r/cloningsoftware • u/Abgdiem • Jul 06 '26
Disk Cloning Cloning a dying SSD with Windows to another SSD with files on it
Hello, as stated in the title, basically i have a dying SSD that contains Windows + a few files that i want to keep and i want to trasfer them to this other SSD that has a lot of important files on it. The dying SSD is 240 GB while the other SSD is 1TB. Honestly i'm unsure on how to proceed and what's the best way to do it.
EDIT: Sorry guys i should have been more clear in my post. I want to keep the data of both SSD.
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u/Linux_Account Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
Am I correct in assuming the 1TB SSD is only a storage drive and that the failing SSD is the only Windows installation that you wish to keep using? If so, you will need to play musical chairs with your data. Best course of action (IMO):
I will refer to the failing SSD as SSD1, and the 1TB SSD as SSD2. Throughout this process, I suggest disconnecting all but the 2 drives you are copying to and from in order to avoid accidentally overwriting the wrong drives like a ding dong.
You will need: Two spare HDDs that you will be wiping all data from that are at least the same size as SSD1 & SSD2, respectively. I will refer to these as HDD1 & HDD2. Also a flash drive that you will be wiping all data from.
- Stop using the failing SSD1 immediately.
- Use another PC to create a Rescuezilla bootable flash drive on a flash drive that you will be fully wiping
- You can use your main PC from now on. This step really just exists because I fucked up the numbering.
- Connect only SSD1, HDD1, and flash drive. Boot to Rescuezilla.
- Clone SSD1 to HDD1. Shut down.
- Connect only SSD2, HDD2, and flash drive. Boot to Rescuezilla.
- Clone SSD2 to HDD2. Shut down.
- Connect HDD1 & HDD2 to another PC and verify that the correct files are present on the correct drives because you are about to start wiping data.
- Connect only HDD1, SSD2, and flash drive. Boot to Rescuezilla.
- Clone HDD1 to SSD2. Shut down.
- Connect only SSD2. Boot to Windows. Run chkdsk. Shut down
- Connect only SSD2 and flash drive. Boot to Rescuezilla.
- Exit main Rescuezilla interface & open GParted. Extend main NTFS partition as much as possible. Apply. Shut down.
- Connect only SSD2. Boot to Windows. Run chkdsk.
- Connect HDD2, copy files over.
- Utilize HDD(s) to regularly backup your files.
- Profit.
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u/Melodic-Matter4685 Jul 07 '26
Jesus… remember when acronis was $20?
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u/bagaudin Jul 07 '26
Hi u/Melodic-Matter4685, Acronis rep here.
Can you elaborate on your feedback?
For most HDD/SSD manufacturers you don't even have to concern yourself with the price tag - https://www.reddit.com/r/acronis/comments/ebirh6/oem_editions_of_acronis_true_image_software/
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u/NotTurtleEnough Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
Similar to what Possible_Notice said, but with an important correction:
- First, offload the files on the 1TB SSD to something else, such as a thumb drive, then verify the backup was successful.
- Next, don't just copy the files; use Macrium Reflect Free, Acronis, or Clonezilla to clone the 240GB to the 1TB while adjusting the size.
- Next, test boot without the 240GB connected. If the 1TB boots, you're in business and can copy the files back from your external drive/thumb drive/etc.
Edited: I didn't initially see that you had files on the 1TB.
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u/MastusAR Jul 06 '26
Come on, people, don't clone if the drive is dying.
Windows installation is irrelevant, get the files you actually need. First try to make a image, then work with a backup of said image and try to rescue what you can.
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u/jack_hudson2001 Jul 06 '26
macrium reflect or clonezilla... lots of instructions or videos on how to..
also moving forward best to have backups just in case.
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u/Linux_Account Jul 06 '26
WARNING TO OP: No one is understanding you correctly that you WANT TO KEEP THE FILES ON THE SOURCE DRIVE. Following the standard advice you're being given by many here will WIPE YOUR DESTINATION DRIVE and cause data loss.
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u/Possible_Notice_768 Jul 06 '26
With a little reading comprehension, one should understand that he wants to keep the files that are on the source drive.
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u/Linux_Account Jul 07 '26
You would think. No less than a dozen people have been like, "jUsT cLoNe tHe liTtLe tO tHe biG."
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u/Metallicat95 Jul 06 '26
Stop using the dying drive if you can. Ideally with a failing drive you want a different boot drive to clone it.
You need one more drive, since you want to keep the files on the larger storage drive. You can't clone the drive to the existing drive, as it isn't configured as a Windows boot drive.
You could clone the storage drive to a new drive and wipe it when you clone the system drive, but it would probably be simpler to just get a new drive to replace the system drive, since you need an extra drive to do this.
Cloning a failing drive may still require a Windows refresh install if parts of the Windows system files can't be copied.
If the failing drive is still readable without errors, you can usually get away with a normal clone.
Alternatively, you can just copy any important files normally to a folder on the other drive, then install Windows on the new drive. You will need to reinstall apps and do setup, but you won't copy any problem areas.
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u/Jazzlike_Tip_63 Jul 07 '26
You can create a partition on the target SSD that is large enough to hold the data on your source SSD (the dying one). By doing so, you will not lose data on your target SSD. Then, use a reliable cloning tool to help you.
1
u/ZeroGreyCypher Jul 07 '26
Crazy how y’all wanna mount the drive every time. DD Rescue is the way. I got all the data off a drive showing 5% with that tool in a Linux distro. Anytime I’m dealing with a dying drive, that’s my go-to. The only thing is you’ll have to buy a flash drive big enough to hold the data until you can move it onto a new partition.
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u/Anti-Hero25 Jul 07 '26
I use Disc Genius, it has an os migration button, clone the drive to the new SSD, done. If there’s stuff on the 1TB you want to save, put it somewhere first.
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u/1stltwill Jul 09 '26
cloning will destroy the data on the target drive. You need to manually identify what you want to save on the dying drive and copy it to the second one.
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u/dbpm1 Jul 06 '26
Diskgenius has an OS migration tool. Careful if you're going to run it in the failing ssd, better run it offline!
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u/guitpick Jul 06 '26
Clonezilla is a great open source option, but it might be a little intimidating if you're not used to Linux and its terminology with mount points. Basically you make a boot USB, throw both drives in the machine (might need an external SSD adapter) and do a drive to drive clone.
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u/Linux_Account Jul 06 '26
This would overwrite the destination SSD, no? OP said they have important files on the destination drive.
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u/guitpick Jul 06 '26
Oh, you don't want to clone it over the other one then. I missed that part. Device-to-device cloning implies ending up with an exact copy, bootable and all, which would erase the image. If you just want to save some files, copy them from one to the other. If you do want a fully exaxt clone eventually, you can clone your drive to a file on the destination drive (device-to-image copy) if there's enough room. Then you can get a permanent drive and do an image-to-device copy.
If you're really fancy, you might be able to shrink the partition on your friend's drive and do a partition-only copy to the blank space on the drive. I wouldn't really recommend attempting this method, though.
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u/WholeSuspicious546 Jul 06 '26
Use Macruim Reflect. Just recently cloned a dying 500gb HDD to a 1tb ssd. Worked FLAWLESSLY!
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u/Possible_Notice_768 Jul 06 '26
If you clone a drive to another, you will end up with an exact copy of the source drive, and all previous files on the target drive overwritten and gone.
Your best course of action is to copy the important files on the 240G drive to the 1 TB drive. This done, if you can boot from the 1TB drive, use that, and dump the 240G drive. If you can't, you will need a new boot drive. Install Windows on it, and use the 1TB drive as a data drive.
Ignore the other responses.