). Don't forget to format the main partition allocated for the OS.
8. To begin installation, select the drive and click Next.
9. Wait until the system installs in automatic mode. The process may take more than ten minutes, do not interrupt it under any circumstances. After the procedure is completed, the creation of an account and installation of basic system parameters will begin; follow the instructions on the screen and select the settings for yourself.

Video tutorial: how to install Windows 10 on an SSD

Installing Windows 10 on an SSD is no different from the same process with an HDD drive. Most importantly, do not forget to enable ACHI mode in the BIOS settings. After installing the system, there is no need to configure the disk; the system will do it for you.

It was necessary to look for ways and programs to transfer the system from HDD to SSD, since I had a lot of data on the current operating system and there was no way to perform a clean installation of the system. It is definitely best in this situation to install the Windows 10 operating system again and simply configure it; if you do not know which programs are best to use to transfer the system, then it will be even a little faster.

We decided to look into this issue and tell you how to transfer a Windows 10 system from HDD to SSD without reinstallation. In this article, we have selected the best programs for cloning a Windows 10 hard drive. We also note that with the help of these programs you can transfer the system even in previous versions of Windows.

Before using any of the programs on our list, you need to allocate SSD disk memory. Because after connecting a new SSD drive, the memory is not allocated by default. In this situation, the built-in Windows operating system disk management tool will help us.

Now you can see the new partition on my computer and use it in the future. How to add the My Computer icon to the desktop in Windows 10 can be found in ours.

Programs for cloning Windows 10 hard drive

There are many programs that allow you to transfer the Windows 10 operating system to an SSD drive without reinstallation. The transfer process itself is not complicated, but since I had a very weak HDD drive, some programs that everyone recommends for this simply took a very long time to determine the size of the system.

Therefore, our list of programs will start from the best and simplest to the more complex.

• Simple and intuitive interface
• Quickly transfer data from HDD to SSD
• Automatic search for installed operating systems
• Russian interface language

Using unique technology that allows you to move Windows to a smaller drive in one operation, you can quickly and easily migrate Windows from a large hard drive to a high-speed SSD. There is also support for all Windows operating systems and different system configurations.

It was this program that made it possible to transfer the system to an SSD drive the fastest. Due to the narrow focus of the program purely on transferring the operating system from HDD to SSD, the transfer is carried out in just a few clicks. A good bonus is that the program interface is in Russian, which will greatly please beginners. In fact, you can open the program and simply follow the OS migration wizard, it will do everything itself, you only need permission.

The downside of the program is the need to buy it, in principle, like most programs of this kind. Well, if you try, you can find an already activated version of the program.

• Free analogue of cloning programs (license for 30 days)
• Only English language of the program interface
• Intuitive and simple user interface

A good tool for transferring an operating system to an SSD drive. The program will not do everything automatically, like our previous software product. This will be a little more difficult to figure out, but the transfer can be done without purchasing a program license.

1. Download and install the program.
2. In the window that opens, select the license type Trial And Home, then press Dowmload to download the program completely.
3. After installing the program, you will be asked to create a backup copy of the system in the form of a bootable USB flash drive.
4. Next select the tab Create a backup, in which specify the system drive and select Clone this disk.
5. Here we indicate which sections we want to transfer and select the option Select a disk to clone to to choose where to transfer.
6. Next you will be shown how the transfer will be carried out, if everything suits you, then click Next and wait for the process to complete.

Although there is nothing complicated here, a beginner can get confused, so the first program on our list is Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, which we recommend that beginners use.

• Wide functionality of the program
• Availability of Russian interface language
• Simple user interface

To transfer the system, most inexperienced users recommend this particular program. Acronis True Image has the ability to perform direct disk cloning (a license is required), and disk cloning by creating a copy of the system (can be done in the free version).

The downside of the program, besides the need to buy or look for alternative ways to obtain a license, is that it behaves very strangely with very old hard drives. For some reason, the wrong size of the system disk was constantly displayed, or the program took a very long time to calculate. While she was trying to do something, she managed to try several other programs.

conclusions

In this article, we showed how to transfer a Windows 10 system from an HDD to an SSD drive without reinstallation. And also pay attention to the point in our article that Windows 10 does not see the SSD, since this must be done before transferring in any case.

All the programs on our list are good and can solve this issue, but we still recommend using Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, since it beats its competitors in speed and does almost everything automatically.

Quite often, many users have a question related to how to transfer Windows 10 from HDD to SSD, since solid-state drives are much faster. Now we will look at why this is necessary, as well as some basic methods that allow this operation to be carried out without much effort and time.

Why is transfer to SSD necessary, and what benefits does the user receive?

First, let's decide why we should try to do such operations at all. The whole point is that, as mentioned above, SSD-type hard drives have faster data reading speeds compared to regular HDD drives.

This suggests the simplest conclusion: after Windows 10 is transferred to an SSD drive, the system will work much faster, as they say, “fly”. It is supposed to copy only the operating system to the new hard drive, without any third-party garbage. With all this, if you give preference to some specific software products for or intended for transferring a system from HDD to SSD, in some cases you can copy only the system itself, clone Windows with all programs and user files installed in it, even create images with all user settings . Here, as is already clear, the main condition is the choice of the appropriate program depending on what you need to get in the end. But first things first.

