Transferring windows 10 license to ssd. Transferring the system to an SSD without reinstalling - the best ways

When replacing an HDD or transferring a system from one computer to another, you need to know how to transfer to another drive or SSD. This is done so as not to install Windows from scratch, but simply make a copy from the old media and continue to use it.

You can transfer Windows 10 in various ways, but they are all quite similar and differ, perhaps, in the programs with which we copy Windows to another hard drive or SSD.

You can transfer the OS to an SSD or HDD, regular optical disk or a flash drive with a large amount of memory. In this case, the technique will remain the same, only it may take more time.

We transfer using standard Windows tools

On Windows 7/8/10, there are already standard tools that allow you to transfer the system to a third-party hard drive. Therefore, if you do not want to install or buy additional software, you can do this procedure using these tools.

To create a copy, you will need two drives, one of which will be used as an image location, and the second as a means for system recovery. Typically, the role of the first is played by an HDD or SSD, and the role of the second is played by a regular flash drive, which will first need to be formatted.

1. Open the Control Panel and find the “Backup and Restore” item there.
2. Then select “Create a system image”.
3. We indicate the connected hard drive or SSD we have selected.
4. We wait until the creation of the image is completed.
5. Select “Create a system recovery disk” and specify the flash drive there.

All. The system has been successfully transferred to a hard drive or SSD.

AOMEI Backupper Standard

You can also transfer Windows 10 to new media using AOMEI Backupper Standard. It is absolutely free and easily performs this function. The process of creating a copy again consists of two stages: creating, directly, the image Windows systems 10 and creating a boot disk.

• Install the AOMEI Backupper Standard program.
• Launch and select the “Create Bootable Media” section in the “Utilities” tab.

Create Bootable Media Section

• Select the second media type (WindowsPE).
• Then we indicate which media will perform this function. It is worth remembering that the flash drive must be formatted, since all information from it will be deleted during the creation of the media.
• Open the “Backup” section and select “System bacup”.

• Next, in the first paragraph, we indicate the disk that currently contains Windows 10; usually the program determines it itself.
• In the second paragraph, we indicate the HDD, flash drive, SSD to which the system will be copied.
• Click the “Start” button at the bottom.

The system image on another device and the installer for it are ready. For storage Windows image 10, you can use any media, but it is better if they are devices that use a USB channel, since transferring data via USB will be faster than to an optical disk. In general, the speed depends on parameters such as the amount of data being transferred, the speed of the USB port or optical drive.

After this, you can restore the system to the SSD or hard drive with which you replaced a similar old computer device. To do this:

1. Launch the bootable media.
2. The program window appears, select the “Restore” section.
3. Using the “Patch” button we set the path to the system copy.
4. Click “Yes” and then “Next”.
5. Next, select the media on which the system will be deployed.
6. We check the data and click “Start”.

So, now we have completely transferred Windows 10 to another hard drive or SSD, which replaced the previous one.

Acronics True Image is one of the most common applications that performs this task. The developers also tried to make porting Windows as simple as possible. The program, unlike the previous one, supports the Russian language.

1. Install and launch Acronics True Image.
2. Select the section regarding disk cloning.
3. Place a marker next to the automatic mode.
4. Select the source disk.

Acronics True Image will perform a full clone, after which the HDD will contain a copy of the entire system that can be installed. Cloning usually takes 30–40 minutes, sometimes a little more, depending on the power of the PC itself.

In addition to these programs, there are many more offering to perform a similar procedure. As a rule, all these processes are performed in them at the same time, and the availability for the user is approximately the same. However, most of these utilities or programs are paid, since they can perform a lot of other actions that are of little interest to us.

Transfer to another computer

Transferring from one drive to another is much easier than transferring to another computer. In this case, inconsistencies may appear or the operation will end in failure. To prevent this from happening, it is important to know the features of such a transfer.

Firstly, it is worth removing your antivirus and image mounting programs (DaemonTools, Alcohol 120%) before you plan to make a copy, as it may interfere with recovery on the new computer. And secondly, use a special utility to move Windows 10.

If you want to transfer the system to another computer using an old hard drive without replacing it later, then it will be even easier to do all this. If you want to use another HDD or SSD, then after completing the algorithm given below, you may also have to perform the algorithms that were described at the beginning of the article.

