Most computers these days come with Hard disk drives (HDD), but you can enjoy better computer performance if you upgrade to a solid-state drive (SSD). But when you buy an SSD for your computer, you will have to copy over all your data (or clone the drive) to get your operating system and all your files on your new drive. Here's how to clone a hard drive on a Mac or Windows 10 PC.
How to Clone a Hard Drive to SSD in Windows 10
Note: Before you take any of these steps, it is important to back up all of your important data. Install minecraft for windows 10. Issues may arise during the cloning process that could result in you losing all your data. You also need to make sure the SSD you are using has more capacity than the files you are cloning.
That way if I've got a faulty drive I find out before I take the computer apart. CCC is not the only cloning software that exists but it does have one advantage over the others. Since 10.7 the Mac OS has had a recovery partition. Cloning software can only clone a but CCC can create the recovery partition too. To replace 2015 MacBook Pro Hard Drive with SSD, you can refer to this ifixit guide and you should also watch YouTube videos applicable for your model of MacBook. Format New SSD Drive Using Disk Utility. If you have replaced the Hard Drive on Mac with a New SSD Drive, you need to format the disk to APFS format.
- Download the free version of EaseUS Todo. You will need to enter your email address in order to download the application.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to install the program on your computer.
- Insert the SSD into your computer. Make sure that the SDD is properly connected. If you only have room in your computer for one drive, you might have to connect your SSD with a USB-to-SATA adapter or an external dock for the cloning process. Then you can insert your SSD when the process is complete.
- Click on the magnifying glass icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen and type 'Computer Management' in the search box.
- Then click Open.
- In the Computer Management window, initialize the SSD when prompted. If you are not prompted to initialize your disk, you can right-click on your disk and select Initialize Disk.If you don't know which disk is your source and which is your new SSD, you can tell by looking at their sizes.
- Select the same partition as your source drive. To find this, you can right-click on your source disk and click properties. Then select the Volumes tab, where you will find your partition style, which should either be GUID Partition Table (GPT) or Master Boot Record (MBR). Then choose the same partition style for your SSD.
- Click OK.
- Open the EaseUS Todo application.
- Click the 'Clone' icon in the left sidebar. If you do not see this, click the three horizontal lines in the upper-left corner of your window to expand the menu.
- Select your source hard disk and click Next. This is your original drive, the one that you are cloning your operating system and files from.
- Then select the target disk or your SSD, but don't click Next.
- Next, click 'Advanced Options' and then select 'Optimize for SSD.' This will ensure that your partitions are aligned and that you are getting the most out of your SSD.
- Click OK and then NEXT.
- Click 'Proceed' when prompted by the software.
- Wait until the cloning process is completed. This may take a while, depending on how large your hard drive is.
- Click 'Finish' when the cloning process is completed.
How to Boot from SSD After Clone on Windows
Once you've made a clone of your hard drive, you can then bootfrom the SSD to use your computer. Here are the steps on how to boot from SSDafter you clone your hard drive.
Clone Mac Hard Drive To Ssd Free
- Insert your SSD into your computer. If you did the cloning process with an external SDD, you have to insert it into the computer before you can boot from it. If you were able to clone with the SSD already inserted in your computer, you can skip this step.
- Restart your computer and go to the BIOS setup. Depending on your computer model, you will need to press ESC, F1, F2, F8, or F10 while the computer is restarting. You can look up your BIOS key online or check your startup screen.
- Then go to the Boot section. You will see on-screen instructions on how to navigate the BIOS menu.
- Move your SSD to the top of the list. You can use your keyboard to change the order of which drive your computer boots from. Putting your SSD at the top of the list tells your computer to boot from that drive first.
- Exit from the BIOS main menu.
- Wait for your computer to reboot.
- Open Windows Explorers and click This PC in the left sidebar to confirm that your SSD is your new C: drive. You can tell that your SSD is the new C drive by looking at the size.
How to Clone Mac Hard Drive to SSD
If you have a computer running on Mac OSX, you can do the cloningprocess using Disk Utility. The system refers to the process as 'Restore,' notclone, because you are restoring data from one source drive to another.
- Insert your SSD drive into your Mac.
- Then restart your Mac while holding down the Command + R keys on your keyboard. This will take you to the Apple Recovery Menu.
- Let go of the keys when you see the Apple logo appear on your screen.
- When your computer starts up, click Disk Utility.
- Then select your SSD from the left sidebar.
- Next, click Restore.
- Then select the drive you want to clone from the drop-down menu. If you want to copy over all of your files, make sure you select your hard drive, not the Base System.
- Wait for the restore process to finish.
- Click 'Done' when the restore process is completed.
How to Boot from SSD After Clone on Mac
- Restart your Mac.
- While it's restarting,hold down the 'Option' key.
- From the boot switchermenu, select your SSD.