General principles of transferring a system to an SSD drive

Let’s make a reservation right away: all those users who believe that a quick transfer of Windows 10 to an SSD can be done by simply copying all files and folders, even hidden ones, are deeply mistaken. Nothing good will come of this, and the system itself simply will not boot. Here you need to use a different technique. In this case, it is possible to use both Windows 10 and third-party software products specifically designed for this. Transferring Windows 10 to an SSD in both the first and second cases is quite simple and does not require much effort or special knowledge.

Let's consider several possible options, especially since none of them should cause difficulties even for the most unprepared or novice user, since in most cases all processes are as automated as possible.

Windows 10 Native Tools

First, let's look at the native capabilities of Windows 10. Transferring the system to an SSD drive is quite possible if you use the backup and recovery section, which can be accessed from the standard Control Panel. This is only due to the fact that in this case, Windows 10 will be transferred to an SSD without third-party programs, which greatly simplifies the task.

Here you will first need to create a system image to transfer it to a prepared drive, and then select the option to create a recovery disk from which to boot when replacing the HDD with an SSD. When the process begins, you will need to provide a link to the system image saved on the new drive. But the old hard drive needs to be disconnected to avoid troubles. If in the future you need to use the old hard drive, you should completely remove boot partitions from it, since otherwise there is a risk of abnormal conflicts and failures. Actually, this is how Windows 10 can be transferred to an SSD on a laptop or on a stationary terminal, provided that the HDD is replaced with an SSD. Another thing is that you will have to open the laptop yourself, as they say, at your own peril and risk. You can, of course, use the services of service centers, but after replacement they will transfer the system to a new hard drive themselves, and this is an extra material cost. In addition, if the laptop is under warranty, opening the seals will only lead to the fact that in the future, if there is any breakdown, no one will accept it for free warranty service. So first think carefully about whether such things are worth doing.

But reviews from users and specialists about this method are ambiguous: some consider it the simplest, others, on the contrary, see it as unnecessary actions and are more inclined to use narrowly targeted utilities.

Most suitable utilities

It is much easier to use specialized programs that are designed specifically for such purposes. With all their diversity, some utilities of this kind are intended exclusively for hard drives of strictly certain manufacturers. So, for example, something like Acronis True Image is perfect for Western Digital drives, for Seagate hard drives the Seagate Disk Wizard utility is used, for Samsung drives the “native” Samsung Data Migration utility is suitable, etc. But the most universal, in terms of automation and security of all operations performed that will be required to carry out the migration, is Paragon Migrate OS.

Migrate Windows 10 to SSD: Paragon Migrate OS to SSD

There are quite a lot of utilities in this area among Paragon products. A special place is occupied by the software packages Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, Paragon Drive Copy 15 Professional, Paragon Disk Manager 15 Professional and “Home Expert 15”. Alas, unfortunately, these are paid utilities. However, you cannot ignore them.

Actually, the Paragon Migrate OS to SSD program itself is a real step-by-step Wizard, which is aimed at maximizing the automation of the system transfer process. Without going into the technical details of the process, we note that you can save space and time if you do not move your own documents or files to the new drive, having first unchecked them in the appropriate window. Well, the Master will almost independently perform all the necessary actions. After copying is complete, you must remember to change the BIOS settings, where the new SSD drive should be specified as the main (first) device.

Migration using Acronis True Image

Migrating Windows 10 to an Acronis True Image SSD is just as easy. But here for Western Digital hard drives it is better to use a special release of the WD Edition modification program. If your computer has a hard drive from this particular manufacturer, the application will become an indispensable assistant.

The whole process boils down to, after installing and launching the application, selecting the recommended (automatic) system transfer mode in the disk cloning section. Of course, this can take quite a lot of time. Everything here will depend on the amount of data being transferred and the speed of the old hard drive. However, the process itself is simple for a user who is not even familiar with such specifics.

Using the Seagate DiscWizard utility for Seagate drives

Here is another program for transferring Windows 10 to SSD drives. As is already clear, it should be used exclusively in cases where the computer or laptop has at least one hard drive from this manufacturer.

If we talk about how Windows 10 is transferred to an SSD, we can say that this application almost completely repeats the previous program and eliminates the user’s participation in the migration process almost one hundred percent. It goes without saying that there is an in-house Master who will carry out the entire process from start to finish.

Samsung Data Migration Program

Samsung hard drives have their own utility that works no worse than those described above.

Here, a special step-by-step Transfer Wizard is used in the same way, but the main advantage of this utility is the use of the selective data transfer mode. This is very important, because, you see, the size of an SSD is still much smaller than that of conventional hard drives. Well, as for the practical side, here, again, the user’s participation in the process comes down only to confirming automated actions. In most cases, you don’t even need to select any specific parameters - the program will do everything on its own.

Free Macrium Reflect app

Finally, you can migrate Windows 10 to an SSD using the free Macrium Reflect package. What is most captivating is that the program does not care at all what manufacturers’ hard drives are used as the initial and target disks.

