Advice Cloning SSD

[Bahumat]

Guys I have an old 128GB SSD as my primary drive with my OS on. I would like to buy a new one and then clone everything across.

1. What free software is best to clone from SSD to SSD?
2. Is there anything I should know about regarding the process. Like a common thing people do wrong when cloning?
3. What are the good brands to go for on SSD now days?

It's a Windows 7 64bit setup

Thanks chaps!

 

[Scouse]

I think it was @ECA who put me on to Macrium.

As for the rest, clone is a clone, but no idea about SSD brands.

 

[dysfunction]

I like the Samsung SSD drives.

 

[Anastasia]

I've used EaseUS successfully on several machines at work. All Samsung evo drives, no failures (yet, touch wood, fingers crossed, double black magics and no tiggy butchers).

 

[ECA]

I think it was @ECA who put me on to Macrium.

As for the rest, clone is a clone, but no idea about SSD brands.

 

[caLLous]

I think it was me. I used it years ago and remember recommending it (yes, my memory is weird). You're welcome @Scouse.

 

[old.user4556]

I did this recently, picked up a 1 TB drive and cloned my old 128 GB SSD across - my old and new drive was made by Samsung which came with it's own cloning software. However, a word of warning - when I put the 1 TB disk in it caused Windows 7 to blue screen on boot - the fix for this baffles me to me this day where I had to switch it to AHCI mode (or maybe IDE mode...) and back again.

Seems a common issue - Can't use ssd in AHCI mode-->Only in IDE

 

[Scouse]

Ah! Ta @caLLous - still use it for image backups

 

[old.Osy]

Samsung SSD drives come bundled with cloning software. Works like a charm.

 

[Bahumat]

Ok but what if the original drive is not a Samsung one, does that matter?

Also thanks for all the responses!

 

[old.Osy]

Ok but what if the original drive is not a Samsung one, does that matter?

Also thanks for all the responses!

Not at all. You can have whatever drive in there, as long as the BIOS and OS can see it and mount it, it will be cloned by the bundled Samsung cloning software that comes with their SSD.

 

[Bahumat]

Thanks guys! Will go buy me a new drive

 

[old.Osy]

Mind that Office versions newer than 2010 I think will be invalidated by cloning - as the licensing takes into account the hardware components IDs.

Not a biggie though, you just re-apply the license number in case of retail version.

Note it doesn't happen in all cases, so you could be fine.

 

[Tilda]

Is it better to clone, or go through the mess of a reinstall just to get that "fresh windows feeling" again?

 

[Jupitus]

Is it better to clone, or go through the mess of a reinstall just to get that "fresh windows feeling" again?

You'll never truly get that feeling without the re-install.

 

[old.Osy]

That depends entirely on the state of the OS and your preference.

My windows 7 has been migrated over 3 hardware platforms and most recently upgraded to Windows 10. Actual install date on the 7 was back in 2009, i think.

Re-installing is such a brute maneuver - If I can help it, I'd rather not do it.

 

[caLLous]

And if you installed 10 clean right now you would notice the difference.