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I am about to do that popular replacement of a SSD by a larger SSD, via cloning so as to avoid re-installing Windows 10. How do I make sure that the target SSD is also bootable?
edit: I am only getting the laptop next week, so I cannot test this now.
I am thinking about using the old faithful softwares, GParted. Or Minitool Partion Wizard. Could I even use the native Windows software DISKMGMT.MSC ?? (And please realize that advising to use Linux commands, is not different from this).
Are those still up to date, or are they too old to handle Windows 10? Because I think Win10 uses GPT partitioning instead of normal (BIOS?) stuff.
Not sure if that is even relevant, because the new SSD is gonna be used on the same laptop, but yeah, it might be that older software doesn't copy the MBR or what passes for the MBR in GPT/UEFI disks.
Apologies if this has been asked before, please point me to that question.
GwenKillerby
Posted 2019-02-08T23:49:53.043
Reputation: 286
2Use a modern cloning software and you will have no worries. I use Macrium Reflect Free to clone these days. – Moab – 2019-02-08T23:57:45.353
1Make sure that the ESP is included, do not just clone the main Windows partition. Yes, any factory installed Windows 10 is in UEFI mode and uses GPT. – None – 2019-02-08T23:58:13.977
@GabrielaGarcia but will GParted. Minitool Partion Wizard or DISKMGMT.MSC copy the MBR correctly or not? So that the SSD will boot? I am only getting the laptop next week, so I cannot test this now. – GwenKillerby – 2019-02-09T00:42:40.640
Any modern computer has UEFI, not BIOS, and any pre-installed Windows is in UEFI mode with GPT. There's no MBR in GPT, reason why I mentioned the ESP in my previous comment. And I also agree with the other comment: Macrium Reflect is free and does the job perfectly. – None – 2019-02-09T00:46:39.577
Pray tell, what is the ESP? – GwenKillerby – 2019-02-09T00:50:54.613
EFI System Partition. A small partition typically FAT32 and located at the beginning of the drive that contains EFI files, bootloaders for one or more operating systems and may also contain bootloaders for manufacturer specific diagnostic tools/environment. (->) – None – 2019-02-09T01:08:53.463
The old BIOS reads the contents of the MBR ("msdos" partitioning style) whereas the new UEFI reads contents from the ESP in a GPT drive that has NO MBR. – None – 2019-02-09T01:10:55.100
Sorry, but it seems that you're not saying whether GParted or Minitool Partion Wizard or DISKMGMT.MSC will ensure that the target SSD will boot? – GwenKillerby – 2019-02-09T04:12:22.013
It is not necessarily the software that has to ensure that, it's the user. Provided you select the ESP and at least the main system partition or all the required partitions if dual- or multi-booting the target drive will be bootable (in a UEFI system) regardless of the software. With UEFI everything is simpler. – None – 2019-02-09T15:02:15.310
@GabrielaGarcia Can I also "go backwards" from UEFI to MBR/BIOS? I mean: transferring a dualbooted Win8.1 partition (this is not the first original partition; that was a pre-installed Win10) from a UEFI system to a physically different BIOS/MBR system? How would I make the new disk bootable? – GwenKillerby – 2019-02-21T11:18:26.083
Do you get any error when booting from cloned disk?Which software did you use to clone? – Madhubala – 2020-01-19T07:08:15.373