Clone M.2 to larger M.2

Chris Ferrara · March 18, 2022

Got a Build Redux PC last year and have been upgrading it. The boot drive was a Cheaper Gen 3 1tb M.2 and I am looking to clone and make my new 2tb 980 Pro my boot drive. The Mobo is an Asus prime x570-p with 2 gen 4 M.2 slots.

Can I install the new M.2 in the second slot, make a clone, then swap drive slots so the new drive is in the top slot? I would guess I would need to enter the bios to reset boot order to the new drive, then I could wipe and reformat the old M.2. What’s the best software or methods to do this?

I eventually would like to try and build a 2nd “cheap” system and would likely use the old drive on that, but no time soon.

Any suggestions or tips please let me know.
Thanks!!

RAS_3885 · March 18, 2022

Macrium Reflect has a free version for cloning drives that works well. Once you clone it, shut down the computer, swap the drives around so the new one is the only one installed and it should boot right up.

RONOTHAN## · March 18, 2022

If you're cloning a smaller drive to a bigger drive, I always use clonezilla. It's free, runs off a USB, and is about as reliable as they come. It's a bit more clunky to use than some of the in Windows utilities, but it's still pretty easy to figure out and about as reliable as they come.

After that finishes (it should take maybe 10 minutes), go to only the new drive in the system to make sure it works (and you don't screw anything up on the next step), open partition manager, and expand the main drive partition to take up the rest of the drive. If there's a system recovery partition there at the end of the partition table, delete it (you might need to do so through the terminal) and expand the drive fully. Once that's done and everything is confirmed working, shutdown the system and put the new drive in. Then open up the partition manager and delete all the partitions (this step is usually easier in the command line since the UEFI partition doesn't like to be deleted), then make one new partition that takes up the entire drive.

doommood · March 20, 2022

On 3/18/2022 at 2:45 PM, Chris Ferrara said:

Can I install the new M.2 in the second slot, make a clone, then swap drive slots so the new drive is in the top slot? I would guess I would need to enter the bios to reset boot order to the new drive, then I could wipe and reformat the old M.2. What’s the best software or methods to do this?

I eventually would like to try and build a 2nd “cheap” system and would likely use the old drive on that, but no time soon.

Any suggestions or tips please let me know.
Thanks!!

In order to clone one drive to another, both connected to the same computer, use Clonezilla. It is free-to-use software that allows performing the disk-to-disk clone. Here is the guide. https://clonezilla.org/show-live-doc-content.php?topic=clonezilla-live/doc/03_Disk_to_disk_clone.

Another approach would be using Macrium reflect to create a system backup of the first drive. It needs you to have another, the third drive to store the backup. It can be an external drive or a network share. Once you get the backup created, boot the computer from Macriums's recovery ISO and restore the system to the new (second) drive. https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree

Commodore-Rush · March 20, 2022

I always use clonezilla. I am usually using a desktop with 2 x M.2 slots. So it only makes sense vs purchasing something new and waiting for it to show up.

I wish I had directions for clonezilla, but I usually just follow along and everything is fine. It is pretty clear what drive you are cloning from and to. (I remember having to pay close attention to the directions for clonezilla .... I just could face roll my way through that ... I believe when I formatted that disk in diskpart from command line, I needed to include a size like 500 megs). All I needed was the ssd's and a two usb sitcks. Make sure you new one is larger than you need. Company like to lie about 1-10% on how big they really are.

I use one for clonezilla and once that finished I use gpedit to fix the disk. I am sure you could boot windows and try to extend the disk, but fixing it automatically pops in gpedit. Plus using gpedit was the first way I got it to work right ... So I am sticking with it.