Cloning ssd for Lenovo x201t

Upgrading my x201t's hd to ssd. Purchased Crucial MX100 500 gb ssd with Acronis 2014 last week from Amazon.
Read that in x201t to install ssd, attach old hd by usb, boot from old hd, then clone to ssd. Changed bios settings to do same. Will not boot from usb connected hd.
Questions:
When attempting to contact support, states Acronis 2014 no longer supported.
What is the correct procedure to clone Lenovo x201t hd to ssd?
I have cloned the ssd using usb connection. Do I just install the cloned ssd into the x201t? Concerned whether this may work; have read in Lenovo x201t this procedure doesn't work well.
Also read about using Acronis to create bootable media, then using it to clone usb connected hd to installed ssd.
What's the best and simplest way to do this?
I do not want to re-install Windows and all my programs.
Thanks in advance.