Clone HDD to USB to SSD?












1















I bought a new computer (ASUS G551JM) with a hard disk drive (1TB 7200 RPM), but I want to transfer the OS (and everything else) onto my Samsung EVO 840 (500GB). However, when I purchased the SSD from Samsung, I did not purchase the laptop kit.



I'm wondering whether I can clone the OS from the hard disk drive onto my SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 (32GB), and then onto the SSD.



My ultimate goals are to save $120 by not buying another copy of Windows 8.1 and to retain all the pre-installed drivers and software from ASUS.










share|improve this question























  • what is your c: drive size? i mean used space size.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:29













  • My laptop is still in the mail, but I suspect it'll be less than 32GB. If I'm mistaken, I apologize.

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:31













  • Why not simply use the software installed on Windows 8.1 to make a recovery image (from memory its can easily fit on a USB key or 2 DVD's - its about about 6 gigs), then replace the drive and use the USB key ? If my understanding is correct, I expect that like Dell, ASUS will use an OEM disk which does not require validation - but even if you do requre a key there are lots of free tools you can run on your existing install to extract your Windows key from the registry. [ I recently did something a bit similar with a Dell laptop I bought ]

    – davidgo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:34











  • then i would suggest imaging your C: partition to Sandisk drive then you could restore it to SSD. Similar to what @magicandre1981 suggested but you wouldn't have to buy additional equipment.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:34











  • Thank you, Davidgo and Haplo. When I tried to create installation media for Windows 8.1 on my current ASUS laptop, the Windows 8.1 Setup program did not accept the product key that I had extracted with Belarc Advisor and, therefore, I could not create a bootable USB flash drive with the installation media on it. Nonetheless, would I simply need to install the SSD and then boot from a USB that has the image of my C: partition?

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 8:05


















1















I bought a new computer (ASUS G551JM) with a hard disk drive (1TB 7200 RPM), but I want to transfer the OS (and everything else) onto my Samsung EVO 840 (500GB). However, when I purchased the SSD from Samsung, I did not purchase the laptop kit.



I'm wondering whether I can clone the OS from the hard disk drive onto my SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 (32GB), and then onto the SSD.



My ultimate goals are to save $120 by not buying another copy of Windows 8.1 and to retain all the pre-installed drivers and software from ASUS.










share|improve this question























  • what is your c: drive size? i mean used space size.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:29













  • My laptop is still in the mail, but I suspect it'll be less than 32GB. If I'm mistaken, I apologize.

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:31













  • Why not simply use the software installed on Windows 8.1 to make a recovery image (from memory its can easily fit on a USB key or 2 DVD's - its about about 6 gigs), then replace the drive and use the USB key ? If my understanding is correct, I expect that like Dell, ASUS will use an OEM disk which does not require validation - but even if you do requre a key there are lots of free tools you can run on your existing install to extract your Windows key from the registry. [ I recently did something a bit similar with a Dell laptop I bought ]

    – davidgo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:34











  • then i would suggest imaging your C: partition to Sandisk drive then you could restore it to SSD. Similar to what @magicandre1981 suggested but you wouldn't have to buy additional equipment.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:34











  • Thank you, Davidgo and Haplo. When I tried to create installation media for Windows 8.1 on my current ASUS laptop, the Windows 8.1 Setup program did not accept the product key that I had extracted with Belarc Advisor and, therefore, I could not create a bootable USB flash drive with the installation media on it. Nonetheless, would I simply need to install the SSD and then boot from a USB that has the image of my C: partition?

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 8:05
















1












1








1


1






I bought a new computer (ASUS G551JM) with a hard disk drive (1TB 7200 RPM), but I want to transfer the OS (and everything else) onto my Samsung EVO 840 (500GB). However, when I purchased the SSD from Samsung, I did not purchase the laptop kit.



I'm wondering whether I can clone the OS from the hard disk drive onto my SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 (32GB), and then onto the SSD.



My ultimate goals are to save $120 by not buying another copy of Windows 8.1 and to retain all the pre-installed drivers and software from ASUS.










share|improve this question














I bought a new computer (ASUS G551JM) with a hard disk drive (1TB 7200 RPM), but I want to transfer the OS (and everything else) onto my Samsung EVO 840 (500GB). However, when I purchased the SSD from Samsung, I did not purchase the laptop kit.



I'm wondering whether I can clone the OS from the hard disk drive onto my SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 (32GB), and then onto the SSD.



