Windows 10: Disc Lettering AFter Cloning

I am cloning my C drive to an external USB drive. I will replace the C drive with a new, larger hard drive. Should I change the letter of the new drive to C before cloning to it from the external drive?

:)

 

SSD partition after cloning disc

Hello Dave! Thanks for helping me.

 

SSD partition after cloning disc

The problem is there is a small partition between C:Windows and the Unallocated Space

Do you have a backup of your Data?

If so, the process is as follows:

Right click the small partition between C:Windows and Unallocated Space and choose 'Move Partition'

In the resulting dialog, click and drag that partition all the way to the right

Note in AOMEI, sometimes, you have to click the 'Apply' button at the top left for the change to take effect

Let me know when that is done . . .

 

You don't need to that. The cloning software is going to make a identical copy of your C drive (bit By bit). The drive in your external enclosure will be just like your C Drive. After the clone is completed, swap the drives.

 

Or just backup complete disk image (all partitions, forensic if really necessary) to external and then restore from external to new disk using rescue media.
@BobZ - ETA: I guess I should have asked - Which software are you using? I'm a bit overly Macriumcentric...

 

I'm using Macrium. After cloning to the external USB drive, I will swap out the smaller internal drive for a larger one and clone back to that. Do I need to use rescue media or can I just boot from the external drive?

 

You won't be able to boot from the clone if it is externally connected. That's why it just seems simpler if not precisely the same to back up to and then restore from the external. No drive letter changes or any other finagling needed. Image, swap the old for new, restore, reboot = done.

 

If it was me, I would just clone the old drive to the new drive and not even bother with a third drive in between.

 

I use Macrium for cloning all the time.
As NavyLCDR does. One ssd to another ssd.

I recommend changing the name of the partition Windows 10 is on, so you can tell one from the other when they are both hooked up.
Which ever one boots will become partition "C" so the name allows me to know which is which.
Example:





Jack

 

I also use MR and the way I clone is to pull the Original drive and install the new Raw drive. Install the old drive either in a external case or SATA to USB adapter then clone from USB to the new installed drive. Clone done boot up and carry on.
However the safest way is to create anImage of your Original driver on an external hard drive. Remove Old drive, install the New drive then restore the Image from the external drive directly to the new drive already installed in your computer restore completed boot up and carry one. Now you have a good image stored on an external drive and your old hard drive as back up. You have 2 working back ups should you run into trouble later on.
I made Clone and Image stand out they are two different things used differently, Clone usually works no problem's, but not always. the Image and image Restore work every time and you do not risk corrupting your Original hard drive

 

Sometimes, the only minor glitch post-cloning and installing replacement internal HD is that the booting partition has to marked Active again by any partition/disk management USB or DVD boot. I have no idea why that glitch happens.

 

Drive letters are not permanent and are assigned at boot time. Windows will automatically label drive as C during boot. You do not have to do anything.

 

My plan now is to use a USB/SATA connection to clone to a larger SSD and then swap it for the smaller one now in the machine. I'm using Macrium Reflect. What do I need to do to the larger drive so that I'm able to use all of it after cloning?

 

You can add a new partition or extend existing ones.

 

Or, as you were advised over at the Macrium Help Forum, you can resize the Windows partition on the fly when setting up the clone operation to fill up the target drive. You don't really need to do anything if the target drive is empty.