How to Clone a Hard Drive to an SSD with Clonezilla and Alternatives (2024)

"I'm upgrading my hard drive to an SSD. How do I clone my current drive and move it over?"

"I use Clonezilla. It's free. Download Clonezilla live from their site, set it to boot from a thumb drive, and follow the prompts. It's not super-smooth, but it works great. And, most importantly, did I mention it's free?"

Solid-state drives (SSDs) have advantages over hard-disk drives (HDDs) in many respects, including:

• Smaller size
• Larger capacity
• Faster read and write speeds
• Lower power consumption
• Longer lifespan

These advantages make it increasingly popular for data storage and system installations. If you need to clone your hard drive to SSD for enjoying faster data transfer speed and larger storage capacity, Clonezilla is an open-source and free disk cloning tool that can clone HDD to SSD. This guide will illustrate in detail how to clone a hard drive to a new SSD with Clonezilla.

Overview of Clonezilla and Its Features

Clonezilla is a popular disk imaging and cloning tool renowned for its free and open-source nature. It can be used on Windows, macOS, and Linux computers to clone individual or multiple drives from one drive to another. It supports various types of hard disks, including HDD, SATA SSD, NVMe SSD, and more.

There are two versions of Clonezilla: Clonezilla Live and Clonezilla Server Edition (SE). Clonezilla Live is used for individual disk cloning, while Clonezilla SE is intended for large-scale network deployments.

Clonezilla's many features make it a powerful disk-cloning tool, including its ability to clone only used blocks, support for multiple operating systems, compressed clones, and PXE booting.

[Step-by-Step Guide] How to Clone HDD to SSD with Clonezilla

Now, let's see the steps to clone a hard drive to SSD using Clonezilla on Windows 11/10/8/7:

Step 1: Create a bootable Clonezilla media (USB or CD/DVD) and connect the SSD to your computer (make sure it has enough capacity to hold the contents of the original HDD).

Step 2. Boot your computer from the Clonezilla Live CD/DVD. When you see the following screen, select “Clonezilla live,” and press [Enter].

Step 3: Choose the language and keyboard layout you want to use.

Step 4. In the “Start Clonezilla” window that appears, select “start_clonezilla” and press Enter.

5. Select "Beginner Mode" to run this wizard.

Step 6: Select "Device - Device, clone directly from one disk or partition to another" mode and press [Enter] key.

Step 7. Choose the disk cloning method: disk_to_local_disk or local_disk_to_local_disk_clone, then proceed.

Step 8: Select the HDD as the source disk and SSD as the target disk.

Step 9: Highlight “Skip check/repair of source filesystem” and press [Enter].

Step 10: After the third prompt, type "Y" and hit Enter to confirm the clone.

Step 11. Clonezilla should now begin the cloning process.

Step 12: Wait for the cloning process to finish, then shut down your computer. You're done cloning your hard drive.

As you can see, the process of cloning HDD to SSD with Clonezilla is intricate and involves multiple steps. You need to make sure each step is carried out correctly to complete the process, which can be time-consuming, especially for beginners.

If you're looking to save time and make HDD to SSD cloning simpler, you can turn to an alternative to Clonezilla – Disk Copy. Read on, and you'll learn more about it in the next section.

You might be interested in:

Tool: Disk Copy – An Alternative to Clonezilla for Faster HDD to SSD Cloning

In comparison with Clonezilla, using AOMEI Backupper's Disk Clone feature is a more effortless option for HDD to SSD cloning, which can be completed in just three simple steps. AOMEI Backupper is a powerful yet user-friendly Windows 11/10/8/7 disk cloning and imaging tool with an intuitive interface. It allows you to clone various types of hard drives, including HDD to SSD cloning, NVMe SSD to NVMe SSD cloning, cloning a small SSD to a larger SSD, NVMe SSD to SATA SSD cloning, and more.

Follow these simple steps to quickly clone your HDD to an SSD on a Windows computer: 1. **Get the right tool:** First, you need a reliable disk cloning software. You can opt for tools like Acronis True Image, tools Todo Backup, or AOMEI Backupper. Ensure the chosen software supports cloning from HDD to SSD. 2. **Connect the SSD:** Attach the new SSD to your computer using appropriate SATA data and power cables. If your computer has an M.2 slot, you can insert it directly. 3. **Launch the cloning software:** Install and run the cloning tool you've selected. Typically, the program should automatically detect the newly connected SSD. 4. **Select source and target drives:** In the software interface, choose your HDD as the "source drive" and the new SSD as the "target drive." 5. **Start the cloning process:** After confirming the correct selection of source and target drives, click on "Clone" or "Start." The software will begin copying all data from the HDD to the SSD. 6. **Wait for the cloning to complete:** The process may take some time, depending on the size of the HDD and the amount of data. Do not disconnect the SSD or shut down your computer during this time. 7. **Verify the clone:** Upon completion, check the data on the new SSD for accuracy. You can browse files using Windows Explorer to ensure everything is in order. 8. **Set BIOS/UEFI:** If necessary, enter your computer's BIOS/UEFI settings and set the SSD as the primary boot device. 9. **Disconnect the HDD:** Once you confirm successful cloning and that the system can boot from the SSD, safely disconnect the HDD. 10. **Restart your computer:** Save changes and restart your computer. It should now boot from the new SSD, resulting in improved performance. Please note that these steps might vary slightly depending on the cloning software used. Always follow the specific instructions provided by the software.