My ultimate goals are to save $120 by not buying another copy of Windows 8.1 and to retain all the pre-installed drivers and software from ASUS.







hard-drive usb ssd operating-systems clone






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked Nov 1 '14 at 6:51









TechEnthusiastTechEnthusiast

612




612













  • what is your c: drive size? i mean used space size.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:29













  • My laptop is still in the mail, but I suspect it'll be less than 32GB. If I'm mistaken, I apologize.

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:31













  • Why not simply use the software installed on Windows 8.1 to make a recovery image (from memory its can easily fit on a USB key or 2 DVD's - its about about 6 gigs), then replace the drive and use the USB key ? If my understanding is correct, I expect that like Dell, ASUS will use an OEM disk which does not require validation - but even if you do requre a key there are lots of free tools you can run on your existing install to extract your Windows key from the registry. [ I recently did something a bit similar with a Dell laptop I bought ]

    – davidgo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:34











  • then i would suggest imaging your C: partition to Sandisk drive then you could restore it to SSD. Similar to what @magicandre1981 suggested but you wouldn't have to buy additional equipment.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:34











  • Thank you, Davidgo and Haplo. When I tried to create installation media for Windows 8.1 on my current ASUS laptop, the Windows 8.1 Setup program did not accept the product key that I had extracted with Belarc Advisor and, therefore, I could not create a bootable USB flash drive with the installation media on it. Nonetheless, would I simply need to install the SSD and then boot from a USB that has the image of my C: partition?

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 8:05





















  • what is your c: drive size? i mean used space size.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:29













  • My laptop is still in the mail, but I suspect it'll be less than 32GB. If I'm mistaken, I apologize.

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:31













  • Why not simply use the software installed on Windows 8.1 to make a recovery image (from memory its can easily fit on a USB key or 2 DVD's - its about about 6 gigs), then replace the drive and use the USB key ? If my understanding is correct, I expect that like Dell, ASUS will use an OEM disk which does not require validation - but even if you do requre a key there are lots of free tools you can run on your existing install to extract your Windows key from the registry. [ I recently did something a bit similar with a Dell laptop I bought ]

    – davidgo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:34











  • then i would suggest imaging your C: partition to Sandisk drive then you could restore it to SSD. Similar to what @magicandre1981 suggested but you wouldn't have to buy additional equipment.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:34











  • Thank you, Davidgo and Haplo. When I tried to create installation media for Windows 8.1 on my current ASUS laptop, the Windows 8.1 Setup program did not accept the product key that I had extracted with Belarc Advisor and, therefore, I could not create a bootable USB flash drive with the installation media on it. Nonetheless, would I simply need to install the SSD and then boot from a USB that has the image of my C: partition?

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 8:05



















what is your c: drive size? i mean used space size.

– Haplo
Nov 1 '14 at 7:29







what is your c: drive size? i mean used space size.

– Haplo
Nov 1 '14 at 7:29















My laptop is still in the mail, but I suspect it'll be less than 32GB. If I'm mistaken, I apologize.

– TechEnthusiast
Nov 1 '14 at 7:31







My laptop is still in the mail, but I suspect it'll be less than 32GB. If I'm mistaken, I apologize.

– TechEnthusiast
Nov 1 '14 at 7:31















Why not simply use the software installed on Windows 8.1 to make a recovery image (from memory its can easily fit on a USB key or 2 DVD's - its about about 6 gigs), then replace the drive and use the USB key ? If my understanding is correct, I expect that like Dell, ASUS will use an OEM disk which does not require validation - but even if you do requre a key there are lots of free tools you can run on your existing install to extract your Windows key from the registry. [ I recently did something a bit similar with a Dell laptop I bought ]

– davidgo
Nov 1 '14 at 7:34





Why not simply use the software installed on Windows 8.1 to make a recovery image (from memory its can easily fit on a USB key or 2 DVD's - its about about 6 gigs), then replace the drive and use the USB key ? If my understanding is correct, I expect that like Dell, ASUS will use an OEM disk which does not require validation - but even if you do requre a key there are lots of free tools you can run on your existing install to extract your Windows key from the registry. [ I recently did something a bit similar with a Dell laptop I bought ]

– davidgo
Nov 1 '14 at 7:34













then i would suggest imaging your C: partition to Sandisk drive then you could restore it to SSD. Similar to what @magicandre1981 suggested but you wouldn't have to buy additional equipment.