In addition, the versatility of this software product (as evidenced by reviews of people who have used it) also lies in the fact that the program can not only clone hard drives or their partitions, but also quite simply creates boot disks and images, and also supports transferring data to based on Windows PE. Actually, this particular application can be classified as “all-in-one”.

What else should you pay attention to?

Finally, it remains to add that programs such as AOMEI Backupper Standard were not specifically considered here. Although this utility is distributed free of charge, however, when performing a transfer operation, it requires you to first create a flash drive, and only then, when loading from such media with the priority set in the BIOS, the Clone Wizard starts. However, without talking about the technical side, it can be used equally for Windows and Linux systems.

As for the choice of the means by which a solid-state hard drive will be produced, here, as they say, it is a personal matter. By the way, we did not delve particularly deeply into some aspects related to calling certain functions from the command line, because the average user, in general, does not need this. Extra headache. It’s much easier to launch a specialized utility and wait for the cloning process to complete.

What to prefer?

If you don’t have a suitable utility at hand, you can use your own Windows. Moreover, this applies not only to the “ten”, which in our case was taken as a basis. All these procedures are carried out in the same simple way in both the “seven” and the “eight”. The question here is rather different. The fact is that third-party utilities and applications work much more efficiently; at least, the simplicity of the performed and, in most cases, automated actions is beyond doubt. But as for the cloning speed, you shouldn’t delude yourself - you simply cannot jump higher than the read or write speed of the desired and target hard drives. So, even if you want to finish the processes quickly, you will have to be patient.

Otherwise, even when using the system’s own tools, no one should have any difficulties. But the presence of a Wizard in almost any specialized utility allows you not only to track each step with the action being performed, but also simply not to participate in the already highly automated process. Well, unless you have to press several buttons or select the desired sections or custom folders and programs for cloning.

SSD drives are becoming more and more popular. This is due to the fact that their reliability indicators increase, cost decreases and other parameters improve. They are perfect for installing an operating system. To avoid having to reinstall the system, let's look at how to transfer Windows 10 to an SSD while preserving all data.

If the user decides to use an SSD as a disk to store multimedia files (audio and video files, photos), then this is a rather controversial issue. These devices have a limited rewrite limit. Active use will very quickly damage the drive. This is its main difference from HDD, which can work for more than 10 years and remain in excellent condition. But older hard drives use the SATA II interface for connection, which has a low response time and a small buffer volume. This is why users decide to purchase a solid-state drive in order to transfer Windows 10 to it.

To install the operating system, SSD drives are perfect. They have the following advantages:

1. Low level of heat generation.
2. Quiet operation.
3. High read and write speed.

In addition, Windows is a static type of file that does not require constant rewriting, read-only is used. If you install the operating system on a solid-state drive, this will speed up its operation several times, and the device resource will be used quite slowly.

SSD selection

There are many indicators on which it depends. Let's look at the highest priority ones, on which transferring the system to an ssd will depend:

1. Manufacturer.
2. Memory type.
3. Number of rewrite cycles before failure.

To install Windows 10, you must select a solid-state drive size of only 120 GB or more. There are certain reasons why you should not choose 64 GB drives:

1. To ensure normal and stable operation of the SSD drive, it should have up to 20% free space of the total volume. If a 64 GB model is used (in fact, the volume will be 58 - 60 GB), then only 40 - 45 GB will be available for active use. Microsoft recommends using 16 GB of free disk space for Windows 10 for a 32-bit system and 20 GB for a 64-bit system. This will be half of the required space.
2. When a new Windows 10 is installed or an existing one is updated, a copy of the old operating system will remain on the system hard drive, which is used for recovery. This adds another 15 – 20 GB.
3. Users, in addition to browsers and video players, use various utilities and programs. There will be a lot of space required for their installation. If the user processes video or likes to spend time playing computer games, then he will need even more memory on the system disk.

Let's consider transferring Windows 10 to ssd using the example of a Kingston HyperX Savage 120GB solid-state drive:

1. Turning off the computer. It must be disconnected from the network by unplugging the plug from the socket. The computer is completely de-energized in 4 seconds; to do this, you need to press and then hold the power button.
2. You need to open the case and install the solid state drive. The new cases have bays where you can install an SSD in a 2.5-inch form factor. It is not available on older models, so you must have a suitable adapter frame.
3. Connecting the SATA cable and power to the solid-state drive. Closing the case.
4. Now you need to turn on the computer and go into the BIOS. It sets the AHCI operating mode for the SSD drive. The changes are saved and you can launch Windows 10.
5. Right-click on “Start” and select “Disk Management”.
6. The connected SSD drive will be displayed at the bottom of the table. It will be marked in black and labeled “Not distributed.”
7. Right-click on the solid-state drive, select “Create simple volume”, click “Next”.
8. We set the maximum size of a simple volume and click “Next” again.
9. Select the volume letter and click “Next”.
10. Now you need to set the switch to the “Format this volume...” section. Leave all values ​​as default, click “Next” and “Finish”.

Now the new drive with the selected letter will be displayed in Explorer.

Transferring Windows 10

If you don’t know how to transfer Windows 10 to an SSD, then first you need to install the Acronis True Image program. This software has a large number of functions. Some SSD drives come with a free activation key for the program. The software itself is paid, so it is not suitable for everyone.