Step 1: In Disk Mode, select the HDD you want to clone.

Step 2: Select the SSD as the target disk.

Step 3: Change the disk layout if needed, and click 'Continue' to proceed with the installation.

Since the destination location is an SSD, it's recommended to check “Select this option if the target is an SSD.”

If there's no important data on the target disk, a warning message will inform you that the data on the SSD will be erased. Click “OK” to proceed.

Step 4: Wait for the process to complete.

In summary,

Using Clonezilla to clone HDD to SSD is a great way to upgrade your computer. However, Clonezilla might be complicated and time-consuming, especially for beginners. If you're looking for software that can clone your hard drive to SSD quickly and effortlessly, then the Disk Clone Tool is your best choice. It offers an intuitive interface and allows you to clone any hard drive to SSD in just three simple steps. Give it a try now and clone your hard drive quickly!

#4 Frequently Asked Questions About Cloning Your Hard Drive to an SSD with Clonezilla (UTF-8)

1. Can I clone HDD to SSD using Clonezilla?

Yes, you can clone an HDD to an SSD with Clonezilla, but it involves more steps and can be quite complicated. We recommend using the Disk Copy tool, which offers a simpler three-step process for cloning your HDD to an SSD without data loss.

2. How to use Clonezilla to migrate Windows 10 from HDD to SSD?

To migrate your Windows 10 operating system from an HDD to an SSD, you can follow these steps: 1. **Backup Important Data**: Before starting the process, ensure that all your important files and documents are backed up in case anything goes wrong during the migration. 2. **Get an SSD**: Purchase a suitable Solid State Drive (SSD) with enough storage capacity to accommodate your Windows installation and other files. 3. **Connect the SSD**: Connect the new SSD to your computer either through an internal slot or using an external USB-to-SATA adapter. 4. **Cloning Software**: Download and install cloning software like Clonezilla, Macrium Reflect, or the built-in Windows tool called "Disk Management." Some SSD manufacturers also provide their own migration tools. 5. **Create a Bootable USB**: If using third-party software, create a bootable USB drive with the software's ISO file. 6. **Boot from the USB**: Restart your computer and enter the BIOS or UEFI settings to change the boot order, prioritizing the USB drive. 7. **Run Cloning Software**: Follow the on-screen instructions to clone your HDD to the SSD. Make sure to select the source (HDD) and destination (SSD) correctly. 8. **Shrink Volume (Optional)**: If you want to dual-boot or keep your old HDD for data storage, you might need to shrink the existing volume on the HDD to make room for the SSD. 9. **Partition the SSD**: Create a new partition on the SSD, making sure it has the same size as the cloned system drive from the HDD. 10. **Boot from the SSD**: After the cloning process is complete, remove the USB drive, and change the boot order back to the SSD. Restart your computer. 11. **Verify and Optimize**: Once booted into Windows, verify that everything is working correctly. You may need to update the SSD's driver in Device Manager. Run the "Defragment and Optimize Drives" tool to optimize the SSD. 12. **Remove the Old HDD (Optional)**: If you're not keeping the HDD for data storage, disconnect or remove it from your system. That's it! Your Windows 10 system should now be running on the new SSD, providing faster performance and improved responsiveness.

• Create a bootable Clonezilla media
• Select the cloning mode
• Select the source disk and target disk
• Skip checking/repairing the source file system
• Enter 'Y' three times to confirm the cloning information

3. Can I clone HDD directly to SSD?

Yes, you can use a reliable disk cloning tool like Disk Copy to clone HDD to SSD. It offers an intuitive interface that allows you to clone any hard drive to an SSD with no data loss in just three steps.

4. Can I clone a 1TB HDD to a 2TB SSD?

It's feasible to clone a hard drive with different capacities, but you need to make sure the target disk is larger than or equal to the source disk. Thus, cloning a 1 TB HDD to a 2TB SSD is absolutely possible.