Windows 10: Clone the non-boot, user data drive

Bear with me while I provide some background. Back in 2013 I built my current PC, and given the price of hardware at the time, I wanted a hybrid solution with the following configuration.


C: (SSD) - Windows, Program Files/Data

D: (HDD) - User directories


I did this by using audit mode and sysprep to create a custom installation that updated the values of <FolderLocations> for Users and Program Data. It worked great, but it's a pain in the neck that I don't want to repeat during a planned upgrade. I've done several upgrades to hardware before; more memory, better graphics card. My SSD I've already expanded once from 256Gb to 512GB, and that was successful using Samsung's Magician software. During my upgrade I'll be going from 512GB to 1TB using the same method. I also have upgraded the OS to Windows 10.


However, I've decided to move my HDD from the old 512GB to a new 1TB as well because at 7 years, it's probably best to get new hardware in there. For moving the existing data from the old 512GB to the new 1TB, I wanted to ask if I could use the Clonezilla software package to perform this, and then simply expand the drive after the next reboot. D: is not a System disk beyond having the Users and Program Data directories there, and contains no specialized partitions (e.g. boot) that I know of. Still, before making the attempt I thought I would ask here to get other opinions.

:)

 

cloneing a drive in windows 10

Hi,I have this question last year,but my os is windows 8.there are my steps of

How to clone drive in winodws

,you can check.hope that helps

First,I download a free tool of MiniTool partition wizard and launch it.

Step 1. Connect SSD to Windows 8. Install and launch MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition, select the source hard drive and then choose “Copy”

Step 2. Select a disk to copy the source disk. Here you are expected to choose the SSD (we choose disk 3).

Note: All the data on SSD will be destroyed, so make sure you have done backup in advance. You are allowed to clone a hard drive to a smaller SSD, as long as it can hold all data in the source disk. You can also clone SSD to larger SSD by using MiniTool
Partition Wizard Free Edition.

Step 3. Review the changes you are going to make and also change the copy options if necessary.

Step 4. MiniTool Partition Wizard will tell you how to boot from the destination hard drive. So if you are cloning boot drive to SSD, you need to pay attention.

Step 5. When you are lead to the main interface again, you can preview the changes you are going to make from the middle pane. (Here disk 3 has the same disk layout with disk 1.) If you confirm these
changes, you should click “Apply” to make the changes effective. Hope that helps

 

Moving to SSD. Clone or not to clone?

Part of how I keep my SSD fast is to clone it to a platter drive, then clone back. You just want to make sure that you are only cloning teh used space, and not the empty space.


So, again, I isntall Windows to the ssd. Clone to platter drive, then clone back.

I am not sure why, but if I do not do the clone step, the drive's speed, and windows booting, decreases substantially within a week or so.

I am using a Corsair F60 SSD and a Western Digital 500AAKS as drives, and using the free version of Acronis that WD provides, if any of that matters. I am not sure, at this point.

 

Swapping drive letters, including boot volume

I have a new computer. I want to clone the system to a new SSD. Can I change the drive letter of the SSD to C: after cloning?

I have a new ASUS M52BC with:

• 1 TB hard drive with a Windows (C and empty data (D partition
• Windows 8.1 (I will upgrade to Windows 10 very soon) on the hard drive
• Samsung SSD 850 EVO (physically installed but nothing more done to it)

What I want to get to is:

• 1 TB hard drive with the data (D partition and (for the old Windows partition) the drive letter of the C: changed to something else
• Windows 10 on the SSD as the C:

I don't intend to boot to Windows on the hard drive after I get Windows working on the SSD unless I need to remove the SSD for return to ASUS for repair. (My new computer had a bad motherboard when I received it but I hope I do not need to return it again.)

I want to clone Windows to the SSD using the Samsung Data Migration tool. During the clone, the SSD will of course not have the drive letter "C". To boot from and use the SSD after the cloning, it must have the drive letter "C", correct? I assume the Data
Migration tool cannot change the drive letter used by the software it clones.

After the clone, how do I swap the drive letters? I assume I cannot change the drive letter of the hard drive Windows partition when it was used to boot from because it would be the boot drive, correct?

I know that some people will suggest that I do a fresh install. I want to avoid doing that if possible.

I see
Migrate system partition to a new disk. I think that describes doing what I am trying to do, but unfortunately he does not know how he did it.