There are other programs (free and paid) that transfer a partition from Windows to other drives:

1. Paragon Drive Copy is a paid program with the widest functionality.
2. Macrium Reflect is a free software for the ssd cloning process with an English-language interface.
3. Samsung Data Migration - used to work with Samsung SSDs.
4. Seagate DiscWizard – works when installing a Seagate drive.

All programs have an excellent interface, but use the same operating algorithm. They transfer data from one disk to another while maintaining all settings. There is no need to study instructions for their operation; they are made at an intuitive level for users.

We perform the following actions:

1. Launching Acronis True Image. Then go to the “Tools” menu and select “Clone Disk”.
2. The cloning mode is selected: manually and automatically. In order not to worry about making mistakes, you can select automatic mode. In this case, the software itself will transfer all information from one disk to another. The SSD drive must have a capacity no less than the volume of files contained on the HDD. To configure the transfer parameters, you must select manual configuration. Let's choose manual settings in our example.
3. Now the source disk from which data will be cloned is indicated.
4. Select a drive to transfer files to.
5. We exclude files that will not be needed during cloning hdd to ssd. To transfer, you will only need files with the operating system, so we select them. The process of calculating information will last a long time from 15 to 20 minutes.
6. If necessary, we change the disk structure.
7. We look through all the initial data and click “Proceed”.

When the preliminary operations are completed, the software will ask you to restart the computer. Then, instead of loading the operating system, the Acronis True Image utility window will open, where the process of cloning the hard drive to the ssd will be displayed. You must wait until the operation is completed, after which the personal computer will be turned off.

Selecting the main drive in BIOS

We carry out the following points:

1. Turn on the computer and enter the BIOS.
2. You need to set the computer to boot from a solid state drive. This is necessary so that the operating system boots from the cloned disk with Windows 10. Then we save the changes and launch Windows.

Setting up the OS after the migration process

After transferring the system to the ssd, you need to check the following parameters:

1. Is file indexing disabled?
2. Is disk defragmentation disabled? It is not required due to the way solid-state drives operate.
3. Is the TRIM function enabled?

If we consider the hibernation file, many users advise disabling it to reduce the amount of information written to the SSD disk, which will significantly extend its operating time. If you often use this mode, you can leave it on.

When cloning data, in the settings you can specify the creation of the same hard drives that were on the HDD. Let's look at the process of merging them using the Disk Management utility:

1. Right-click on “Start”, select “Disk Management”, then select “SSD drive”.
2. Right-click on an empty disk and select “Format.”
3. RMB on this disk, select the “Delete volume” section, confirm the deletion.
4. RMB on this disk, click on “Delete partition”, confirms the operation.
5. Repeat similar steps with the remaining free disks. Unallocated space will appear, which is marked in black.
6. RMB on the disk where the operating system is located, select “Extend volume”, click “Next”.
7. We indicate the maximum free space indicator, click “Next” and “Finish”.

We delete Windows 10 files that are located on the HDD by formatting the disk. This will ensure there is no confusion in the future and will also free up space for storing information.

conclusions

The table provides information on certain points before and after transferring Windows 10 to an SSD:

Using the Winaero WEI tool utility, you can calculate the performance of the operating system. After the Windows 10 port, the “Primary Hard Drive” indicator was increased from 5.6 to 7.95.

It turns out that Windows performance has increased. The software started to launch faster, and the time for rebooting and copying files was reduced. Overall, the system's responsiveness has increased significantly.

And then restore them in a clean installation of Windows. However, I'm sure there will be people who will want to move a carefully configured system from one drive to another. Initially, I did not plan this post, but having received another question by mail, I decided to highlight this simple process on the blog.

There are special programs for disk cloning (for example, Acronis or Paragon). In them, the marketing focus is often on transferring the system from HDD to SSD, as in the title of this guide :) However, you can solve this problem using free Microsoft tools, without unpleasant surprises, and my instructions apply to any disk types.

I want to emphasize that this guide describes the process of cloning a system and moving it to another drive within the same PC. Transferring the system to another PC (even with the same hardware configuration) is only supported for images generalized using the sysprep utility. Formally, Microsoft does not support cloning without sysprep at all (even with third-party software). There are several technical limitations that hinder support in my proposed method, but I do not consider them significant for home PCs.

Today on the program

You will need...

First, let's define the terminology. Where you see the phrases “installation disk”, “Windows PE disk”, “recovery disk”, you can equally well use either an optical disk (CD/DVD) or a removable USB disk (flash drive).

So, you need:

1. Environment in any form. It could be:

• Windows installation disk
• recovery environment on the recovery disk that matches your operating system (see instructions for Windows 7 or Windows 8 and later)
• Windows PE 3.1 or 4.0 disk you created

Why imagex and where to get the utility

With the release of Windows 8, the imagex utility has been deprecated, and Microsoft now recommends using DISM. However, imagex works and is still supported, while DISM requires you to create a bootable Windows PE disk with the .NET Framework and PowerShell, which complicates the process.

If you prefer a GUI, there's Gimagex, but I try not to add extraneous factors to the OS deployment process. The imagex utility can be downloaded as part of the ADK by installing deployment tools only about 50MB (thanks, Semyon Galkin). Once installed, you will find imagex in Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits.