• Open Command Prompt as administrator,

C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe

• Enter: “C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe”,
• The Sysprep utility starts. She will prepare Windu for movement.
• Check the box next to “Prepare for use”, “Shut down” and “Go to the system welcome window (OOBE)”.
• We disconnect the hard drive and mount the new computer.
• We go through standard and easy procedures for registering a new user.

That's it, now Windows 10 is present in the previous configuration with all the files on the new computer.

Some utilities allow you to immediately mount an HDD or SSD containing the system, without encountering errors when transferring Windows. You will only be required to enter license key product, then you can start using the old data.

We can conclude that there is nothing complicated either in transferring Windows from computer to computer, or in copying it to third-party media, be it a hard drive or SSD. You can do this yourself, without the help of professionals. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions given above.

Hello friends! At your request, in this article we will carry out transfer, copying, cloning (whatever you want) operating system Windows 8.1 from a regular hard drive (500 GB) to an SSD (120 GB) using the free AOMEI Backupper Standard program. Many novice users may ask why this SSD is needed at all.

This transfer is done to save your time. If you bought an SSD, then you don’t have to waste time on new installation Windows, but simply transfer or clone your old Windows with all installed programs to the SSD.

• Note: There is a website on our website where all the articles on the very interesting topic of transferring operating systems from one storage device to another are collected. Basically, it describes working with a paid program. Today we will use a free analogue of Acronis, relatively new program AOMEI Backupper Standard.

Friends, so as not to repeat myself, I strongly recommend that you read. This program created for backup Your data and entire operating systems. More experienced users can take advantage of such program functions as " Cloning"That's what we'll do today.

From the first article you will learn:

1. How to download and install AOMEI Backupper Standard, and then Russify it. How to create a backup copy of Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and restore from it, even if the system does not boot due to errors or viruses.

In today's article we will use a tool in AOMEI Backupper Standard called Cloning!

So, let's start.

First, let's go to Disk management and let's see what we have there.

As we see in system unit there are two hard drives:

Disk 0 - SSD solid state drive (120 GB capacity), it has no partitions and is unallocated space.

Disk 1 - Regular hard drive (capacity 500 GB) with installed Windows 8.1 located on the disk (C:) and data files: music, movies, photos, documents located on the disk (H:).

You can only transfer the drive (C:) with Windows 8.1 installed to an SSD solid-state drive, since a 120 GB SSD is naturally smaller in volume than a regular 500 GB hard drive.

The C: drive has only 60 GB occupied, but even if it had 100 GB occupied, the transfer would have worked.

Partition (H:) cannot be transferred, so you can copy all data from it to a portable hard drive USB disk, then simply delete the partition (H:) and transfer Windows 8.1 to the SSD.

After Windows migration 8.1 will be located on a 120 GB SSD, and a simple 500 GB hard drive will be completely free and all your data can be copied back to it from a portable USB drive.

Attentive readers may ask, why can’t you simply exclude the (H:) section when cloning?

Answer. AOMEI Backupper Standard is not capable of this, only a cunning one can do it Acronis True Image 2015, everything is described in .

Launch the AOMEI Backupper Standard program and select Clone -> Disk cloning. If you select the button Cloning a partition, then Windows 8.1 will also be transferred, but it will not load and you will be dancing with a tambourine.

Window Source disk. We mark with the left mouse the disk that we want to clone and click OK.

Window Destination drive. Select with your left mouse the disk to which the operating system will be transferred (cloned). OK.

Launch. I advise you not to touch anything in the "Change partitions on the target disk" window. Check the box Align partition for SSD.

The cloning process has started.

The cloning process has been successfully completed. Click Ready.

After cloning, just for fun, let’s go to Disk Management, you can see that a partition without a letter has been created on the solid-state drive, but this is not surprising, since in one Windows there cannot be two partitions with the letter (C:).

Let's restart the computer, select the SSD from the computer boot menu and boot from it.

The operating system loaded perfectly.

Let's go to Disk Management.

Windows 8.1 was successfully transferred to Disk 0. Activation was not affected.

We attach unallocated space to the drive (C:).

On the source disk from which the cloning was performed, the drive letter has disappeared and it can be expanded later using unallocated space.

SSD drives are becoming more and more popular. This is due to an increase in their reliability, a decrease in cost and an improvement in the characteristics that they possess. Therefore, it is great for installing an operating system. But in order not to reinstall it again, you can transfer Windows 10 from HDD to SSD, saving all the data.

Why transfer?

