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

Written by Linda on Sep 14, 2021 to Disk/Partition Clone | User Guide

“I should clone my HDD to SSD or do a fresh install?” was a question on Quora. If you already purchased a new HDD as a replacement, the next step is to choose between a clean install or cloning your disk to be in the same state as the source drive.

Both methods will allow you to set up your Windows operating system and other data. The end result will be the same. However, depending on the health of your disk sectors and your personal preferences, you may want to choose the option that is best for you. Read on to see which method of setting up your operating system is best for you.

Should I clone or do a fresh install?
How to clone HDD to SSD using disk cloning software
How to do a clean install on an SSD

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 duplicates everything on a one-to-one basis, including the Windows operating system, existing programs, personal data, updates, and more. Check out three tips for choosing the right disk cloning option:

• The Windows operating system is running well.
• System files and other files are behaving normally.
• You can't install drivers and programs individually.

2. Clean Installation

A clean install means downloading all your drivers, reinstalling your existing software, and going through Windows updates, system-file configurations, and password resets all over again. Here are three reasons to do it anyway:

- If your computer is not functioning properly due to issues with the operating system, a clean install is recommended. - If you have a significant amount of cached files and harmful files on your old hard drive that you don't want to fix or transfer to the new one, a fresh install would be appropriate. - If there are numerous bad sectors on your old hard drive that affect the computer's performance, a clean install is indeed the solution.

How to Clone HDD to SSD with a Disk Cloning Tool

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

• Screwdriver: Needed to open the computer case in Step 4. • SATA to USB adapter or USB 3.0: Used to connect the hard drive to the computer. • Disk cloning software: Download a professional hard drive tool on your computer - AOMEI Backupper Home Edition. It can clone disk. First, download and activate the software:

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 on your old hard drive and select Properties, then check the Partition Style.

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

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

Fire up the utility Disk Copy for a smooth disk duplication or cloning process.

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

2. Select the target disk to clone/copy your old disk, then click "Next" to proceed. If prompted, click "OK" to confirm the deletion of data on the target disk.

3. Check and edit the layout of the disk. You can choose to "Resize partitions automatically," "Copy partitions from the source disk," or "Edit disk layout." It is recommended that you select "Resize partitions automatically."

• Copy as source will copy/clone the same partition layout from the source disk to the target disk. • Edit disk layout allows you to manually adjust the size or location of partitions on the destination disk. • If your target disk is an SSD, remember to check the option “Check this if target is SSD”.

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

4 - Boot from the new hard drive

1. Shut down your computer and remove the case with a screwdriver.
2. Plug the cloned SSD into your computer with an SATA cable and power cord.
3. Restart your computer and press F2 or Delete to open BIOS.
4. Click the “Boot” tab and scroll down to check “Boot Option Priorities.” Set your cloned SSD as the first boot option.
5. Save your changes and restart your computer.

And you can also check out our video tutorials, which are available at:

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How to do a clean install on an SSD

Step 1: Prepare your Windows installation media and insert it into your PC.

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 for another PC” (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file).

Step 3: Create your multimedia according to the guidelines.

< strong > Step 4. < /strong > Open up your computer case and install the new drive inside.

Step 5: Change the Boot Priority

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

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

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

Step 8: Select the hard drive partition where you want to install Windows.

Clone or clean install? Get your answer here!

Generally, if your Windows is running well, we recommend the clone method in Part 1. Otherwise, if there's something wrong with the old disk that affects its normal operation, you can do a clean install in Part 2. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at support@tools.com.