There is an alternative and very interesting way - you can receive a link to the utility by mail from Microsoft by requesting it from the knowledge base article KB2525084.

Capture the system partition into a WIM image

Boot into Windows PE and run all the commands in its console. To reduce image size, page and hibernation files are automatically excluded during capture, as are the Recycle Bin and shadow copies. If you want to exclude some other folders or files, create an imagex configuration file.

Command line option /compress maximum You can slightly reduce the size of the image. I don’t use it because maximum compression delays the process, and I have no problems with free space to save the file.

At the end of the procedure, turn off the PC and connect the SSD in place of the HDD. The hard drive can be connected to a different connector.

Preparing the SSD for applying the image

The task comes down to creating a new partition in Windows PE. For SSDs, proper biasing is important to avoid performance degradation and shortened drive life. The installer automatically sets the offset to 1024KB, which is easy to verify. When creating partitions on a blank disk using the diskpart utility, the same thing happens, but in my commands the offset is specified explicitly to avoid accidents.

Here is a minimum set of partitions that is suitable for all supported Windows operating systems (a Windows RE partition is not created). Run the following commands sequentially in the Windows PE console. They imply that one main partition will be created on the SSD, occupying the entire disk.

Diskpart:: display a list of disks list disk:: select a disk (instead of N, specify the SSD letter) sel disk N:: clear the disk of partitions (erases all data) clean:: convert the disk to MBR convert mbr:: create a primary partition with an offset of 1024KB create partition primary align=1024:: make the partition active (nbh for booting from it) active:: format in NTFS, set the disk label format fs=NTFS label="Windows" quick:: assign a letter to the partition assign letter=W exit

Now you are ready to apply the saved image to the SSD.

Applying an image to an SSD

This operation is performed in Windows PE with one command:

Imagex /apply E:\migrate.wim 1 W:

• E:\migrate.wim- path to the saved image
• 1 – the index of the single image in the WIM file you created
• W– SSD drive letter in Windows PE, assigned a little earlier in diskpart

Your letters may be different, of course.

Setting up booting into a cloned system

MBR partitioning

Utility bootrec available in Windows PE when booted from the installation disk, but it may not be included in the built you Windows PE disk.

Bootrec /rebuildbcd

This command looks for installed Windows on all drives (equivalent to the /scanos parameter) and offers to add systems that are not there to the BCD. Pressing Y adds the OS to the boot store, and N rejects the offer.

It also makes sense to immediately run two more commands:

Bootrec /fixmbr bootrec /fixboot

GPT partitioning

In the GPT partition, the files necessary to boot the system are copied to the EFI (FAT32) partition with one command:

Bcdboot W:\Windows

Here W is the drive letter to which you transferred the OS.

This completes the transfer process. After restarting your PC, you will see the system that you transferred to the SSD in the boot manager list.

What to do if both drives were connected when creating the image

I warned above that it is better not to do this. In this case, the drive letters in the cloned system are mixed up, although this can be easily corrected in the registry (thanks to reader Artem for the addition). This is the picture observed after loading into the cloned OS. The system is booted from drive D, and profiles and programs are launched from drive C.

To fix this you need rename drive letters in the registry. In fact, you need to swap the letters in the names of the registry parameters corresponding to the problem drives (you don’t need to touch the values).

In this example, you must first change \DosDevices\C: V \DosDevices\K:, after which the name will be freed for renaming drive D.

Actions after cloning

Take a Windows Performance Assessment

This will tell the system that it is installed on an SSD. As a result, Windows will apply the appropriate settings - from sending TRIM commands to disabling SSD defragmentation (a must for Windows 8 owners).

Set up a download manager

I cannot provide all possible multiboot configurations, but in any case, at the end of the process, you will have two systems with the same names (old and new) displayed in your boot manager. I will give some examples of commands that may be useful to you.

The command displays information about the systems displayed on the boot manager screen bcdedit. In its results, the system identifier (ID) is indicated by the parameter identifier. The system you are currently booted into always has an ID (current).

These examples assume that the commands are executed in new system.

Renaming a New System Entry

Bcdedit /set (current) description “My New Windows”

Bcdedit /default (current)

Deleting an old system entry

Bcdedit /delete ID

If you have trouble booting into your cloned system or need help setting up your boot manager, please post here using the thread rules.

Discussion and poll

From previous surveys, I know that most readers have already acquired an SSD. This survey will show you how you approached the issue of installing the system on a brand new drive.

If you transferred the system, write in the comments what software you used for this. I know some of you have already talked about this in other posts. But then it was off-topic, but now this will help other readers looking for information on the topic!

Hello, friends! I often had the opportunity to transfer from a simple HDD hard drive to an SSD. I mainly used the following programs: Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, Paragon Home Expert 12 and AOMEI Partition Assistant Home Edition. The longest, but most interesting, way to transfer Windows 7 from HDD to SSD using the tools built into Windows.

1. If you are interested in the process of transferring the Paragon Home Expert 12 program, follow the link and read the article.
2. You will also be interested in our new articles
3. If you are interested in the article, visit the special section where you can find from one storage device to another.