- Continue with therestart of your Mac computer.
If you want to know more about the difference between SSD and HDD, check out our article here.
Was this article helpful?
Related Articles
Swapping out your old hard drive for a modern SSD is surprisingly affordable and results in 5X better performance: a reputable 500GB MacBook SSD can be had for around $150, while 1TB options are available for around $300 — both considerably cheaper than a new MacBook. It's also surprisingly easy, even if you don't know your way around the insides of a Mac.
Do I really need to upgrade my Mac hard drive?
Fitting a solid state drive in your MacBook Pro is a quick and simple way to boost performance but an upgrade might not always be needed.
If you only really use your Mac to browse the web and do some word processing, your current hard drive is probably fine. If your system feels a bit sluggish, try running CleanMyMac X first to clean away any resource-hogging junk. That might be the only fix you need (this way junk that is clogging up your system, such as old files, images, apps, duplicates and iPhone backups will be cleared away).
If, however, you're noticing any of the following issues, an SSD upgrade will most certainly help:
- Slow startup
- Sluggish performance in resource-intensive apps such as Adobe Photoshop
- System crashes
- Permission denied errors to files that were previously fine
What to consider when choosing a MacBook Pro SSD
To reap the benefits of an SSD, you need a drive that's up to the task. Here's what to consider:
How To Clone Windows 10 To Ssd
Read/write speed — SSDs are rated on their reading and writing speed. The higher the speed, the better the performance. Something in the range of 500MB/s and above is good, although actual speed will be about a third less than what's advertised.
Google design tool house. Memory — MLC (multi-level cell) and SLC (single-level cell) are the two options available. The former is cheaper and capable of holding more information but the latter is more reliable.
Capacity — Get as much space as you can afford. The greater the capacity of an SSD, the more it will benefit Mac performance.
Reliability — Read the reviews. See what the experts and other users say about SSD performance and reliability. You'll typically find that brand name SSDs rank the highest. Samsung, SanDisk, Crucial, KingSpec, and Transcend are standout brands.
How to fit a new MacBook Pro SSD
Okay, let's get down to business. SSD aside, here's what you'll need to fit your new hard drive:
SATA-to-USB cable
Small Phillips screwdriver
Torx T6 screwdriver
Step 1: Format the SSD
To perform a MacBook Pro SSD upgrade you're first going to need to clone your existing hard drive so that the new one runs like clockwork when it's installed.
Before you do this, you should use CleanMyMac X to perform a Smart Cleanup. This will clear your system of any junk files so that they're not transferred over unnecessarily. You can download CleanMyMac X for free, here.
Cloning the hard drive can be done with a tool such as SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cleaner, or with Apple's own Disk Utility program. Here's how to do it with the latter:
- Connect the SSD to your Mac using the SATA-to-USB cable.
- Go to Applications > Utilities and open the Disk Utility.
- Click on the SSD icon, followed by the Partition tab and select 'Partition 1' from the Partition Layout.
- Click on Options and select GUID Partition Table in the next window.
- Click on the First Aid tab, followed by Verify Disk Permissions.
- Click Verify Disk, followed by Repair Disk.
- Shutdown your MacBook and restart it, holding the Option key as you do. Choose the option to boot to Recovery Disk.
- Click on Reinstall Mac OS X and choose the SSD as the destination.
- Copy your files over from the installed hard drive to the SSD. When asked to restore files from another disk, choose the currently installed hard drive.
Step 2: Remove the hard drive
Ios installer for windows. Now it's time to get hands-on.
- Make sure your MacBook is shut down.
- Locate and remove the 10 screws using the Phillips screwdriver. Put the screws in a small bowl so that you don't lose any.
- Remove the cover and touch a metal part to release the static electricity.
- Locate the hard drive and remove the plastic bracket securing it. This is held in place with two screws.
- Gently remove the hard drive and disconnect the SATA ribbon. Do this by wiggling the connector. Don't yank on the ribbon.
- Remove the four Torx screws attached to the hard drive and screw the posts into the SSD.
Step 3: Fit the SSD
- Carefully attach the SATA ribbon to the SSD and lower it in place.
- Fix the holding bracket back in place.
- Replace the MacBook cover and screw in the ten tiny screws.
- Switch on your MacBook Pro, go to System Preferences > Startup Disk and make sure the SSD is selected.
- Restart your computer.
See, we told you it was easy!
Enjoy a faster, smoother MacBook Pro
A new SSD drive for your Mac will make an instant impact. Apps will launch faster, files will save quicker, and multitasking will be a much smoother experience. Use CleanMyMac X to regularly remove junk files from your system and you'll enjoy slick performance for many a year to come.
CleanMyMac X finds and removes junk files from your MacBook Pro to free up space and keep your system running to its full potential. Make it the first app you install on your new SSD!
These might also interest you:
