Moving from an HDD to an SSD is not complicated. In this practical tip, we show you how you can clone the hard disk without much effort.
Cloning an HDD to an SSD – this is how it works for free
There are only a few free programmes to clone a hard disk drive (HDD) to a solid state drive (SSD). First check the manual of your SSD and the manufacturer’s website to see if they offer their own programme for the cloning process. This is usually easy to use and works particularly quickly because it is specially designed for the hardware. If this is not the case, you will need a third-party programme. For cloning under Windows, there is the tool Macrium Reflect, which is also offered in a free version.
- Download the programme from Chip first and install it. Make sure to select “Free” as the version during installation. Then you don’t have to enter a licence key or personal data.
- Now connect your SSD to the computer and start the software. After starting, press CTRL+SHIFT+L if you wish to change the language to German.
- The programme starts in the “Hard Disk Image” view. You will see an overview of your hard disks and the respective partitions. Now select the disk you want to copy and click on “Clone this disk” below it.
- A window will open asking for the destination of the cloning. Click on “Select a data carrier for the clone” and select your SSD. This usually appears with a grey background because it has not yet been assigned a drive letter.
- In the next step, check whether the “Intelligent Sector Copy” is selected. By default, this should be the case. Also activate “SSD Trim” and “Verify File System” so that the process runs smoothly.
- Click “OK” and skip scheduling the backup job. In the pop-up, check the box at “Run this backup now”, click “OK” and then “Finish”.
- The programme will now start cloning. Once the process is finished, you can remove your HDD and select the new SSD as the default device in the boot menu.
Use Partition Wizard to clone – here’s how
You may already have a licence for the well-known tool Partition Wizard, which makes cloning even easier. An annual licence costs 59 US dollars for one computer or 159 US dollars for a lifetime membership for five devices. Unfortunately, the free version does not help you clone from HDD to SDD
- An HDD usually has more storage space than an SSD. Therefore, it is best to clean up your hard drive before moving. In addition, it is always good to have a backup of the most important data.
- Connect your SSD to your computer with a USB-SATA adapter and open the Partition Wizard.
- Click on “Wizards” and then on “Migrate OS to SSD/HD Wizard” and select the SSD as the destination drive.
- In the next step, you can adjust the size of the partitions or use the partitions on the HDD as a guide.
- Click on “Next” and then on “Finish” to complete the process. After that, the HDD will be cloned to the SSD.
