Seeking guidance on storage disk allocation/use and best clone and data migration options onto new SSDs

[newconroer]

Have recently invested in some new SSDs. In effect I am trying to consolidate and with aim to be Solid state only
That said I may if only for a time, keep at least one HDD in play(TBD)

My setup is as follows

C: SSD 2TB - Windows, high profile games, some packages and testing/programming programs, page file, user profiles(appdata folders)
D: SSD 500GB - Old Windows 10
E: HDD 3TB - low profile games and Windows file history records
F: HDD 1TB - downloads and backups(including system image file)
G: SSD 4TB*** - new empty drive
H: SSD 4TB*** - new empty drive

***These drives are not as fast as my 2TB where C: however faster than the D: SSD

I am seeking some guidance on both

• The most appropriate useof the drives

and

• Data transfer options
  • What is easiest and most robust
  • What is free

etc.


My thoughts thus far:


1. Standard data, non system files

• Should this be a 'clone' of the source disk to the new disk?

or

• Take some time out to manually copy things across to the new drive while within Windows?

2. Windows installation

• Should this be a 'clone' of the source disk to the new disk?

or

• Take some time out to manually copy things across to the new drive while within Windows?
  Then run an install on that drive of Windows itself, using the option to effectively overwrite/refresh which will resetup windows and keep any personal data that was copied over prior

or

• Use a prexisting system image and apply that image to the new drive
  • Must this be done from the current Windows environment yet applied to that different drive, or must I install Windows on the new drive and them do a system image 'restore' effectively?

=-=


I've never had really good experiences with cloning before and so keep that in mind!
I am also concerned about what I call 'over-spray' - it's when you load up a SSD, and write data to virgin blocks. This may have been junk data you didn't actually need in the end. However the damage has already been done as blocks do not exactly 'remove' the data. It seems better to not engage the blocks if not necessary. This is part of why I listed the option above to manually move data from one drive to another instead of a full on clone
(yes I could delete data on the source drive, and then clone however be my fortune that I deleted something I later needed!)

Thank you

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Clonezilla is okay I read but I just use free reflect
Here's the last good free version all others are trailware
Make sure you create the winpe recovery flash media it's all I use to create and restore system images.

Download Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - MajorGeeks

With Macrium Reflect Free Edition you'll be able to easily make an accurate and reliable image of your HDD or individual partitions. Using this image you can restore the entire disk, partition or...

www.majorgeeks.com

 

[newconroer]

Hi,
Clonezilla is okay I read but I just use free reflect
Here's the last good free version all others are trailware
Make sure you create the winpe recovery flash media it's all I use to create and restore system images.

Download Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - MajorGeeks

With Macrium Reflect Free Edition you'll be able to easily make an accurate and reliable image of your HDD or individual partitions. Using this image you can restore the entire disk, partition or...

www.majorgeeks.com

Thank you for the suggestion on the software

Concerning the recovery do you mean a stock boot/install image onto USB?

 

[ThrashZone]

Thank you for the suggestion on the software

Concerning the recovery do you mean a stock boot/install image onto USB?

Hi,
No
After first opening reflect it should popup and ask you if you want to download and create the recovery media = winpe
You should do this
If not after first run you can always do this with the top menu options but don't forget the winpe is the best part of free reflect, get to know how to use it this is valuable info you will need later


WinPe recovery media can be on as small as 1gb flash drive.

 

[newconroer]

Which option here?

Should it be ISO file then put that to USB disk?
(not sure I want to amend the boot menu for this?)


Also
1. Rapid delta worth it? I am not sure I follow it's comments. It says only copy the differences.
One drive is full one is empty, that's the difference!? What else is there that's different?

2. Is it possible to make exceptions within the clone process. e.g. I want to select which things to clone, instead of cloning all data?
I appreciate technically that's not a "clone" any longer, however it's a bulk copy that still includes system volume information then

=-=
And any recommendations about how to ..not use the program itself, more personal anecdotal thoughts from yourself? Any tips or tricks for the drive management

 

[Waldorf]

for data, i prefer to copy it over, easier to get stuff done if a problem arise and you can just reboot for example.

OS always on the fastest drive.
i would never clone, start fresh with the latest iso, using rufus to make a boot usb.
and a secure erase is recommended if your using an ssd that had win installed before, usually can be done with the MB,
just make sure disconnect/remove all other drives to prevent wiping the wrong one.

do recommend using GPT instead of MBR, when you format the drives (again).

cant say anything about keeping stuff like office/outlook things from win drive, as i dont use such,
as i have nothing but win/tools/page file and dls on the os drive.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I use an older version and not the winRE but iso sounds about right and reflect will create the flash media

Hell just review this thread
Backup & Restore Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect - Windows 10 Forums

 

[remixedcat]

Best idea is hardware docks that have 2 or more drives on them they are the most bit perfect solution. I have a dual drive dock that works offline and doesn't need software so it's very easy..

