Best Ghosting Software?

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,111
774
126
OK, wasn't sure where to post this.

My PC is about 3 years old. I built it with a 128 GB SSD as my boot hdd.
It's now too small. I want to upgrade to at least 512 MB and maybe 1 TB.

But, when I upgraded my wife's hdd to an sdd with Samsung 830, the software that came with it didn't work. On the Samsung site, they recommended a free app that didn't work either, I don't recall the name. I had to do a fresh install.

I want zero issues. What's they best way to upgrade without a fresh install?

Software question moved to Software Forum
 
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Auric

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
9,591
2
71
I like Ghost. But Macrium Reflect is good too.

However, the software that failed in that case is not necessarily current or it could have been due to a system or source drive error. So, you could try whatever is provided with the new SSD before resorting to Reflect or such. Test both source and target drives first. But then something is required for backup images or unlimited cloning anyway, no?
 

BlueWeasel

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
15,944
475
126
Some SSD's come with cloning/imaging software. Samsung's own "Data Migration Software" worked great for me when I cloned a small SSD to a larger Samsung drive.

Here are others I have used successfully that aren't tied to SSD makers:

Macrium Reflect
EaseUS Todo Backup
Paragon Backup
AOMEI Backupper

All have free versions that won't require money out of your pocket to do a SSD-SSD clone. I've been really impressed with AOMEI lately. The free version has a done of features and is very simple/intuitive to use.

Regardless of which ever one you use, I recommend creating a bootable CD or USB and doing the clone from outside of the OS.
 

larryccf

Senior member
May 23, 2015
221
1
0
what ketchup79 said about easeUS ToDo Backup - been using their freeware since 2008 and it hasn't failed me. I went thru all the others, and the mfgrs' software is usually slow as molasses. Cloning (not backing up) usually takes 1.5 hours going thru a USB 3.0 ext SDD

be sure to clone and not backup, and to select "optimize for SSD" as well as "sector by sector" - when i don't, it doesn't copy the boot files accurately and i have to install the windows DVD and do a "repair"

Acronis, Windows and samsung's migration software take way too long, and all three failed me on corrupted clone copies
 
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olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,111
774
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The Samsung software failed every time after about an hour. Acronis was the other one I tried and it failed too.
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,450
126
I'm not sure that Clonezilla would be my recommendation for someone who isn't experienced with image/clone software (no offense Olds')

It's awesome if you don't let the menu options scare you, and it's compatible with your system.
 
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alexruiz

Platinum Member
Sep 21, 2001
2,836
556
126
I would still vote Symantec Ghost suite (GSS) 2.5
Ghost32 or Ghost64 11.5 run very nice from WinPE, and cloning is very fast.

But then, it is quite recent that I moved form Ghost 2003, and yes, I was suing Ghost 2003 to clone/image win7 and windows 8.1 installations. Ghost 2003 just ran out of steam with partitions larger than 1TB.

How easy is to script Easeus?
 

redmed

Junior Member
Mar 9, 2013
8
0
66
I use Image For DOS by TeraByte
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/index.htm

I have used this for years on many computers. I like it over the others because it compresses the Image tighter than anything I have tried plus it does not store blank blocks in the image. It and has not failed me yet.