Cloning small SSD to larger SSD software recommendations?

[Velvis]

User needs more room on their C: drive, I am going to replace it with a larger drive. I thought I recall a freeware product that would do it, but the name escapes me.

Any recommendations?

 

[britechguy]

Generally, the SSD manufacturer will supply (via download) system transfer software, and most often that software can handle going from a smaller to a larger, or from a larger to a smaller, drive with ease and grace. That is truly the way I would go first if the option is available.

The other choices would be doing a full system image backup using the utility of your choice and restoring it to the new SSD, then expanding the main partition to take up the new space. That or use cloning software (I recently used Miray HDClone) that supports cloning across different drive sizes so long as what's actually being cloned will fit on the destination drive. If there's extra space, you generally get to choose how you want the cloning software to handle it.

 

[fincoder]

Cloning to a larger drive can be done by any utility even if it doesn't support partition resizing, like the open-source Clonezilla. After the cloning the main partition can be resized using other tools like Minitool Partition Wizard.

Having said that, it is quicker and easier to do it on the fly during cloning. I use Paragon (paid software), Macrium Reflect (free) can also do it.

 

[mikeroq]

I've used Paragon, Macrium, and EaseUS. Paragon was really handy back in the day with adjusting Windows to new hardware. Windows 8+ that hasn't really been needed. Never really had a problem cloning smaller to bigger. Going from bigger to smaller was always the issue. One couldn't handle going to a smaller drive if it had 4 partitions or more. Usually between the 3 I could get the job done.

 

[Diggs]

You can clone 1:1 with your software
of choice and just use disk management in Windows to resize it larger. It's instant. Although I have to admit I haven't tried it under Windows 11 or with some of the five partition drives that are set up by the Windows these days.

 

[Big Jim]

Macrium is good.

Occasionally we use acronis true image if there are bad sectors or corrupt data that Macrium can't handle. It is horribly slow and clunky, but it seems to work.

 

[britechguy]

if there are bad sectors or corrupt data

Even though I know it violates the definition of a "pure clone," I have never understood why it is not standard practice for cloning software to ignore things clearly marked in such a way that they're unusable under normal operating conditions.

I'd rather have an override for, "Attempt to clone bad sectors," in the settings but where the default is just ignoring them and leaving them behind.

There's cloning from a dying drive for data recovery purposes, which requires carrying over bad sectors, and cloning to transfer what works from an old drive to a new one. The latter just doesn't need bad sectors.

 

[nlinecomputers]

You can clone 1:1 with your software
of choice and just use disk management in Windows to resize it larger. It's instant. Although I have to admit I haven't tried it under Windows 11 or with some of the five partition drives that are set up by the Windows these days.

That usually doesn't work anymore because Windows can't MOVE a partition on resizing it and most windows installs have a recovery partition at the end of the drive. I use AOMEI to move and resize in those cases. But usually, I can use Macrium to clone the drive either larger or smaller it just requires some manual adjustments as you select each partition one at a time. Not a big deal once you get used to the procedure but it isn't a one-click function.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Even though I know it violates the definition of a "pure clone," I have never understood why it is not standard practice for cloning software to ignore things clearly marked in such a way that they're unusable under normal operating conditions.

I'd rather have an override for, "Attempt to clone bad sectors," in the settings but where the default is just ignoring them and leaving them behind.

There's cloning from a dying drive for data recovery purposes, which requires carrying over bad sectors, and cloning to transfer what works from an old drive to a new one. The latter just doesn't need bad sectors.

Because there are degrees of bad, many programs will successfully copy a "bad" sector that requires a few multiple tries. I suppose you could set a number of attempts but that adds complexity to the system. There are also various methods a copy program may try to get a successful copy.

 

[britechguy]

Because there are degrees of bad, many programs will successfully copy a "bad" sector that requires a few multiple tries.

I am aware of this, and it should be configurable, too.

A sensible person realizes that all principles that can be expressed in a statement of finite length are oversimplified.
~ Robert Heppe

 

[Big Jim]

Even though I know it violates the definition of a "pure clone," I have never understood why it is not standard practice for cloning software to ignore things clearly marked in such a way that they're unusable under normal operating conditions.

I'd rather have an override for, "Attempt to clone bad sectors," in the settings but where the default is just ignoring them and leaving them behind.

There's cloning from a dying drive for data recovery purposes, which requires carrying over bad sectors, and cloning to transfer what works from an old drive to a new one. The latter just doesn't need bad sectors.

Macrium has this option, but more often than not the clone fails if there are bad sectors anyway. which is when we would use acronis.

 

[johnrobert]

I have used Macrium for bigger to smaller and it has always worked but its slow

 

[phaZed]

We only use Linux and ddrescue for the clone - and we make a one-to-one clone. If needed, remove or move the OEM and recovery partitions with Gparted. After, we transfer to a Windows machine and use Disk Management to resize the partition to the full size. Perform a chkdsk /f and insert into client's machine.

It's not the fastest - but it's the most perfect and stable (in our desired outcomes) and reliable I have found next to using dedicated hardware (RapidSpar, etc.).

 

[gadgetfixup]

Surprised in 2023 so many techs still use software to clone drives. We use an old Startech disk duplicator for SATA 2.5 and 3.5 form factor drives moving to same form factor and can retry bad sectors and jump over them if it can't get a good copy. We have two different M.2 duplicators, one for NVME to NVME drives and one for SSD to NVME (or vice versa) drives. After the bit-to-bit machine clone we resize the data partition. We only mess with software cloning these days when we have a customer who wants to move to a smaller drive. We do have a rapidspar for drives with more serious issues but for the most part, it doesn't get used.

 

[nlinecomputers]

What make and model are those NVMe duplicators.

 

[NviGate Systems]

Probably because hardware based solutions *can* be expensive and are limited to one clone at a time. Software based with the appropriate license can run multiple clones at once.

It's more work, but my work flow is first a full image based backup. Now I have data in case I royally screw up. Next, restore that image to new drive. I now have two copies of client data. My heart can calm down.

Yes, it's slower but less likely to suffer data loss or mistakes. I like redundancy.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I don’t clone often enough to justify the expense of hardware. I more often do backups of data, which I push to my NAS unit.

 

[gadgetfixup]

What make and model are those NVMe duplicators.

NVME 2 NVME

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085T9MR9V/

SATA 2 NVME

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B41NDY3H/

 

[Ken's PC Repair]

I've used HD Clone for years. Will clone to larger/smaller SSD on the fly.

HDClone X.6 | Miray Software

HDClone by Miray Software is the universal tool for cloning disks and other mass storage media fast and easily. To be used for backups, data recovery, system migration and professional duplication of several disks at a time.

www.miray.de

 

[Erratic]

I use mini tool partition wizard and just copy partitions