The easiest and surprisingly fast way transfer Windows 7 from HDD to SSDusing the program Paragon Migrate OS to SSD , with the help of this program I suggest that you today transfer the system to an SSD.

The program is paid, it costs a fortune 390 rubles. If you have Windows 8, then only the latest version of the Paragon Migrate OS to SSD 3.0 program is suitable for migration.

Website http://www.paragon.ru/home/migrate-OS-to-SSD

Important note: If you have Paragon Home Expert 12 installed, then the Paragon Migrate OS to SSD utility is included in the package of this program.

If you want to transfer Windows 7 from HDD to SSD using Paragon Home Expert 12, go to the end of this article, there are short instructions there.

After transferring the operating system from the HDD to the SSD, you need to check the correct alignment of the disk partitions relative to the SSD architecture. Aligned partitions ensure maximum performance, speed and longevity of your SSD, trust me, this is very important. We will check the correctness of partition alignment using the free AS SSD Benchmark utility.

How to migrate Windows 7 from HDD to SSD using Paragon Migrate OS to SSD program

So, pay attention to the Disk Management window of my computer, there is a 250 GB hard drive, divided into two partitions, on one of them - drive (C:) there is a Windows 7 operating system, we will transfer it to a 120 GB SSD solid state drive, representing unallocated space.

Launch the Paragon Migrate OS to SSD program. Next.

The program automatically found my SSD drive and is ready to transfer the operating system. Pay attention to the item “Use all available space for the partition with OS”, be sure to check the box here and all the space on the solid-state drive will be allocated to create one new disk (C:) with the transferred Windows. After all, solid-state drives are used mainly only for installing the operating system.
If you click on “Please select what folders should be copied”, then you can select the folders you need to copy. I need the whole Windows, so I'll leave everything as is.

Click on the Copy button.

A suspiciously short migration process occurs without any reboots.

I couldn’t help but remember the good old Acronis True Image, where you had to create an image of the operating system, then deploy it to an SSD, although Acronis works flawlessly, it takes several times longer.

While we were talking about Acronis, the Paragon Migrate OS to SSD program had already transferred our Windows 7 to an SSD. The final window in which we are offered to boot from the SSD. Let's reboot.

Now you need to enter the BIOS and set it to boot from the SSD. Select Boot Menu (F8).

Using the arrows on the keyboard, select our solid-state drive and press Enter. The computer is booting from the SSD.

Note: What I like about UEFI BIOS is that it has its own bootloader, which accommodates all existing bootloaders and will never get confused in them. The UEFI BIOS remembers the last operating system you loaded and will load it exactly next time. Switching between operating systems (no matter how many of them you have installed) is simple, fast and error-free.

If you have a regular BIOS, then the transfer should also occur without problems. The only thing you need to do is to find in it the parameter responsible for the primacy of Hard Disk Drives (AMI BIOS) or Hard Disk Boot Priority (AWARD BIOS) and set your SSD as the first device. You can find out how to find these parameters in.

Moving your system to an SSD is an effective way to organize your computer. In addition, after purchasing a flash drive, you will not need to install the OS on it from scratch and configure all the drivers. Moving an existing system to disk will save time and free up your PC disk to store other files.

Along with the transfer of Windows, absolutely all programs, games, settings and drivers that are already installed on the PC will be moved to the SSD. You can solve the problem in one of two ways:

• Using built-in OS functions;
• Using third party utilities.

Please note that depending on the version of Windows and the parameters of the purchased flash drive, transfer methods may vary.

What data can be transferred toSSD

Storing the operating system on an SSD not only speeds up its operation, but also improves the response of other programs and files that are stored on the disk. The user can transfer the following types of data to a flash drive:

• Operating system . It is added to the SSD with all ready-made drivers and settings. In essence, a duplicate of it is created, which was previously stored on the HDD;
• Programs – choose yourself which applications you want to add to the SSD and which you want to leave on the computer’s hard drive (HDD). We advise you to leave extensive programs for video editing and software development/testing on your computer - this way they will work many times faster;
• User files . This can be any of your documents, photos, music, videos and other types of data.

Components to move

To add used Windows to the SSD, the following objects are required:

• Installed transfer utility;
• The SSD itself;
• Computer or laptop;
• An adapter of the SATA-USB type, with which an external drive is connected to a PC.

If you only work with OS resources, you won't need to install a third-party utility to transfer.

Computer requirements

Before you perform any OS migration steps, make sure that your device meets all the minimum requirements that allow the utility to interact with the SSD and transfer large amounts of data. The minimum requirements are shown in the following table:

You can compare your computer's settings with the specifications listed above using the About window. It displays correct data about the main hardware and software components of the device:

Fig. 2 – window for viewing Windows and computer parameters

We use the built-in capabilities of Windows

Follow the instructions to transfer the operating system to a flash device:

• Open the Disk Management window. To do this, enter the command diskmgmt.msc in the Run window and confirm the action;

Fig.3 - launching disk management tool

• Now you need to reduce the size of the OS on the disk. You can perform this action using the “Shrink Volume” function. All data will remain in the same state, only the space occupied on the HDD will decrease. Right-click on the “System” section and then on “Shrink Volume”;

Fig.4 - Volume compression

• After successfully reducing the size of the OS, a free partition will appear in the disk layout. This means that everything was done correctly;
• Connect the drive to your computer and restart the Disk Management window;
• Now click on the “Wizard” tab and select “OS SSD Transfer” from the list;

Fig.5 - “Master” tab

• A standard utility for cloning the operating system will open. Click on the “Next” button to go to the settings;
• Click on the “Unallocated space” item and go to the next window;

Fig.6 – disk space selection

• Now you can independently change the size of the future disk or leave all parameters unchanged;

Fig.7 - changing the disk partition size

• After clicking the “Next” button, the wizard will begin moving the system. After completing the action, you can turn off the computer and the next time you boot, select the OS that is located on the SSD.

