Cloning Your Hard Drive vs. Doing a Clean Install on an SSD – Which Is Better?

“I should clone my HDD to SSD or do a clean install?” was a question posted by a user on Quora. If you have already purchased a new HDD as a replacement, the next step is to choose between doing a clean install or cloning your drive to make it an exact replica of the source disk.

Both methods will help you set up the Windows operating system and other data. There is no difference in the end result. However, depending on the health of your disk sectors and your personal preferences, you might want to choose one solution over the other. Read on to find out which method suits you best for setting up your operating system.

Should I clone or do a clean install?
How can I clone my HDD to an SSD using a disk cloning tool?
How do I perform a clean install on an SSD?

【1】Should I clone or do a clean install?

1. Clone the hard drive to an SSD

One reason to clone a hard drive is to save time and get a 100% copy. Disk cloning makes a one-to-one copy, including the Windows operating system, existing programs, personal data, updates, and so on. Check out these 3 tips for choosing to clone a hard drive:

• The Windows operating system is functioning properly.
• System files and other files are running as expected.
• Drivers and programs cannot be installed individually.

2. Clean Install

A clean install means you'll have to set up all your drivers and existing software, reapply Windows updates, reconfigure every system setting and password, and so on. Here are three reasons to do it anyway:

- If your computer is not functioning properly due to issues with the operating system, a clean installation is recommended. - If you have a lot of caches and harmful files stored on your old disk that you don't want to repair and transfer to the new one, a fresh install would be appropriate. - If there are many bad sectors on your old disk that affect the computer's performance, a clean install could certainly be a solution.

How to Clone HDD to SSD with Disk Cloning Software

1 - Gather a screwdriver, SATA hard drive adapter, and disk cloning software

• Screwdriver: Get ready to open your computer case in Step 4. • SATA hard drive adapter or USB 3.0: Connect the hard drive to the computer. • Disk cloning software: Download professional hard drive utility – Disk Copy Tool on your computer. It can clone a hard drive. Download and activate the software first:

2 - Initialize a new hard drive via Disk Management

Step 1: Connect the SSD to your computer > Press Windows + X and click Disk Management > Right-click the old hard drive and select Properties, then choose Volumes to view the partition style.

Step 2: Right-click the new drive and select "Initialize Disk."

3 - Follow the simple steps to clone your HDD to SSD

Launch the utility Disk Copy to perform a smooth disk duplication or cloning process.

1. Download, install, and run the Disk Copy utility on your computer. Click the Disk Mode, select the source disk that you want to copy or clone, and then click Next to proceed.

2. Select the target disk where you want to clone/copy the old hard drive, then click "Next" to proceed. If prompted, click "OK" to confirm that you want to erase the data on the target disk.

3. Check and edit the disk layout, selecting "Autofit to disk space," "Copy as much as possible," or "Edit disk layout."
It is recommended that you select "Autofit to disk space."

• Copy as source option will copy/clone the partition layout from the source disk to the target disk. • Edit disk layout allows you to manually adjust the size of partitions or move the partition layout on the target disk. • If your target disk is an SSD drive, make sure to check the option "Select if target is SSD".

Click Continue to start the disk cloning or disk duplication process.

4 - Boot from the new hard drive

1. Shut down your computer and use a screwdriver to open the computer case.
2. Plug the cloned SSD into your computer using an SATA cable and power cord.
3. Power on your computer and press F2 or Delete to enter BIOS.
4. Navigate to the “Boot” tab, scroll down, and check “Boot Option Priorities.” Set your computer to boot from the cloned SSD.
5. Save your changes and restart your computer.

<strong>You can also view our video tutorial:</strong>

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How to Perform a Clean Install on an SSD

Step 1: Get the Windows installation media and insert it into your computer.

You can use the Media Creation Tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file).

Step 2: Run the tool and choose “Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC.”

Step 3. Create your multimedia according to the guidelines.

Step 4: Remove the case of your computer and install the new hard drive inside.

Step 5: Change the Boot Priority

Restart your computer > Press F2 or Del to enter BIOS > Set to boot from CD/DVD > Save changes

6. On the Windows Setup screen, click Install now.

Step 7. Click on "Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)."

Step 8: Choose the partition on your hard drive where you want to install Windows.

Clone or clean install? Get your answers here!

Generally, if your Windows is running well, we recommend you to use the clone method in Part 1. Otherwise, if there are issues with the old hard drive that prevent it from working properly, you can perform a clean install in Part 2. If you have any questions, please contact us at support@tools.com.