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Question about Cloning Drive to SSD

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Hello all.

 

So, I have a question regarding the clone disk wizard - and it's something that I find rather annoying while I try to get this solid state drive I received for Christmas set up.

 

I tried to clone it a previous time but, I assume, a corruption of a line on my hard drive used as the source during the cloning caused a flickering of my lock screen as well as an error message which I cannot recall when I attempted to use the SSD as my boot drive.   

I repaired the hard drive that was used to clone through Windows after scanning it, yet the SSD is still acting oddly and I think the reason for it the corruption on the source disk prior to the cloning attempt.  But I have something else to ask, still related to my attempts - this is the second attempt now.   

As I set all the exclusions for the SSD's new cloned content to ensure the 240GB PNY SSD will fit with primarily the OS (Windows 10 - upgraded for free from 8.1, which was upgraded from 7 prior to me purchasing my computer) and other programs with an ample amount of space on it for the sake of it having the essentials - and after seeing Acronis (after some re-selecting exclusions) marked my progress for space needed to continue with the chosen filter (according to it) for the drive-cloning, I'm now on the last stage of the setup - changing the disk layout.   But, as I try to set the layout, the partition option I wish to use - based on my C: Drive - does not allow me to change the letter, which defaults to C: on the Before and After, from what I chose after re-formatting the drive from the failed clone attempt, N: .   

I have to ask - is there a reason why it doesn't accept my edits of the partition in the Clone Disk Wizard or why it attempts to use C: for the chosen letter despite it being in use?   Would it have any conflict with my current C: drive if I hit proceed or cause any damage to my programs, data, etc?  

I ask these things because the first attempt changed the letter of the SSD as well - N: was my original choice for the solid state drive in question, yet when the failed cloning was completed, it's letter was changed to G: for unknown reasons.   

0 Users found this helpful

GE, welcome to these user forums.

There are a number of points in your post that I must address:

  1. It sounds as if you are running an OEM version of Acronis True Image, one provided with your PNY SSD perhaps?  If so, then please understand that this may be an older version of the full product and is supported by PNY and not by Acronis.
    See KB document: 2201: Support for OEM Versions of Acronis Products
  2. It also sounds as if you are attempting to perform the clone operation from within Windows 10 - this is not recommended for a number of reasons, including the fact that you could end with an unbootable system and both drives corrupted.  
    Please create the Acronis bootable Rescue Media on CD or USB stick to perform any clone activities, and also create a full disk backup of the source drive before attempting this.  This is your best friend if anything goes wrong!
  3. Please see KB documents: 48386: Acronis True Image 2015: Cloning Disks  and  1540: Difference between Backup and Disk Clone for the rules that you should observe when doing cloning.  This includes very importantly - you should not attempt to boot into Windows with both cloned drives connected, i.e. with your source and target drives.  These will both have the same disk signature and will cause problems for Windows!
    The correct method of cloning should be to remove the source drive, replace it with the new SSD (connected to the same cables), connect the source drive externally via USB using a dock, caddy or USB to SATA adapter, boot from the rescue media (in the same way as your Windows boots), then perform the clone.  Next, assuming the clone is successful, shutdown, remove the rescue media, disconnect the source drive, then attempt to boot the cloned SSD drive into Windows.
  4. Note: a Clone is an identical copy of the source drive to the target drive - exclusions are not recommended when doing this.  If you do not want to copy all the data from the source drive to the target drive, then using Backup & Restore instead - this is recommended by many of the MVP's in preference to using Cloning because it offers far more safety benefits.