If you decide to use an SSD as a drive to store data (photos, video or audio files), it's a moot point since these devices have a limited overwrite limit. Active use will very quickly destroy it, unlike the HDD, which has been serving me for over 10 years and is still in excellent condition. But it has a SATA II connection interface, a small buffer size and low response time. Therefore, it was decided to purchase a solid-state drive to transfer Windows 10 to it.

SSD drives are great for OS installation because they have the following advantages:

• high read/write speed;
• silent operation;
• low level of heat generation.

In addition, Windows is “static files” that do not require constant rewriting, but only reading. Therefore, if you install the OS on a solid-state drive, this will speed up its operation several times and at the same time the resource of the device itself will be used very slowly.

Another reason why I decided to install an SSD in my PC was participation in the insider program.

Microsoft releases a new build for Fast Ring approximately once a week. It took about 1-1.5 hours to install it on an old HDD. If you add time to this Windows startup- about 1.5-2 minutes, it becomes clear that the solution has long been obvious.

SSD selection

Details on how to choose an SSD disk for a computer are described in the article “”. In my case, three parameters were priority:

• number of rewrite cycles before failure;
• memory type;
• manufacturer.

Regarding capacity, if you are only going to use the SSD for Windows installations 10, choose models from 120 GB and more.

Why shouldn't you buy 64 GB drives?

There are several reasons.

1. For stable and normal operation of the SSD disk, it must have up to 20% free space of the total volume. If you use a 64 GB model (in fact, its volume will be slightly smaller - 58-60 GB), only 40-45 GB will be available for active use. Microsoft's recommendations for free disk space for Windows 10 are 16 GB for 32-bit and 20 GB for 64-bit OS. And this is already half of the specified space.
2. After installing a new build or Windows updates 10, a copy of the old OS remains on the system disk, which is used during recovery. This is an additional 15-20 GB.
3. In addition to the browser and audio and video players, the average user uses various programs, utilities. Installing them also requires quite a lot of space (for me it’s about 8 GB). For a gamer or person involved in video processing, you will need even more free space on the system disk.

Therefore, in modern conditions, the minimum size of the SSD drive that is used in the device to install the OS is 120 GB.

Connection and setup

The transfer process will be shown using a solid state drive as an example.

1. Turn off the computer → disconnect it from the network by unplugging the plug from the socket → press and hold the PC power button for 4 seconds (this will completely cut off the power to the device).
2. Open the case and install the SSD. The new cases have bays for installing SSDs in the 2.5-inch form factor. Older models do not have them, so you can use a special adapter frame.
   
3. Connect power and SATA cable to the SSD → close the case.
4. Turn on your computer → enter BIOS → set the AHCI SSD mode → save changes and launch Windows 10.
   
5. RMB on the Start menu → Disk Management.
   

   Important! The table at the bottom of the window will display the connected SSD drive. It will be marked in black and labeled “Not distributed.”

   
   
6. RMB on SSD → Create simple volume → Next.
   
7. Set the maximum size simple volume→ Next.
   
8. Select the volume letter → Next.
   
9. Set the radio button to “Format this volume as follows” → leave all default values ​​→ Next → Finish.
   

After this, Explorer will display new disk under the letter that you set in the settings.

Transfer Windows 10 to SSD

To transfer Windows 10 to a solid-state drive, we used a program that has a wide range of functions. The choice fell on it because the SSD included a key for free activation. However, the program is paid, so it is not suitable for everyone.

There are other programs (paid and free) that can be used to transfer (clone/copy) a Windows partition to another drive:

• Seagate DiscWizard (works if the device has a Seagate drive installed);
• Samsung Data Migration (designed to work with Samsung solid-state drives);
• Macrium Reflect free program for cloning the entire disk or its individual parts, which has an English interface;
• Paragon Drive Copy is a paid program that has wide functionality.

The interface of all programs is different, but the operating algorithm is the same: they transfer data from one disk to another while maintaining all settings. There is no need to study instructions for their operation - everything is done so that the user intuitively understands what he is doing.

1. Launch Acronis True Image → Tools section → Clone disk.
   
2. Select the cloning mode: automatic or manual.
   

   Good to know! In order not to worry that you will do something wrong, select the “automatic” mode and the program itself will transfer all the data from one disk to another. In this case, the SSD drive must be no less than the amount of data stored on the HDD. To configure transfer settings, select the “manual” setting.

   I chose the "manual" cloning mode to transfer only the OS.
   