Windows will also remain on the hard drive. You can delete it or use it as a backup copy when you need to restore the system.

Fig. 8 - the result of a successful Windows move

Don't forget to click on the "Apply" button in the upper left part of the "Disk Management" window, otherwise all changes made will not be saved. If you encounter error windows or freezes during the transfer, you should reset the settings, restart your PC, and try the transfer again.

Fig.9 - applying changes

Instructions forSSD fromSamsung

Samsung has released an official utility that allows you to quickly move the OS from your hard drive to a purchased flash drive. The utility is called Samsung Data Migration. You can download it for free from the company’s official website (section “Memory” - “SSD”) or using the disk that comes with the device.

The initial program window looks like this:

Fig. 10 – Samsung Data Migration utility window

Immediately after launching the utility, connect the SSD to your computer using the appropriate adapter. Click on the “Start” button. Next, the application will automatically scan the HDD in use and display information about the remaining free space and disk partitions.

Fig. 11 – analysis of a disk with an installed copy of Windows

After analysis, the program will automatically detect the SSD connected to the computer and display it on the screen:

Fig. 12 – reconciliation of the source and destination disk

If the space occupied by Windows on the HDD does not exceed the available space on the SSD, you can immediately begin the transfer by clicking on the “Start” button. The automatic movement of all components will begin. The procedure can take from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the version of Windows used.

Fig. 13 - successful system transfer

As a result, you will receive a notification that the operating system has been successfully cloned to the flash drive. Close the window and delete all Windows data from the HDD.

The advantage of using Samsung Data Migration is its simple interface. The program will do all the work for you and minimize the likelihood of errors or bugs appearing after transferring the OS.

What to do if during the analysis stage you find that there is not enough space for the OS on the SSD? In this case, you need to clean Windows of unused data and applications. You can do this directly in the Samsung Data Migration utility window.

Fig. 14 - Error. Not enough SSD space

After the error text appears (highlighted in red), click on the “Next” button and in a new window, delete all library files that are cluttering the system. Clean the OS until the text “Ready to clone to SSD” appears in the main utility window.

Fig. 15 - successful cleaning of unnecessary files

Acronis True Image utility

Fig. 16 – main window of the Acroins application

To move the system, connect the removable drive to the computer and in the program window, click on the “Disk cloning” - “Copy partitions” tile. In the window that opens, select automatic movement mode. It is suitable for all tasks and copies data quickly.

Fig.17 - selection of cloning mode

All partitions will be copied to the flash drive. All data that was on the SSD before cloning will be deleted. The disk itself will become bootable and can only be used to run operating systems installed on it.

Fig. 18 – copying process

Seagate DiscWizard utility

The utility completely replicates the Acronis interface. It must be used if your PC has at least one hard drive from the manufacturer Seagate. To clone, you should follow the same steps as described in the previous paragraph of the article.

Fig. 19 – Seagate Disc Wizard main window

Changing bootloader configuration

After cloning the system, a copy of the OS will remain on the computer, and every time you boot, a window will appear with a boot selection. After the transfer, we recommend that you perform a number of actions:

• Without deleting the original copy from the HDD, test the operation of Windows on the HDD. There are times when the system starts to slow down and performance deteriorates. This happens extremely rarely and depends solely on the selected SSD. As long as the first copy is not deleted, you will always have the opportunity to return to using it and remove the OS from the SSD;
• Change your system bootloader settings.

The boot manager is a built-in component that helps your computer determine which installed operating system to run. You can also configure the startup order of hardware components.

Immediately after cloning, the manager will show two systems with identical names - the original and the copied one. If Windows runs normally on an SSD, you need to remove the version that remains on the computer’s hard drive. Follow the instructions:

• Restart your PC and run the version that was moved to the flash drive;
• Open Windows Command Prompt;
• Enter the command shown in the figure below, giving the OS copies on the SSD a unique name;

After purchasing a new HDD or SSD, the first question that arises is what to do with the operating system currently used. Not many users have the need to install a clean OS, but on the contrary, they want to clone an existing system from an old disk to a new one.

So that the user who decides to update the hard drive does not have to reinstall the operating system, it is possible to transfer it. In this case, the current user profile is saved, and in the future you can use Windows in the same way as before performing the procedure.

Usually those who want to divide the OS itself and user files into two physical drives are interested in transferring. After the move, the operating system will appear on the new hard drive and will remain on the old one. In the future, it can be removed from the old hard drive by formatting, or left as a second system.

