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rtpoe

  • Old Fart
  • 12420
Cloning a hard drive
« on: September 09, 2026, 09:38:54 PM »
OK, given that my PC is almost six years old, and the hard drive is starting to show signs that it might be failing (slow boot & startup times, occasional freezing), I would like to clone it - a total, bootable copy - to an SSD of the same size.

I've already got the SSD - what I need is software.

All the descriptions I'm seeing are filled with tech jargon; they seem to be written for the IT pro. All I want to do is make a 100% identical copy, so I can boot from the SSD. Shouldn't be too much to ask, right?

Can anyone make any suggestions? I note that my current HDD has ONE additional partition on it, which is used ONLY for data storage. I can easily copy that data to another backup drive before doing the cloning.
rtpoe

Well, it's a marvelous night for a Moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
'Neath the cover of October skies
And all the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow...

Van Morrison, Moondance

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vf1000ride

  • Female Investigative Services
  • 3835
Re: Cloning a hard drive
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2026, 10:16:52 PM »
What brand SSD?  A few of the larger name SSD makers have a drive cloning software just for this purpose on their website under the support software for their drives.

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rtpoe

  • Old Fart
  • 12420
Re: Cloning a hard drive
« Reply #2 on: September 12, 2026, 10:32:43 PM »
It's a Samsung T9.....

and it seems there is some software for it...

I'll check it out; thanks!
rtpoe

Well, it's a marvelous night for a Moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
'Neath the cover of October skies
And all the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow...

Van Morrison, Moondance

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SwitcherX

  • Legend
  • 6954
Re: Cloning a hard drive
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2026, 01:26:03 AM »
Switcher X
A.K.A. Tina Fey Eichmann

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-- Mammeister


"SwitcherX, you were always Mammeister's favorite...you bastard."
-- Notty