3. Specify the source disk from which data will be cloned.
   
4. Specify the drive to transfer information to.
   
5. Exclude files that do not need to be cloned to the SSD. To transfer only the OS disk, check the boxes for files on other disks to exclude.
   
   

   Important! The process of calculating information can take a long time (about 15-20 minutes).

6. Change the disk structure if necessary. In my case, it was left unchanged.
   
7. Review all source data → Proceed.
   

After completing the preliminary operations, the program will ask you to restart your computer. Then, instead of starting the OS, the Acronis True Image program window will open and display the cloning process. Wait until the operation is completed and then the computer turns off.

Selecting the primary drive in BIOS

Setting up the OS after the transfer

More details on how to configure an SSD disk after installation on a computer are described in the article “”. In general, you need to check the following parameters:

• whether the TRIM function is enabled;
• Is disk defragmentation disabled (it is not needed due to the way solid-state drives operate);
• Is file indexing disabled?

As for the hibernation file, many advise disabling it in order to reduce the amount of information written to the SSD disk to extend its “life.” I didn’t turn it off because I often use this mode at work. But you can do as you see fit.

Please note that due to the settings that I specified during cloning, disks will be created on the solid-state drive, as was the case on the HDD. You can merge them in the Disk Management utility.

1. RMB on the Start menu → Disk Management → select SSD drive.
2. RMB on an empty disk on a solid-state drive → Format.
   
3. RMB on this disk → Delete volume → Yes.
   
4. RMB on this disk → Delete partition → Yes.
   

Remove Windows files 10 placed on the HDD by formatting this disk. This will eliminate confusion in the future and free up space for storing files.

Results

In addition, in the Winaero WEI tool, which calculates OS performance (similar to how the system score is determined in Windows 7), the “Primary Hard Drive” indicator increased from 5.6 to 7.95. (you can find out how else to determine OS performance in the article “Determining and increasing performance Windows computer 10 “Pleasant” surprises

The warranty period is 3 years with a total number of written bytes of 113 TB. The volume is quite large. BUT!

Every day, much more information is written to disk than it might seem. This is service information, wear leveling algorithms. Thanks to them, the same SSD memory blocks are not constantly rewritten. Periodically, unused (or rarely used) files are moved to areas of the drive that are actively used. The free space that appears after redistribution is then used to record new information. This is a cyclical process that happens constantly.

As a result, in the worst case, 1 GB of useful data accounts for 1.5 GB of recorded information. Plus data cache in browsers and other information. As a result, on average, about 15 GB of information is recorded on my SSD every day. But even with such indicators, the resource of the solid-state drive will last approximately 15-18 years.

For people who actively write/erase data, this figure will be significantly lower. But even in this case, the relevance of the purchased SSD drive model will disappear faster before it fails. So stop believing the myth that SSDs are unreliable! In modern conditions they are - optimal choice to install Windows 10.

SSD drives are becoming more and more popular. This is due to an increase in their reliability, a decrease in cost and an improvement in the characteristics that they possess. Therefore, it is great for installing an operating system. But in order not to reinstall it again, you can transfer Windows 10 from HDD to SSD, saving all the data.

Why transfer?

If you decide to use an SSD as a drive to store data (photos, video or audio files), it's a moot point since these devices have a limited overwrite limit. Active use will very quickly destroy it, unlike the HDD, which has been serving me for over 10 years and is still in excellent condition. But it has a SATA II connection interface, a small buffer size and low response time. Therefore, it was decided to purchase a solid-state drive to transfer Windows 10 to it.

SSD drives are great for OS installation because they have the following advantages:

• high read/write speed;
• silent operation;
• low level of heat generation.

In addition, Windows is “static files” that do not require constant rewriting, but only reading. Therefore, if you install the OS on a solid-state drive, this will speed up its operation several times and at the same time the resource of the device itself will be used very slowly.

Another reason why I decided to install an SSD in my PC was participation in the insider program.

Microsoft releases a new build for Fast Ring approximately once a week. It took about 1-1.5 hours to install it on an old HDD. If we add to this the startup time of Windows - about 1.5-2 minutes, it becomes clear that the solution has long been obvious.

SSD selection

Details on how to choose an SSD disk for a computer are described in the article “Choosing an SSD disk for a computer.” In my case, three parameters were priority:

• number of rewrite cycles before failure;
• memory type;
• manufacturer.