 

[newconroer]

Hi,
I use an older version and not the winRE but iso sounds about right and reflect will create the flash media

Hell just review this thread
Backup & Restore Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect - Windows 10 Forums

Of note I followed the link you gave earlier https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/macrium_reflect_free_edition.html
Which version are you using then

 

[A Computer Guy]

Have recently invested in some new SSDs. In effect I am trying to consolidate and with aim to be Solid state only
That said I may if only for a time, keep at least one HDD in play(TBD)

My setup is as follows

C: SSD 2TB - Windows, high profile games, some packages and testing/programming programs, page file, user profiles(appdata folders)
D: SSD 500GB - Old Windows 10
E: HDD 3TB - low profile games and Windows file history records
F: HDD 1TB - downloads and backups(including system image file)
G: SSD 4TB*** - new empty drive
H: SSD 4TB*** - new empty drive

***These drives are not as fast as my 2TB where C: however faster than the D: SSD

I am seeking some guidance on both

• The most appropriate useof the drives

Some thoughts... As you obsolete your HDD storage on your PC you might consider throwing the HDD's into a NAS box like Synology, QNap, etc... This way the low power states of the NAS boxes will spin down your drives and keep them idle while giving you some external storage capacity from your PC. Perfect application for on-demand backups and storage you don't access frequently, or otherwise to reduce clutter on your PC. A non-RAID USB based multiple HDD enclosure would even be a simpler approach.

 

[ThrashZone]

Of note I followed the link you gave earlier https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/macrium_reflect_free_edition.html
Which version are you using then

Hi,
I forgot to say read the editors note on the very bottom of the link for installation process.

My older version v6 but doesn't matter seeing it won't be all that good after MS installs a recovery partition security patch "bitlocker hole" once that happens I'd have to disable secure boot to be able to use my older v6 version winpe recovery media so you wouldn't want to do this.

So the free v8 version is the way to go
But yeah go ahead and select the RE version and see what happens as well as the iso process sorry I can't say how these processes will work but the 10forum tutorial should give a good idea how to use the reflect app.

 

[SPDIF]

There are many good backup and restore programs, most of them have a free trial, just choose the one to your likes.

 

[newconroer]

Some thoughts... As you obsolete your HDD storage on your PC you might consider throwing the HDD's into a NAS box like Synology, QNap, etc... This way the low power states of the NAS boxes will spin down your drives and keep them idle while giving you some external storage capacity from your PC. Perfect application for on-demand backups and storage you don't access frequently, or otherwise to reduce clutter on your PC. A non-RAID USB based multiple HDD enclosure would even be a simpler approach.

I do have one of these in the cupboard already, running in RAID. Though yes maybe make a second one, thank you

Hi,
I forgot to say read the editors note on the very bottom of the link for installation process.

My older version v6 but doesn't matter seeing it won't be all that good after MS installs a recovery partition security patch "bitlocker hole" once that happens I'd have to disable secure boot to be able to use my older v6 version winpe recovery media so you wouldn't want to do this.

So the free v8 version is the way to go
But yeah go ahead and select the RE version and see what happens as well as the iso process sorry I can't say how these processes will work but the 10forum tutorial should give a good idea how to use the reflect app.

I have made a Recovery disk and tried it out, where it takes you into a GUI environment.




One thing I left out from original post was consideration of imaging versus cloning, when it came to the System drive.
For the logical /basic data drives may simply copy things manually.

Best idea is hardware docks that have 2 or more drives on them they are the most bit perfect solution. I have a dual drive dock that works offline and doesn't need software so it's very easy..

Have a link to one I can investigate/learn about them?

 

[ThrashZone]

I have made a Recovery disk and tried it out, where it takes you into a GUI environment.

One thing I left out from original post was consideration of imaging versus cloning, when it came to the System drive.
For the logical /basic data drives may simply copy things manually.

Hi,
Very good using the iso or winRE method ?

The way I see using reflect app is this
Clones are one off and of course doing one is a little complicated if the original os install see's the clone windows will usually disable the duplicate boot loader so the clone won'[t boot.
So you have to shut down after doing a clone and remove the original and boot to the clone otherwise the above can happen/ then you're trying to fix boot issue/ startup repair.

System images can be used as many times as you still have them plus they do take up a little less space.
You or anyone really should be system imaging regardless so this really does cancel out cloning use because just having the system and a new ssd you can use the winpe or winre recovery media/ boot to it and restore a system image to the new ssd.