Switching system to SSD

In the past I've always replaced a spinning HD with an SSD; cloned it to
the SSD externally, opened box, replaced, booted.

This time I have a larger box.
I want to leave the HD in situ, and put two SSDs in a dual 3.5 caddy.
Then clone the HD to the larger SSD, restart, go into BIOS and simply
change boot drive.
Will I have to do anything more? Perhaps set status of the SSD to System?
I will then have the full HD to reformat at will; plus the second SSD.

Does anybody foresee a problem with this? I'll use Macrium or EaseUs.

Ed

Ed Cryer wrote:
In the past I've always replaced a spinning HD with an SSD; cloned it to
the SSD externally, opened box, replaced, booted.

This time I have a larger box.
I want to leave the HD in situ, and put two SSDs in a dual 3.5 caddy.
Then clone the HD to the larger SSD, restart, go into BIOS and simply
change boot drive.
Will I have to do anything more? Perhaps set status of the SSD to System?
I will then have the full HD to reformat at will; plus the second SSD.

Does anybody foresee a problem with this? I'll use Macrium or EaseUs.

Ed

The cloning software should take care of the details.

Yes, you have to select something in the BIOS, to get
the new drive to boot.

Good cloning software, changes the boot information on
the clone, so it's "self sufficient". The GUIDs used
on the old drive and the new drive should end up different.
This prevents the new drive from "depending" on the old
drive. The drives should end up independent of one another.

I'd be more worried about damaging my SATA cables,
trying to work with the adapter. There's at least one
adapter that turns the drives sideways, and cabling up
could be a problem. You want to take good care of your
SATA data cable. If the data cable is kinked or pinched, it
can raise the error floor.

Paul

In article , says...

In the past I've always replaced a spinning HD with an SSD; cloned it to
the SSD externally, opened box, replaced, booted.

This time I have a larger box.
I want to leave the HD in situ, and put two SSDs in a dual 3.5 caddy.
Then clone the HD to the larger SSD, restart, go into BIOS and simply
change boot drive.
Will I have to do anything more? Perhaps set status of the SSD to System?
I will then have the full HD to reformat at will; plus the second SSD.

Does anybody foresee a problem with this? I'll use Macrium or EaseUs.

Ed

Watch out for overheating. And, of course, use the SSD manufacturer's
utility (or something like HD Sentinel) to watch out for signs of
deterioration, as SSDs go out like a light.

I've just changed an SSD because the vendor-specific "life remaining"
SMART indicator went from "ages" to "yesterday" overnight. I took the
opportunity to change my data volume to an SSD as well, and the speed
increase is palpable, even though my system volume was already an SSD.

--

Phil, London

Paul wrote:
Ed Cryer wrote:
In the past I've always replaced a spinning HD with an SSD; cloned it
to the SSD externally, opened box, replaced, booted.

This time I have a larger box.
I want to leave the HD in situ, and put two SSDs in a dual 3.5 caddy.
Then clone the HD to the larger SSD, restart, go into BIOS and simply
change boot drive.
Will I have to do anything more? Perhaps set status of the SSD to System?
I will then have the full HD to reformat at will; plus the second SSD.

Does anybody foresee a problem with this? I'll use Macrium or EaseUs.

Ed

The cloning software should take care of the details.

Yes, you have to select something in the BIOS, to get
the new drive to boot.

Good cloning software, changes the boot information on
the clone, so it's "self sufficient". The GUIDs used
on the old drive and the new drive should end up different.
This prevents the new drive from "depending" on the old
drive. The drives should end up independent of one another.

I'd be more worried about damaging my SATA cables,
trying to work with the adapter. There's at least one
adapter that turns the drives sideways, and cabling up
could be a problem. You want to take good care of your
SATA data cable. If the data cable is kinked or pinched, it
can raise the error floor.

Â*Â* Paul

I've opened the box and it has three separate bays; one for 3.5 devices,
one for 3.5 HDDs, one for 2.5 HDD/SSDs, with three slots in each.
No need for the dual caddy. You just slide the things into a slot, apply
and turn a locking key, connect cables.

Adding memory was just as easy; very open position.

Ed