How to best migrate OS between harddrives?

[Numanoid]

Let say you want to switch the harddrive that your OS is installed on, for example to a new SSD.

What is the best way to go about migrating it?

I'm thinking making a system image backup of the "old" HDD, rip it out, screw the new SSD in, and then restore the system backup on that.

But there are other ways like:
http://www.partition-tool.com/copy-wiza ... to-ssd.htm

In case of Windows does it matter if the license was delivered as OEM (does that mean "tied to drive") ?

[Daags]

depends on the ssd you intend to buy ... I had great success with the samsung migration software that comes free with the ssd, and only works when the destination drive is a samsung ssd. couldn't have been more straight forward. cloned, and bootable. 'it just works'

i had used other clone software with no success, though I suspect I could have gotten the clone to work by building a windows repair disk with the original hdd, and booting from the repair disk with the ssd installed.

anyway, from my research, the samsung ssd's are the best go go with in terms of both performance and lifespan. i suggest you go with a Samsung SSD 850 EVO.


if you're not going with Samsung, or you don't gel with the migration software for any reason, you could try the 'EaseUS ToDo Backup' software. the free version. (clones just the same, the pro version just has scheduled backups and speed increases, that kind of thing)

it has a decent reputation, going by my research, but I have no idea why it didn't 'just work' when I used it - though I probably could have gotten it to work with a repair disk, like I said, or further trouble shooting. I didn't bother though as I didn't need to.

[Roman Empire]

I always loved xxclone - free version exists!

Best Regards

Roman Empire

[metamorphosis]

PartedMagic, which has hddclone on it.