– Haplo
Nov 1 '14 at 7:34





then i would suggest imaging your C: partition to Sandisk drive then you could restore it to SSD. Similar to what @magicandre1981 suggested but you wouldn't have to buy additional equipment.

– Haplo
Nov 1 '14 at 7:34













Thank you, Davidgo and Haplo. When I tried to create installation media for Windows 8.1 on my current ASUS laptop, the Windows 8.1 Setup program did not accept the product key that I had extracted with Belarc Advisor and, therefore, I could not create a bootable USB flash drive with the installation media on it. Nonetheless, would I simply need to install the SSD and then boot from a USB that has the image of my C: partition?

– TechEnthusiast
Nov 1 '14 at 8:05







Thank you, Davidgo and Haplo. When I tried to create installation media for Windows 8.1 on my current ASUS laptop, the Windows 8.1 Setup program did not accept the product key that I had extracted with Belarc Advisor and, therefore, I could not create a bootable USB flash drive with the installation media on it. Nonetheless, would I simply need to install the SSD and then boot from a USB that has the image of my C: partition?

– TechEnthusiast
Nov 1 '14 at 8:05












1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















0














I've used an USB 3.0 to SATA adapter to connect the SSD to my laptop:



enter image description here
(example, not the one I used).



Now I used EaseUS Partition Manager to clone the HDD to the SSD. When this is finished I removed the HDD from my Laptop and added the SSD.



Now you can use the SSD and put the HDD into an external USB3.0 HDD enclosure.






share|improve this answer
























  • Thank you for your reply. The SSD 840 EVO 2.5-inch SATA 500GB also comes with a laptop-kit version that includes the Migration Software, USB3.0 to SATA Cable, and Drive Spacer. However, I purchased only the internal SSD, so I don't have the USB3.0 to SATA Cable. Would it be possible to use my SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 (32GB) as the intermediary hardware instead?

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:29











  • I think the 32GB drive is too small. Such a cable is not that expensive.

    – magicandre1981
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:37











  • Yes, it's not expensive. However, before spending an additional $20 or $30 on a USB3.0 to SATA Cable, I want to try to find a few alternatives.

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 8:09













  • If you had that cable i would say use it, but if you have not, that Sandisk drive would be a lot more handy imho.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 11:16












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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









0














I've used an USB 3.0 to SATA adapter to connect the SSD to my laptop:



enter image description here
(example, not the one I used).



Now I used EaseUS Partition Manager to clone the HDD to the SSD. When this is finished I removed the HDD from my Laptop and added the SSD.



Now you can use the SSD and put the HDD into an external USB3.0 HDD enclosure.






share|improve this answer
























  • Thank you for your reply. The SSD 840 EVO 2.5-inch SATA 500GB also comes with a laptop-kit version that includes the Migration Software, USB3.0 to SATA Cable, and Drive Spacer. However, I purchased only the internal SSD, so I don't have the USB3.0 to SATA Cable. Would it be possible to use my SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 (32GB) as the intermediary hardware instead?

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:29











  • I think the 32GB drive is too small. Such a cable is not that expensive.

    – magicandre1981
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:37











  • Yes, it's not expensive. However, before spending an additional $20 or $30 on a USB3.0 to SATA Cable, I want to try to find a few alternatives.

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 8:09













  • If you had that cable i would say use it, but if you have not, that Sandisk drive would be a lot more handy imho.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 11:16
















0














I've used an USB 3.0 to SATA adapter to connect the SSD to my laptop:



enter image description here
(example, not the one I used).



Now I used EaseUS Partition Manager to clone the HDD to the SSD. When this is finished I removed the HDD from my Laptop and added the SSD.



Now you can use the SSD and put the HDD into an external USB3.0 HDD enclosure.






share|improve this answer
























  • Thank you for your reply. The SSD 840 EVO 2.5-inch SATA 500GB also comes with a laptop-kit version that includes the Migration Software, USB3.0 to SATA Cable, and Drive Spacer. However, I purchased only the internal SSD, so I don't have the USB3.0 to SATA Cable. Would it be possible to use my SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 (32GB) as the intermediary hardware instead?

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:29











  • I think the 32GB drive is too small. Such a cable is not that expensive.

    – magicandre1981
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:37











  • Yes, it's not expensive. However, before spending an additional $20 or $30 on a USB3.0 to SATA Cable, I want to try to find a few alternatives.