First, the user needs to connect the new drive to the system unit and make sure that the PC has detected it (this is done through the BIOS or Explorer).

Method 1: AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition

Unlike the previous two programs, in Macrium Reflect you cannot pre-allocate a free partition on the drive where the OS will be transferred. This means that user files on disk 2 will be deleted. Therefore, it is best to use a clean HDD.

1. Click on the link "Clone this disk..." in the main program window.



2. The Transfer Wizard will open. At the top, select the HDD from which you want to clone. By default, all drives may be selected, so uncheck the drives you don't want to use.



3. Click on the link at the bottom of the window "Select a disk to clone to..." and select the hard drive to which you want to clone.



4. Once you select disk 2, you can use a link with cloning parameters.



5. Here you can configure the space that will be occupied by the system. By default, a partition will be created with no free space. We recommend adding at least 20-30 GB (or more) to the system partition for correct subsequent updates and Windows needs. This can be done using controls or by entering numbers.



6. If you wish, you can select the drive letter yourself.



7. It is not necessary to change the remaining parameters.
8. In the next window you can configure the cloning schedule, but we don’t need this, so just click "Next".



9. A list of actions that will be performed on the drive will be displayed, click "Finish".



10. In the window asking you to make restore points, agree or reject the offer.



11. The OS cloning will begin and you will be notified when completed "Clone completed", indicating that the transfer was successful.
12. Now you can boot from the new drive, having first made it the main one for booting in the BIOS. How to do this, see Method 1.

We talked about three ways to transfer an OS from one drive to another. As you can see, this is a very simple process and you usually won't encounter any errors. After cloning Windows, you can check the disk's functionality by booting your computer from it. If no problems are observed, you can remove the old HDD from the system unit or leave it as a spare.

Hard drive cloning is a procedure that simplifies the installation of the operating system and software when transferring data to a hard drive or SSD drive. As part of this procedure, a second hard drive is connected to the PC, onto which the partitions of the first system drive and all the data on it are copied. Also, a working Windows 10 with all settings and installed equipment is completely transferred to a removable hard drive.

You can clone a hard drive in Windows 10 using programs such as Paragon Hard Disk Manager, AOMEI Backupper and Acronis True Image. A distinctive feature of the latest program is the system cloning function with the ability to exclude individual files. Therefore, we will consider the cloning procedure using the example of this particular software.

A few words about Acronis True Image

Acronis True Image is a development by Acronis, a master of the software market that offers PC users a wide range of tools for recovering personal data at a professional level. Acronis True Image software includes not only the function of recovering information, but also creating a backup copy, cleaning the system, and canceling actions that caused an error.

Acronis True Image comes in two versions. The first is a free 30-day version with organic functionality. The disk cloning function is disabled in this program. The second is a paid version with a full set of tools. It is the latter that allows you to make a correct copy of the disk.

What is the source and destination disk?

According to the terminology of the Acronis True Image program, the source disk is the hard drive from which the system data and partition structure will be copied. The disk that will eventually become a clone of the original is the target disk.

In order to see which disk will be selected as the main one in Windows 10, you should click “Start”, “Disk Management” or type “Win ​​+ R” on the keyboard and enter “diskmgmt.msc”.

The “Hard Disk Management” window will open. The disk that is marked as zero is the original disk on which the operating system is installed. Disk number 1 is the future clone or target drive.

The target disk has its own structure. However, when the source disk is cloned, all existing data is destroyed. Therefore, all important information should be copied before cloning.

Hard drive cloning

Launch the latest version of the program. We refuse to enter the cloud storage by clicking on the cross.

The program's working interface will open. In the left menu, select “Tools”, and then “Clone disk” (the program version must be full).

The next step is to select the source hard drive. Select the drive from which the data will be copied. In the program they will be displayed as follows: the disk that was numbered 0 will now become 1, and the second disk is the desired drive or second hard drive. However, it is worth paying attention to the volume of devices.

After selecting the source disk, a window will appear asking you to select the destination disk. Select the one you need and click “Next”. Since the clone disk is not a new disk, Acronis True Image will warn you about data loss. Click “Ok”.

The next step is to select a method for cloning the materials. Select “Copy partitions without changes” and click “Next”.

At the final stage, you can click the “Proceed” button and start cloning the disk. However, in this section there is an "Exclude Files" button. Click on it and you will be taken to a new window.

We select files that should be excluded and wait for the program to remove them from the main cloning list.

After selecting the partitions and cleaning them, click “Proceed”. The program will perform cloning and will ask you to restart the PC.

Reboot the computer.

What to do with the target disk space after cloning?

After cloning the disk, while rebooting the PC, click “F2” and “Del” to get into the BIOS. In the “Boot device priority” section we set the boot priority from the second target disk.

After booting from the target disk and getting into Windows 10, go to “Disk Management” and look at the partition structure.” Now the clone disk is named “Disk 0”, and the main hard drive is called “Disk 1”.

Explorer also displays the changes. The original disk from which files were excluded is now displayed as “I” and has a smaller capacity. The clone disk is named "F" and has free space.

This place can be used to store information, media files, and software. However, it is worth noting that to do this, before cloning the disk, you need to select a method not automatic, but manual. Only then will you have complete control over volume management.