As for capacity, if you are going to use the SSD only to install Windows 10, choose models from 120 GB and larger.

Why shouldn't you buy 64 GB drives?

There are several reasons.

1. For stable and normal operation of the SSD disk, it must have up to 20% free space of the total volume. If you use a 64 GB model (in fact, its volume will be slightly smaller - 58-60 GB), only 40-45 GB will be available for active use. Microsoft's recommendations for free disk space for Windows 10 are 16 GB for 32-bit and 20 GB for 64-bit OS. And this is already half of the specified space.
2. After installing a new build or updating Windows 10, a copy of the old OS remains on the system disk, which is used during recovery. This is an additional 15-20 GB.
3. In addition to the browser and audio and video players, the average user uses various programs and utilities. Installing them also requires quite a lot of space (for me it’s about 8 GB). For a gamer or person involved in video processing, you will need even more free space on the system disk.

Therefore, in modern conditions, the minimum size of the SSD drive that is used in the device to install the OS is 120 GB.

Connection and setup

The transfer process will be shown using a solid state drive as an example.

1. Turn off the computer → disconnect it from the network by unplugging the plug from the socket → press and hold the PC power button for 4 seconds (this will completely cut off the power to the device).
2. Open the case and install the SSD. The new cases have bays for installing SSDs in the 2.5-inch form factor. Older models do not have them, so you can use a special adapter frame.
   
3. Connect power and SATA cable to the SSD → close the case.
4. Turn on your computer → enter BIOS → set the AHCI SSD mode → save changes and launch Windows 10.
   
5. RMB on the Start menu → Disk Management.
   

   Important! The table at the bottom of the window will display the connected SSD drive. It will be marked in black and labeled “Not distributed.”

   
   
6. RMB on SSD → Create simple volume → Next.
   
7. Set the maximum simple volume size → Next.
   
8. Select the volume letter → Next.
   
9. Set the radio button to “Format this volume as follows” → leave all default values ​​→ Next → Finish.
   

After this, Explorer will display a new drive under the letter that you set in the settings.

Transfer Windows 10 to SSD

To transfer Windows 10 to a solid-state drive, we used a program that has a wide range of functions. The choice fell on it because the SSD included a key for free activation. However, the program is paid, so it is not suitable for everyone.

There are other programs (paid and free) that can be used to transfer (clone/copy) a Windows partition to another drive:

• Seagate DiscWizard (works if the device has a Seagate drive installed);
• Samsung Data Migration (designed to work with Samsung solid-state drives);
• Macrium Reflect is a free program for cloning an entire disk or its individual parts, which has an English interface;
• Paragon Drive Copy is a paid program that has wide functionality.

The interface of all programs is different, but the operating algorithm is the same: they transfer data from one disk to another while maintaining all settings. There is no need to study instructions for their operation - everything is done so that the user intuitively understands what he is doing.

1. Launch Acronis True Image → Tools section → Clone disk.
   
2. Select the cloning mode: automatic or manual.
   

   Good to know! In order not to worry that you will do something wrong, select the “automatic” mode and the program itself will transfer all the data from one disk to another. In this case, the SSD drive must be no less than the amount of data stored on the HDD. To configure transfer settings, select the “manual” setting.

   I chose the "manual" cloning mode to transfer only the OS.
   

3. Specify the source disk from which data will be cloned.
   
4. Specify the drive to transfer information to.
   
5. Exclude files that do not need to be cloned to the SSD. To transfer only the OS disk, check the boxes for files on other disks to exclude.
   
   

   Important! The process of calculating information can take a long time (about 15-20 minutes).

6. Change the disk structure if necessary. In my case, it was left unchanged.
   
7. Review all source data → Proceed.
   

After completing the preliminary operations, the program will ask you to restart your computer. Then, instead of starting the OS, the Acronis True Image program window will open and display the cloning process. Wait until the operation is completed and then the computer turns off.

Selecting the primary drive in BIOS

Setting up the OS after the transfer

More information on how to configure an SSD drive after installation on a computer is described in the article “Optimizing Windows 10 settings for SSD drive operation.” In general, you need to check the following parameters:

• whether the TRIM function is enabled;
• Is disk defragmentation disabled (it is not needed due to the way solid-state drives operate);
• Is file indexing disabled?

As for the hibernation file, many advise disabling it in order to reduce the amount of information written to the SSD disk to extend its “life.” I didn’t turn it off because I often use this mode at work. But you can do as you see fit.

