Cloning help: How to clone OS and programs from larger disk to smaller SSD?

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metropole

Limp Gawd
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Apr 11, 2009
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I have a 1TB drive and got a 120GB Samsung SSD. I woudl like to clone the OS+Programs onto the SSD and keep the other drive for data. The Samsung data migration tool doesn't seem to like this use case. How can I go about this?
 
I've used acronis trueimage (free seagate or WD version) to do this. You can select what dirs you want to copy, just exclude your music/videos/etc.
 
I use Paragon's Migrate OS to SSD program, but it's a paid program. $20.
I've used it almost 3 dozen times on various machines with no failures.

paragon-migrate-03.jpg
 
I downloaded Macrium Reflect. It does not seem to support my use case.

Downloaded AOMEI. I can't proceed in the "migrate OS" dialog. I am told that my new drive does not have enough space. I need at least 222GB. My SSD is 120GB. My source drive is 986GB, 227GB used. OS+Program .. .are 78GB. So, I don't know why AOMEI needs 222GB.
 
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If you can tell the cloning program to skip your big data (c:\Users\YourName\Music or whatever), that should work. I'd still want AppData on the SSD, but it might be too big as well. Windirstat or similar to find the fattest folders.

Or, 700GB free will let you do it manually in a few steps:
  1. Backup.
  2. You DO have backups, right?
  3. I'm not kidding about the 1st 2 steps.
  4. Use diskmgmt.msc to shrink C:.
  5. Add a new partition in the freed space.
  6. Move 120+GB, either manually or via Properties/Location for default user folders.
  7. Clone.
 
Another method is to do it in two steps. 1. Clone to backup drive. Delete files from backup. 2. Clone from backup to SSD.
 
Given the "complexity" involved I wonder if there is a shortcut if I get a somewhat larger SSD?

AOMEI stated that it needs 222GB. My SSD is 120GB.
(My source drive is 986GB, 227GB used. OS+Program .. .are 78GB.)

Would AMEI be able to clone straight the OS if I had a >= 222GB SSD drive? Or is this just a fluke.
 
you need a full version of anything to do what youre trying to do. the freebies just do a straight clone. so either pay for a copy of whatever you prefer or get a 250GB ssd then move your non os/prog files back to the hdd.
 
I can confirm that Paragon worked!

Ended up with issues I am trying to resolve:

1.) I can't set the BIOS to boot permanently from the SSD. I can select to boot from it using the F12 boot menu. However, I the BIOS the SSD will not show up as an option as a boot drive. I am dealing with an older Dell XPS9100. Do I need to plugin the drive cable into a specific port?

2.) MS Outlook. I was bale to have my MS Outlook client to point the pst file in the new location (now D: drive - my old drive). I can see my old email. However, I can't send/receive emails. Getting error: "Outlook data file cannot be accessed".
 
plug just the ssd into port 1. check to make sure the .pst file isn't set to read only and double check the permissions too.
 
1. Noticed that the "blue" plug really contains two slots. Plugged the SSD behind the other plug -> boot solved

2. Outlook pst file is not read only and seems to have the right permissions. When I go through account setup - test - I can send emails. So, could be some kind of permission issue.

3. I lost some of my 120GB drive capacity. I only got 104GB. There is a 7.5GB RECOVERY partition with no drive letter. I wonder if I need it or of this is something that DELL put there..
 
1: good stuff!
2: try going into permissions and add your account name with full control. usually it only has like admin, users, system etc but not the specific account name. or try relocating it into a folder if its just in the root of the drive.
3: yes that's the dell recovery partition so it can wipe and reload the primary partition. if the boot info is on your primary(it should be) and you are comfortable reloading your os you can erase it and merge the unused space.
 
2. ended up creating a new outlook profile which fixed the issue. I captured error 0x8004010F. Found others had the same issue and fixed it by recreating the profile.

3. Do I do this in the disc manager or Paragon?
 
1: great!
2: just use windows disk management, delete the recovery part then right click on the main and select extend.
 
Slight issue on 2. I can't delete it is greyed out.
What I see for Disc 0 (my SSD)
RECOVERY - Healthy (System, Active, Primary Partition)
OS C: - Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition)
 
its because its marked as system and active. changing those and deleting the partition may make it unbootable. follow the instructions here and that should sort it. your paragon may be able to so it.
 
I marked the recovery partition to active without thinking. As a result the bios doesn't find the boot manager.

For some reason win7 is not getting to a logon screen on my other old boot partition.

I think I need to find a way to delete that recovery partition with some bootable tool?
 
yeah find one with gparted on it, hirens might, don't remember. you should be able to turf the recovery and mark the os as system, active, boot etc.
 
Deleted the recovery partition in gparted. After reboot the bios still can't find bootmanger.
 
k do you have a windows disc or usb? you can boot from that and repair start up by doing this(edit: win7/8):

1. Insert the Windows DVD or USB and restart your computer. Boot from the DVD/USB, press a key if prompted.

2. Choose your language and click Next.

3. Click Repair Your Computer and then select the operating system you want to repair.

4. Select Command Prompt and type the following commands (pressing Enter after each one):


bootrec /fixMBR

bootrec /fixBoot

bootrec /rebuildBCD
 
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I followed your instructions - still had missing bootmgr.
Rebooted - unplugged my old second drive for good measure.
Booted on win7 disc - repair. System recovery finds the windows is. Click next: getting a dialog box that my windows is not compatible with the found version. I used an old MSdn win7 disc. Don't have the one that was used by dell
 
Tried - entered the key - ms tells me that I have an Oem copy and need to contact dell - dell of corse doesn't over one
 
I would be ok upgrading, but didn't. Want to spend the time to install all the software
 
That recovery partition may have been made when you were cloning the drive with the other programs.
Did you remove all partitions before you ran Paragon? The Paragon Migrate app is not a cloning tool, so it doesn't clone partitions, it just partitions the destination (if there are not partitions yet), and copies the data and makes the partition active and bootable.

It looks like it makes a 450MB recovery partition since both of my machines have them and they were blank drives when I used Paragon on them.
The machine on the left has an Adobe partition I made after the migration since I removed the D drive and my Adobe apps were pointed there, so I just made a 15GB partition and copied my Adobe stuff to that partition.

Disk-management-paragon.jpg


Also, the left machine has been migrated 2 times. First time was from a 200GB partition on a 1TB black to a 128GB SSD and then from the 128GB SSD to the current 250GB SSD.
 
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Also, I like using the program for migrating OS's for other machines, I just attach the other machines source and destination drives to my PC and the program sees the all the OS's on the drives so you can select and migrate using your faster PC.

paragon-migrate-01.jpg


I use these USB to SATA cables for the SSD's and laptop drives,
paragon-migrate-00.jpg
 
The sad was brand new. I am pretty sure that recovery partition was there from dell from day 1

My situation
Ssd drive: Can't boot anymore due to missing bootmgr after I marked the partition active - since then deleted it. First attempts to repair with win7 disc failed - other version might help

Old drive: boots. However gets stuck in startup. Honestly don't know why tried safe boot...
 
Some good news

I was able to undelete the recovery partition with gparted. I played around with the flags. I got the computer to boot on the ssd with boot flag set to recovery,
This doesn't make much sense to me. Does this mean the boot manger is on that recovery partition? Any chance to move the boot to the main partition and eventually get rid of the recovery partition?
 
good stuff!
yeah you should be able to extend it now. id try using windows disk management first but gparted should work fine too.
 
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