HDD Cloning Questions: Smaller HDD to Bigger?

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maraya21

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Aug 15, 2017
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I have bought a new 1TB HDD to replace my 9 year old laptop drive of 160GB (which still works btw). I want to clone the smaller one to the bigger one, mainly because i have games i would like to transfer over without losing progress along with a couple of programs i don't remember how to re-configure.

So my questions are:

■How do i actually do that?
I have bought a case to put the new (then later on the old) HDD in, in order to be able to clone it then later format the old one so i can use as an External drive. Do i just connect the new drive via usb and use whatever cloning program?

■ And on the subject of USB, what kind of USB cable will i need.?
The case i bought might not have one included. Since the drives are different i am not sure what to get. I have an WD External but it is old, though not as old as my HDD, and 2 Seagates. Will the cable from any of them do?

■Which program to use?

■Is it possible to "clone" my games to the new HDD without losing progress in the first place?
I only have one partition (C: ), though in the system info i see two listed so i guess that must be some kind of back-up or windows made partition.
Since i only have one partition would i need to do anything more when/if i clone the drive? I imagine that there will be space left since my current drive is smaller but since i only have one partion it will be like my current drive and all space will be in C:?

It will be the first time i attempt to change a drive so any & all help would be appreciated!
P.S: Sorry to ask so many - mildly - different stuff but i have no idea what i'm doing.. *sigh

Laptop Acer Asriper 5735z
Old: WD 160GB
New: HGST Travelstar 1TB
 
Solution
Barty1884
Smaller to larger is pretty easy - what it will do is create a ~160GB partition on the new drive, and then you can expand it to the full 1TB partition via disk management (once you've cloned and booted from it).

**NOTE** When cloning, ensure you clone the entire drive. You can usually select individual partitions and, while you "only" have a C drive, you actually have other 'unseen' partitions, containing the boot manager etc. Ensure you select everything that you have on your current 160GB to clone over.

How exactly? There are various free programs. Specifics, along with some recommended programs can be found here:
http://lifehacker.com/5837543/how-to-migrate-to-a-solid-state-drive-without-reinstalling-windows
That does...
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Barty1884

Barty1884

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Apr 16, 2015
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Smaller to larger is pretty easy - what it will do is create a ~160GB partition on the new drive, and then you can expand it to the full 1TB partition via disk management (once you've cloned and booted from it).

**NOTE** When cloning, ensure you clone the entire drive. You can usually select individual partitions and, while you "only" have a C drive, you actually have other 'unseen' partitions, containing the boot manager etc. Ensure you select everything that you have on your current 160GB to clone over.

How exactly? There are various free programs. Specifics, along with some recommended programs can be found here:
http://lifehacker.com/5837543/how-to-migrate-to-a-solid-state-drive-without-reinstalling-windows
That does mention HDD to SSd, but the same rules apply for HDD to HDD.

Any external USB enclosure should come with a cable to connect that enclosure via USB. While others *may* work, there are a couple of different types of cables, and there;'s no guarantee anything from your old WD would work.

A "clone" is exactly that. It'll take everything on your current HDD (Windows, Files, Programs, Games, SaveGame files etc) and 'clone' it to the new.
It will be identical to booting from your 160GB drive, albeit with more available space.

So yes, it will clone the 160GB drive, to a 160GB "partition" on the 1TB. When you boot from the newly cloned drive, it will show your C drive as ~160GB, just as your current C drive does.

Then you enter disk management, select the unused portion of the drive and select "expand" (I believe, or similarly worded).
 
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Solution
USAFRet

USAFRet

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Mar 16, 2013
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Tried and tested steps to a successful clone operation:

-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe as necessary.
Delete the original boot partitions, here:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/4f1b84ac-b193-40e3-943a-f45d52e23685/cant-delete-extra-healthy-recovery-partitions-and-healthy-efi-system-partition?forum=w8itproinstall
-----------------------------
 
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