Please note that due to the settings that I specified during cloning, disks will be created on the solid-state drive, as was the case on the HDD. You can merge them in the Disk Management utility.

1. RMB on the Start menu → Disk Management → select SSD drive.
2. RMB on an empty disk on a solid-state drive → Format.
   
3. RMB on this disk → Delete volume → Yes.
   
4. RMB on this disk → Delete partition → Yes.
   

Delete Windows 10 files located on the HDD by formatting the drive. This will eliminate confusion in the future and free up space for storing files.

Results

In addition, in the Winaero WEI tool, which calculates OS performance (similar to how the system score is determined in Windows 7), the “Primary Hard Drive” indicator increased from 5.6 to 7.95. (you can find out how else to determine the performance of the OS in the article “Determining and increasing the performance of a Windows 10 computer. “Pleasant” surprises

The warranty period is 3 years with a total number of written bytes of 113 TB. The volume is quite large. BUT!

Every day, much more information is written to disk than it might seem. This is service information, wear leveling algorithms. Thanks to them, the same SSD memory blocks are not constantly rewritten. Periodically, unused (or rarely used) files are moved to areas of the drive that are actively used. The free space that appears after redistribution is then used to record new information. This is a cyclical process that happens constantly.

As a result, in the worst case, 1 GB of useful data accounts for 1.5 GB of recorded information. Plus data cache in browsers and other information. As a result, on average, about 15 GB of information is recorded on my SSD every day. But even with such indicators, the resource of the solid-state drive will last approximately 15-18 years.

For people who actively write/erase data, this figure will be significantly lower. But even in this case, the relevance of the purchased SSD drive model will disappear faster than it fails. So stop believing the myth that SSDs are unreliable! In modern conditions, they are the best choice for installing Windows 10.

Often, users of computers and laptops have a situation where the old hard drive must be replaced with a new one, faster or with greater capacity. Therefore, there is a need to copy existing information from one disk to another. Then it becomes relevant to simply clone the old hard drive.

Computer hard drive

Hard drive cloning

Cloning process hard drive is an operation in which all data from one hard drive is transferred to another. Since cloning a hard drive is a procedure for low-level sector-by-sector data transfer from one storage medium to another storage medium, the clone hard drive will be completely identical to the original hard drive.

In this case, transferring all user files, personal photos, films, documents may take you a lot of time. It is also worth knowing that if you transfer operating system files manually, then it will not be copied to the new hard drive in working condition, that is, you will need to go through the installation process again. The cloning process allows you to copy the hard drive partition structure, a working active operating system, as well as installed programs and saved settings.

Hard drive cloning

Hard drive cloning programs

In order to quickly and efficiently copy all data from one hard drive to another, while keeping the operating system in working condition so that after copying it can be easily launched, you should use special programs for cloning hard drives.

Quite a lot of programs, both free and paid, have been developed for the purpose of creating clone disks. Among this variety of software, there are highly specialized programs that work only with hard drives of a certain brand, but there are also universal programs that allow you to clone any HDD and SSD drives.

Programs that include the hard drive cloning function include Paragon Hard Disk Manager, Acronis True Image, AOMEI Backupper, EASEUS Disk Copy, etc. But the most popular program among users is Acronis True Image.

Acronis True Image program

Acronis True Image program

True Image is modern software product from Acronis. It is compatible not only with old Windows versions such as Windows XP and 7, but also with the new Windows 8, 10 operating systems. Acronis True Image can be called a panacea for all problems with Windows because, in addition to the cloning function, the program has a lot of additional advantages such as:

• creation of reserve copies of Windows;
• it acts as a system cleaning tool;
• allows you to test Windows operation in trial mode with the ability to cancel changes made;
• saves backups in cloud storage;
• disaster data recovery.

In addition, when cloning a hard drive using Acronis True Image, it is possible to exclude certain unnecessary files. At the user's request, you can configure cloning not only the entire disk, but also separate files or sections. Other programs do not offer this option. This program is not only multifunctional, it also has high operating speed, a convenient interface in Russian, automatic and manual mode work.

Acronis True Image 2016 program interface

The disadvantages of Acronis True Image include only a paid license. It can be purchased on the official website of the developer. But, despite this, Acronis True Image remains the most popular program for cloning hard drives.