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 8:09













  • If you had that cable i would say use it, but if you have not, that Sandisk drive would be a lot more handy imho.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 11:16














0












0








0







I've used an USB 3.0 to SATA adapter to connect the SSD to my laptop:



enter image description here
(example, not the one I used).



Now I used EaseUS Partition Manager to clone the HDD to the SSD. When this is finished I removed the HDD from my Laptop and added the SSD.



Now you can use the SSD and put the HDD into an external USB3.0 HDD enclosure.






share|improve this answer













I've used an USB 3.0 to SATA adapter to connect the SSD to my laptop:



enter image description here
(example, not the one I used).



Now I used EaseUS Partition Manager to clone the HDD to the SSD. When this is finished I removed the HDD from my Laptop and added the SSD.



Now you can use the SSD and put the HDD into an external USB3.0 HDD enclosure.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered Nov 1 '14 at 7:18









magicandre1981magicandre1981

82.3k20126204




82.3k20126204













  • Thank you for your reply. The SSD 840 EVO 2.5-inch SATA 500GB also comes with a laptop-kit version that includes the Migration Software, USB3.0 to SATA Cable, and Drive Spacer. However, I purchased only the internal SSD, so I don't have the USB3.0 to SATA Cable. Would it be possible to use my SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 (32GB) as the intermediary hardware instead?

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:29











  • I think the 32GB drive is too small. Such a cable is not that expensive.

    – magicandre1981
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:37











  • Yes, it's not expensive. However, before spending an additional $20 or $30 on a USB3.0 to SATA Cable, I want to try to find a few alternatives.

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 8:09













  • If you had that cable i would say use it, but if you have not, that Sandisk drive would be a lot more handy imho.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 11:16



















  • Thank you for your reply. The SSD 840 EVO 2.5-inch SATA 500GB also comes with a laptop-kit version that includes the Migration Software, USB3.0 to SATA Cable, and Drive Spacer. However, I purchased only the internal SSD, so I don't have the USB3.0 to SATA Cable. Would it be possible to use my SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 (32GB) as the intermediary hardware instead?

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:29











  • I think the 32GB drive is too small. Such a cable is not that expensive.

    – magicandre1981
    Nov 1 '14 at 7:37











  • Yes, it's not expensive. However, before spending an additional $20 or $30 on a USB3.0 to SATA Cable, I want to try to find a few alternatives.

    – TechEnthusiast
    Nov 1 '14 at 8:09













  • If you had that cable i would say use it, but if you have not, that Sandisk drive would be a lot more handy imho.

    – Haplo
    Nov 1 '14 at 11:16

















Thank you for your reply. The SSD 840 EVO 2.5-inch SATA 500GB also comes with a laptop-kit version that includes the Migration Software, USB3.0 to SATA Cable, and Drive Spacer. However, I purchased only the internal SSD, so I don't have the USB3.0 to SATA Cable. Would it be possible to use my SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 (32GB) as the intermediary hardware instead?

– TechEnthusiast
Nov 1 '14 at 7:29





Thank you for your reply. The SSD 840 EVO 2.5-inch SATA 500GB also comes with a laptop-kit version that includes the Migration Software, USB3.0 to SATA Cable, and Drive Spacer. However, I purchased only the internal SSD, so I don't have the USB3.0 to SATA Cable. Would it be possible to use my SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 (32GB) as the intermediary hardware instead?

– TechEnthusiast
Nov 1 '14 at 7:29













I think the 32GB drive is too small. Such a cable is not that expensive.

– magicandre1981
Nov 1 '14 at 7:37





I think the 32GB drive is too small. Such a cable is not that expensive.

– magicandre1981
Nov 1 '14 at 7:37













Yes, it's not expensive. However, before spending an additional $20 or $30 on a USB3.0 to SATA Cable, I want to try to find a few alternatives.

– TechEnthusiast
Nov 1 '14 at 8:09







Yes, it's not expensive. However, before spending an additional $20 or $30 on a USB3.0 to SATA Cable, I want to try to find a few alternatives.

– TechEnthusiast
Nov 1 '14 at 8:09















If you had that cable i would say use it, but if you have not, that Sandisk drive would be a lot more handy imho.

– Haplo
Nov 1 '14 at 11:16





If you had that cable i would say use it, but if you have not, that Sandisk drive would be a lot more handy imho.

– Haplo
Nov 1 '14 at 11:16


















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