Clone Win10 install (HDD to SSD)

[Ichinisan]

I want to help a friend install an SSD, but we don't really have time to back up and restore everything for a fresh/clean Windows install.

HDD
HGST Z5K320-320 (320GB)

SSD
ADATA Premiere SP600 (256GB)

Registering the drive on ADATA's site gave me some kind of product key for Acronis True Image. Should I just use that to clone the drive?

I have a Thermaltake BlacX dual-dock, but I'm concerned about putting the boot drive in it while connected to my Windows 10 desktop PC. In the past, when Windows 10 sees EFI partitions on an external drive that was a boot drive from another computer, it randomly does things to the drive without asking and could make the drive unbootable when it's returned to the computer it came from. What should I do to avoid that?

When you clone an existing Windows install from HDD to SSD, do I need to make it redetect something so it knows it's an SSD and enables TRIM support?

 

[EXCellR8]

AOMEI Backupper Free should work fine if it's only a partition or two; it has the option to "align to SSD" I do it all the time and it works fine.

for some reason though, when I've attempted to "migrate OS to SSD" option it never boots up after but the regular clone partition way works every time.

 

[Elixer]

If they gave you a key for Acronis True Image, might as well use it.
There are many free ones out there... but TI is good enough for what you need--assuming the HD isn't actually filled all the way.

 

[Smoblikat]

You could use clonezilla to do the clone, you wouldnt need to have the drive connected to you rmain PC while its still running windows, clonezilla is its own little linux env.

 

[Ichinisan]

The Acronis True Image key didn't work with the latest download on the Acronis web site. Stupid that Adata didn't even suggest where I should get the software.

I used Macrium Reflect (free) instead. It took all day, but it's done.

The system is terribly unresponsive though. CPU usage at 100% constantly.

I clicked "Restart" and it's making me wait: "Getting Windows ready - Don't turn off your computer." Strange, because the option I clicked did not say "Update and restart."

It's been nearly 30 minutes on that message with the spinning dots. I'll give it another hour to see if it's really making any progress...

 

[VirtualLarry]

How old is this laptop? Does it have an AMD C-60/C-70 APU inside of it?

 

[Ichinisan]

How old is this laptop? Does it have an AMD C-60/C-70 APU inside of it?

Yes. It has an AMD APU.

System Properties says: "AMD E1-1200 APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics 1.40 GHz"
"E1 VISION" on a sticker.

It took ages to restart and now I'm trying to install Windows 10 Creators Update. Though it's *slightly* more responsive at the moment, it's still showing constant high-or-max CPU usage.

 

[VirtualLarry]

LOL. Those "E1-1200" APUs, are in the same category as the C-60/C-70 APUs. VERY SLOW!

They are slower than the Brazos E-350 1.6Ghz desktop APU, which is really saying something.

I wouldn't use it for anything much beyond very light web browsing, and e-mail. No multi-media (it would struggle with 720P video, although, depending on the video-decode blocks in the APU, maybe it could handle 720P. I know my 1.6Ghz Brazos could barely play 1080P H264 video on YouTube, took like 80-90% CPU too, even with the video-decode offload features).

I have an E-350 box here. Yes, it has an SSD. Why? Because it would be even more unbearably slow with a HDD. I don't use it, I would like to find a good home for it somewhere, with someone, but I'm not into torture.

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Bobcat/AMD-E Series E1-1200.html

All I can say is, I hope that they're paying you by the hour to work on it.

Edit: A Further comment. Basically, those CPU cores are so slow, comparatively-speaking, that they will be pinned at 95-100% load, pretty-much ALL the time, while you're waiting for things to happen. Which they will... slowly.

 

[CtoNa]

Give AOMEI Backupper free version a shot. I did it once followed by this tutorial: clone larger drive to smaller SSD.