Features of Acronis True Image terminology

Before cloning disks, you need to familiarize yourself with some features of the Acronis True Image software package. So, in the process of preparing to clone a hard drive, you will come across the concepts of “source” and “target” disks. The source disk in Acronis True Image is the disk from which important data is transferred, that is, this is the disk from which the clone is created. The target drive in this program is considered to be a hard drive that will become a clone of the source drive, that is, a drive to which user data, system files and software are transferred.

Identification of hard drives in Acronis True Image

When cloning a hard drive with Acronis True Image, the disk discrepancy in size is not critical. With the ability to exclude unnecessary files from the cloning process, the target drive can be much smaller in size than the source drive. The main thing is that there is enough free space for the necessary information from the source disk.

Cloning a hard drive with Acronis True Image

Let's look at the process of cloning a hard drive using the Acronis True Image 2016 version as an example. To do this, follow the instructions below step by step.

Step 1. Launch the program, this version prompts you to log in account To use Acronis cloud storage, the login window can be closed.

Login cloud storage Designation of hard drives in Acronis

Step 2. In the side ribbon of the interface, select the “Tools” tab, then in the menu that opens, select the “Clone disk” item.

Acronis True Image interface

Step 3. Follow the prompts of the Disk Cloning Wizard, at the point where you need to select the cloning mode, click “Automatic”. It is always selected by default as a preset mode, click on the “Next” button.

Selecting a cloning mode in the Disk Clone Wizard

Step 4. After this, a window for selecting the source hard drive opens in front of you. In this window, you need to left-click on the disk from which we will transfer data. Disk names in Acronis True Image differ from disk names in the built-in Windows utility. In this case, it is better to navigate by the volume or model of the disk. Having selected the hard drive to transfer data, click the “Next” button.

Selecting the source hard drive

Step 5. In the window for selecting the target disk that opens, left-click on the name of the hard disk to which you want to transfer the data, Windows OS and partition structure. Click on the “Next” button.

Selecting the target hard drive

Step 6. Since in this case the target disk is not a new disk with unallocated space with information stored on it, the program displays a warning window with information about the possible loss of important data. If everyone is the most necessary files have been saved, you can click on the “Ok” button.

Acronis True Image warning window

Step 7. After this, a window for selecting a recovery method opens. By default, the checkbox “Copy partitions without changes” is checked, change this setting no need, just click “Next”.

Selecting a recovery method

Step 8. The Disk Clone Wizard enters the final stage of the data transfer process and displays the Summary Window. This window allows you to start cloning your hard drive by clicking the “Proceed” button, but this is relevant if there are no files that need to be excluded, so as not to take up space on the target disk with unnecessary data and not increase the time required to complete this procedure. If you chose the method of cloning the source disk not in full, then click on the “Exclude files” button.

Summary window in the Disk Clone Wizard

Step. 9. In the File Exceptions menu that opens, we see a tree structure of the entire contents of the hard drive. Thanks to this structure, system files that cannot be excluded are immediately visible. In our example, we exclude non-system video files from section E by checking the appropriate boxes next to their names. You need to wait a little while for the process of excluding these files to complete.

File exclusion window in Disk Clone Wizard

Step 10. We exclude partition F of the source disk in its entirety by checking the box next to its name, and all included files and folders are then selected automatically. After the cloning operation is completed, this partition will be created on the target disk, but will not contain any data. When all partitions and files that we do not need on the target disk are excluded from cloning, we can start the whole process by clicking on the “Proceed” button.

Excluding source hard drive partition when cloning

Step 11. After all the preparatory steps have been completed, Acronis True Image will ask you to reboot the system. And it carries out the cloning process in preload mode of the Windows operating system. In Acronis True Image preboot mode, you can see the default function of shutting down the computer immediately after the cloning process is completed.

Cloning is carried out in Windows preboot mode

The next time you turn on the computer, you will immediately be taken to BIOS menu, in which it is possible to set the priority of loading the operating system from the created clone disk. In addition, this window shows the remaining time until cloning is completed and the progress of the task.

Hard drive cloning progress window

Step 12: Once cloning is complete, you can boot from the target drive.

Selecting boot from target disk

Transfer your desktop to another drive in Windows 7, 8, 10

Copying the desktop along with shortcuts and files to a non-system drive is a very beneficial solution from all sides. After all, this will not only preserve the previous appearance of your desktop after reinstalling the operating system, but will also allow you to save it in the event of a sudden system failure resulting in the inoperability of your OS. In addition, there is much more free space on the system disk for your documents. When a computer is infected with malware, the damage most often occurs to the system partition, and since the desktop directory will no longer be on the system drive, it will be completely protected from this type of sabotage.

In order to copy the “Desktop” folder in such major operating systems as Windows 7, 8 and 10, there are two ways - through Windows Explorer and using the editor Windows registry.

Windows desktop

Copying desktop in Windows 7, 8, 10 via Explorer

In order to copy the desktop with all the contained files and folders to a non-system local disk you need to follow the instructions below step by step.

Step 1. Create a folder to store data from the desktop on a local drive with user data (in our case, drive D).

Creating a new folder on drive D to store desktop data

Step 2. Then open the user's folder. In Windows 7, click on the “Start” button and in the left column, select the user name and left-click on it. For Windows 7 users, follow the path Drive C:\Users\*username*. A package opens with the following data.

Opening the folder of the user whose desktop you want to move to another drive

User folder on drive C

Step 3. Right-click on the “Desktop” folder and thereby open the folder properties.

Call context menu folders Desktop

View of the Desktop Folder Options window

Step 4. Left-click on the “Location” tab and then click “Move” in this tab.

Folder Location tab Desktop

Step 5. Find and select the “Desktop” folder that we created in step 1 and click on the “Select folder” button.

Selecting a folder to move the desktop

Applying the changes made

Step 7. In the dialog box that opens, agree to transfer the “Desktop” folder to another local drive by clicking the “Yes” button. Next, a progress window for moving the desktop appears.

Dialog box that pops up when moving a desktop to another drive

Progress window for copying desktop to disk D

Step 8. All files and folders have been successfully copied to local drive D. For the changes to take effect, you need to completely restart the computer.

All desktop files and folders were successfully transferred to local drive D

Video tutorial on transferring a desktop to another drive

Copying the desktop in Windows 7, 8, 10 using the Registry Editor

Transferring your desktop using the Windows Registry Editor in any version of the operating system is much easier to do than through Explorer. To this end, we perform the following steps.

Step 1. To call the registry editor, press the Win+R keys on the keyboard at the same time, in the window that appears in command line enter “regedit” without quotes. Next, click “Ok”.

Calling the Registry Editor in Windows

Step 2. Go sequentially along the path HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders. You need to find the Desktop parameter in the displayed list.

Registry Editor window in Windows

Step 3. Double-click the left mouse button to open the parameter and change the path in the “Value” line, directing it to the folder in which we plan to save the desktop data. Click on the “Ok” button below.

Changing the desktop path

Step 4. Reboot your computer or laptop for the changes to take effect.

This is how you can quite easily copy your desktop along with all the files stored on it to another partition of your hard drive.

Transferring operating system memory from HDD to SSD

Copying operating system memory from a hard drive to an SSD creates an exact image of the system partition on the SSD. This action is performed to increase the performance of the operating system.

After transferring memory from HDD to SSD, loading the operating system when you turn on your computer or laptop will last only 10-15 seconds.

SSD vs HDD

Benefits of rewriting OS memory to SSD

Transferring operating system memory from a hard drive to solid-state drives has a number of advantages:

• from the system hard section During operation of the disk, a lot of operations are performed to read information against the background of a small number of operations to write information to the disk, it is the SSD in this case that provides the fastest process of reading data from the disk;
• the amount of information stored on the system disk is usually small and can rarely be changed significantly, so for ordinary computer or laptop users, a solid-state drive with a capacity of about 20 GB will be sufficient, and only in quite rare cases an SSD with a capacity of more than 30-40 GB may be needed;

Internal SSD and HDD device

Copying operating system memory from HDD to SSD with third-party programs

In order to transfer OS memory to SSD, they also use special programs. Such programs include Acronis True Image, Clonezilla Live, Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, Handy Backup Professional. They already have built-in functions for creating an image of the operating system and cloning it to another medium. It is worth remembering that the volume of the solid-state drive must be no less than the volume of the system partition on the hard drive.

Paragon Migrate OS to SSD program

Conclusion

Above, we looked in detail at cloning a hard drive using the Acronis True Image program for Windows 7, 8, 10. We found out various ways moving the desktop to another local drive on the computer. Learned options for transferring operating system memory from hard drive HDD to an SSD.

In addition, we looked at programs designed specifically for cloning hard drives and copying data. system files OS. Among the proposed methods, the choice of the best option is up to the user.